09/14/2025
Is your high school athlete average or slow? Watching local teams play this past Friday night, it's clear that the speed of high school athletes has significantly changed over the past decade. To be effective, the average running back now needs to achieve a 1.5-1.6 second laser-timed 10-yard split, with no false steps and covering that split in just six strides. Understanding this is crucial because new, faster linebackers are closing the line of scrimmage with 1.6 to 1.85-second splits, reaching it in under two seconds. If your team is struggling to move the ball, it's likely a speed and ex*****on issue.In my 25 years of timing athletes and collecting data on 40-yard dashes and 10-yard splits, I’ve found that the split is paramount. Making first downs is crucial, and slow, double-stepping backs and receivers can halt the drive. Every high school game I watched this past weekend saw the winning team excel by minimizing false steps and contact time in the first 10 yards of play. As a speed coach, I've been fortunate to work with top college and pro football running backs and receivers. The three most common traits they share are exceptional hip projection distance, limited contact time in the first 10 yards, and an absence of false steps. In 20 years of working with elite athletes, I haven’t seen anyone succeed at the next level without these three attributes. Sadly, hundreds of athletes have the raw talent but fall short on game nights because they don't understand these crucial factors. These skills can be developed and trained, but few know how to approach improving them effectively.