Almost every sport, whether on the field, ice, or court requires an Athlete to perform quickly, change direction, and explode off the play or “ball”. By definition agility is the ability to move the body powerfully and quickly (dictionary.com 2012). In sport this also implies that the Athlete is able to move multi-directional and change the rate of speed throughout various skills and movements. The success of an Athletes ability to perform a high level of agility is determined by several factors including; Muscular Strength, Speed, Power, Body Type, Technique, and Reaction Time.
Here are a few equations to help you determine the different variables:
1. Power = Work / Time or Power= Force x Velocity (Speed)
2. Work = Force (overload or weight in lbs) x Distance
3. Speed= Distance/Time
4. Strength = the ability of the neuromuscular system to produce force
5. Reaction Time= is a measurement of time for how long it takes the Athlete to react
These are a few sample exercises to improve your Agility, Foot speed, & Quickness: