ATHLETE TRAINING

All programing at Starks Sports Training focuses around three components that are imperative to athlete success: Speed, Strength, and RECOVERY.

Each of these areas play their own unique role and relies on the others to improve performance.

SPEED + AGILITY

Speed Development at Starks Sports Training is built for athletes who want to move faster, react quicker, and gain a true competitive edge on the field or court. Our performance-driven system combines science-based coaching with advanced technology to improve acceleration, top-end speed, and change of direction.

Each session integrates sprint mechanics, explosive power development, reaction training, resisted sprinting, plyometrics, and agility work to improve both linear and lateral movement. Athletes are coached on proper technique and movement efficiency to maximize performance while reducing injury risk. Training takes place on turf and includes tools such as sleds, laser timing systems, and sport-specific drills that directly translate to game performance.

  • Starks Sports Training utilizes the 1080 Sprint, the gold standard in speed development technology. This system measures every stride in real time, providing precise feedback on force output, sprint mechanics, velocity, and power. With instant data, athletes and coaches can make immediate adjustments, leading to faster progress and more efficient training sessions.

    The result is smarter training, measurable improvement, and real gains in speed, power, and confidence when it matters most.

  • As an official Universal Speed Rating (USR) Speed Lab, Starks Sports Training provides athletes access to nationally recognized speed evaluation and tracking systems. Every athlete is assessed for movement mechanics, acceleration, agility, and overall performance, then placed into the USR system for ongoing tracking and comparison against athletes across the country.

    Through detailed testing and performance reporting, we identify strengths and pinpoint areas for improvement, allowing us to build fully customized training programs tailored to each athlete’s sport and developmental stage. This data-driven approach ensures continuous progress and objective performance measurement over time.

  • Our system develops the key components of athletic speed and agility:

    • Improved biomechanics and movement efficiency

    • Acceleration and deceleration mechanics

    • Increased maximal velocity

    • Enhanced change of direction ability

    • Improved rate of force development

    We build these skills through structured, progressive training designed to meet athletes where they are and take them where they need to go.

    • Youth (Ages 10–12): Foundational movement and running mechanics

    • Middle School (Ages 12–15): Introduction to explosive speed and agility development

    • High School (Ages 15+): Advanced speed, power, and sport-specific performance training

Why It Works

Speed is more than running fast—it’s about moving efficiently, explosively, and with control. Our integrated system combines expert coaching, advanced technology, and objective data to develop complete athletes. Whether the goal is a scholarship, combine preparation, or outperforming the competition, our Speed & Agility program at Starks Sports Training delivers measurable results that translate directly to sport.

STRENGTH + POWER

Strength is the foundation of athletic performance. At Starks Sports Training, our strength program is designed to build powerful, durable, and well-rounded athletes through structured, collegiate-style training. Every athlete is coached on proper technique, movement quality, and training intent to ensure they develop strength the right way from the ground up.

Athletes follow a personalized training plan built around their sport, experience level, and performance goals. Each athlete receives a training card used to track progress week-to-week, allowing both coaches and athletes to measure improvements in strength, power output, and overall performance.

All athletes are closely monitored on form and execution to ensure safe progression and long-term development. This system builds not just stronger athletes—but smarter, more efficient movers.

  • Our strength program follows a structured progression designed to meet athletes where they are:

    • Intermediate (Ages 12–14): Introduction to foundational strength training, bodyweight control, and proper lifting mechanics

    • Advanced (Ages 15+): High-level strength training focused on performance, power development, and sport-specific strength

    Younger athletes progress from bodyweight movement patterns to controlled free-weight training, ensuring proper motor learning, movement efficiency, and long-term athletic development.

  • Our strength program mirrors the structure and intent of collegiate and professional training environments, emphasizing measurable progress and performance-driven execution.

    Using the Perch Velocity Based Training System, we monitor bar speed and power output in real time. This allows athletes and coaches to train with precision, ensuring every rep has purpose and every session contributes to measurable improvement.

  • Our strength system develops the key qualities that drive athletic performance:

    • Explosive power for sprinting, jumping, and acceleration

    • Stability and balance for movement control and injury prevention

    • Muscular endurance for sustained performance throughout competition

    • Durability and resilience to reduce injury risk and extend athletic longevity

    • Total-body strength that transfers directly into sport performance

    Strength is what allows athletes to apply force. Speed is how efficiently that force is expressed. Together, they create complete athletic performance.

Why It Works

Strength training is one of the most effective ways to improve performance, body composition, and long-term athletic durability. Through consistent, coached, and data-informed training, athletes build strength that directly translates to the field or court—improving performance, reducing injury risk, and increasing confidence week after week.

RECOVERY

Recovery is where adaptation happens and where better athletes are built. At Starks Sports Training, recovery is not an add-on; it is fully integrated into every training program we deliver.

Every athlete program at Starks Sports Training incorporates and promotes intentional recovery strategies, including structured active recovery days, post-gameday recovery protocols, and guidance on how to manage training load throughout the week. This ensures athletes are not only training hard—but recovering smart.

Our facilities in Tampa, FL and Paducah, KY feature dedicated recovery areas equipped with industry-leading tools designed to reduce soreness, improve circulation, and accelerate recovery between training sessions. Athletes have access to IcePod cold tubs for full-body cold immersion, Hyperice percussion and mobility tools for targeted muscle relief, and Normatec compression systems to enhance blood flow and support faster muscular recovery.

By combining elite recovery tools with programming that respects rest and regeneration, athletes are able to train more consistently, reduce injury risk, and perform at a higher level over time.

SPORTS SPECIFIC TRAINING

At Starks Sports Training, our programs are built to enhance performance for athletes across all sports, including football, basketball, soccer, baseball, softball, volleyball, track and field, lacrosse, hockey, tennis, golf, and more. Whether an athlete specializes in a single sport or competes in multiple sports throughout the year, our training system develops speed, agility, strength, and power in ways that translate directly to on-field performance. For athletes seeking more individualized attention, we offer one-on-one lessons with our coaches and and also partner with sport-specific trainers who provide personalized coaching tailored to the unique demands of each sport.