What is Speed School?
There are hundreds of places you can go in Central Maryland to learn how to play your sport. Thunderbolts Speed School is one of the only places you can go to learn how to be fast. And most of us know that the best athlete on the field is usually the fastest, most explosive one.
We use fun activities, movement challenges, games, competitions and various rewards to teach kids from 6 to 18 how to move their bodies safely and effectively to achieve their highest level of physical performance. Athletes will learn how to accelerate, run at top speed, laterally move, decelerate and change direction: all of the major ground-based movement abilities needed for any team or individual sport. Performance breeds motivation, so we record and highlight individual results and constantly encourage and motivate our athletes to perform better … and they do! Over 99% of our athletes perform better in at least one of our activities (sprinting, maneuverability, vertical or horizontal jumping).
You can’t change what you don’t measure. We measure speed, and we measure it as it increases among our athletes. We measure other proxies for speed and explosiveness: jump height, jump distance and lateral movement times. We target the main areas of needed improvement with our exciting in-class activities, motivational “extra-credit” rewards and movement achievements; and kids respond by taking on the challenges, and making improvements.
Fast athletes are game-changers. Fast breaks resulting in game-winning goals, wide-open receivers on deep routes, base-stealing speed-demons turning singles into runs all highlight how high speed can dramatically change games. Everyone can get faster, and we can help them do so.
A lot of kids lack speed because they haven’t yet developed the strength in the right areas to support the high forces experienced at high speeds. We help teach body awareness and sound movement fundamentals in a variety of movement patterns, so our athletes can organize their bodies for safe and effective movement on and off the field.
Why Choose Us
Your Kids Will Love our Program
At Thunderbolts, we develop the whole athlete. Most people are not going to grow up and play sports for a living, but we help our athletes learn to love self-improvement, love their bodies and feeling them move, and to develop a positive self-image based on their own merit. Many of the skills we teach are not only required for developing explosiveness and speed, but also for long-term success in anything they choose to do.
Your Kids Will Love Our Coaches
Our coaches love kids, and love helping them develop. We spend great effort to make sure that each kid we work with feels like they have coaches who are interested in them personally and want to see them succeed. We will be their allies in their pursuit of success.
We Know How the Body Should Move
Proper, pain-free movement should be protected like gold. We are “sticklers” for form, and we work hard with our athletes to develop good mechanics so they can avoid soft tissue injuries and joint pain, and stay on the field of play – or on the track – all the way through the championships.
Your Kids Will Show off Their Awards, and Brag About their Times
We reward effort and personal bests with medals, custom bands, pins and shirts – to name a few. In our short lifespan, we are already seeing our performance t-shirts around Central Maryland, and have seen kids showing off their Thunderbolts medals to strangers. We reward kids based on merit, and our athletes love showing off the tangible results of their hard work.
About Us
Coach Jeremy
Certified Strength & Conditioning SpecialistAbout Coach Jeremy
Coach Jeremy is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the NSCA with certifications in Speed Development and Performance Therapy through the ALTIS elite performance development center. He was his High School and College Track and Field sprint team captain, and is currently a Masters Sprinter with USA Track and Field. He has 10 years of coaching experience, and has trained athletes of all ages.
Coach Gary
Certified USA Track & Field Level 1 CoachAbout Coach Gary
Coach Gary is a USATF Certified Track and Field Coach, and former NCAA Division I sprinter. He has 10+ years of experience coaching team sports and Track and Field, including several local teams, becoming one of the most sought-after coaches in the area. He is also the head coach of the Maryland Fever Fastpitch Softball 10U team.
What People Are Saying
“My kids had a great time in your speed school. They challenged themselves every week to make improvements, and when they did do the extra work at home they had a great time doing it.”
“I love what you guys are doing. I think it is great for the kids in many ways, but especially building their confidence. Watching you at the awards last week, it is clear you have such passion and joy for working with the kids. And I know they LOVE it!!”
“I’m sure you can tell that my son LOVES Speed School – this type of program is so perfect for him. We were happy when his sister wanted in on the action as well. The hour sessions are dynamic, fast-paced, positive and FUN. Thanks for creating such a great program.”