Surf '08-'11 Recap
Hi Folsom Lake Surf Families,
We’re now in Week 8 of our summer training program with the ‘08–’11 group at Victory Performance, and the growth we’ve seen from these athletes has been outstanding. Every week has layered new skills, strength, and confidence on top of the last—and now we’re starting to see the results come to life.
20-Yard Sprint Retesting: Measuring Real Progress
As planned, this week we’ve begun retesting 20-yard sprints using our Vald Performance laser timing system, comparing it to the baseline testing we did in early June. It’s been exciting to see how far the athletes have come—not just in terms of sprint times, but in how they move:
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Better posture and projection out of the start
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More effective arm swing and knee drive
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Smoother transitions into top speed
These are the results of consistent effort, intentional programming, and the athletes' buy-in every week.
Sprint Development: Game-Speed Mechanics
From early summer banded sprints and short accelerations to more recent Flying 10s and Chain Sprints, every drill has served a purpose. We’re not just building speed—we’re building sprinting skills that transfer directly to soccer: explosive take-offs, efficient recovery strides, and proper foot placement on ground contact.
Special Strength: Technical Sprint Skills, Reinforced
Each sprint session has been paired with Special Strength movements that reinforce sprinting technique and shore up weak points in the movement chain.
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Overhead Marches and Power Skips (June) focused on trunk stability, knee drive, and ground contact quality—helping athletes accelerate with better posture and power.
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Overhead Skips and Power Drum Majors (July) built on that foundation, focusing on timing, rhythm, and coordination during the max velocity phase of sprinting.
These targeted movements are helping athletes become more efficient movers—not just stronger ones.
Power Development: From Controlled Landings to Explosive Reacceleration
Jump and medicine ball progressions have also evolved with intention:
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In June, our focus was on landing control through broad jumps and single-leg broad jumps—helping athletes master deceleration, an essential skill for multidirectional speed and safe change-of-direction.
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In July, we’ve shifted to repeating jump variations, emphasizing timing, fluid transitions, and reacceleration mechanics. The goal: avoid getting “stuck in the mud” and instead flow seamlessly from landing into the next explosive action—exactly what happens in a game scenario.
We’ve paralleled this with med ball slams, single-leg slams, and rotational throws, reinforcing full-body coordination and sport-specific power.
Strength Training: Controlled, Durable, Soccer-Ready
Strength sessions continue to emphasize quality over quantity, with progressions in tempo, load, and complexity:
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Lower body: DB RDLs, goblet squats, and split squats
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Posterior chain: Nordics, glute bridge marches, SL cone reaches
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Upper body: Push-ups, floor presses, chin-ups
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Core: Side planks, anti-rotation drills, dying bugs
Every movement supports what happens on the field—whether it’s sprint posture, change of direction, or physical resilience in contact.
We’re incredibly proud of how this group is finishing strong. The focus, intent, and athletic growth we’re seeing are exactly what long-term development looks like. We’ll continue testing through the week and are excited to share more on how these athletes have progressed.
As always, reach out with any questions—we’re here to support your athletes every step of the way.
Best,
Robert Gray, MS
916.346.6286
Victory Performance S&C LLC
CEO/Director of Performance