Mike Killian
Sports Excellence, LLC.
Mike Killian, Sports Excellence, LLC, specializes in taking young athletes (prepubescent), regardless of the sport, and preparing them to play and succeed at the next level, high school.
From St. Louis, Missouri, Mike has a B.S. in Information Management and has been training athletes since 1989. He is certified by the International Youth Conditioning Association, International Sports Sciences Association, and has participated in the Lee Taft Athletic Speed Formula seminar and Gray Cook FMS Training.
Mike believes that prior to puberty, most speed gains are due to nervous system adaptation and better muscle coordination in addition to sprinting skills and technique.
“Children’s ability to be faster will increase as their neuromuscular control increases; therefore speed training for prepubescent athletes should focus on nervous system adaptation to a variety of movements,” he stated.
His training philosophy was shaped from back when he played baseball in high school and it was unthinkable to do any type of serious strength training as a pitcher. “We were never taught basic movement patterns or how to focus on making our athletic movements more efficient,” Killian told Speed Insiders. He also added that today, everyone wants and expects instantaneous results.
“At Sports Excellence, LLC we focus on first evaluating each and every athletes current performance of basic loco motor, manipulative and stabilizing movements.” Mike continued, ”Even with high performing athletes, it is often found that they are utilizing compensatory movement patterns to allow them to perform at a high level.”
Lee’s Speed Insider program has played a vital role in training Sports Excellence athletes for success. Mike appreciates the simplicity of Lee’s teachings as well as the strong foundation for all Sports Speed, Etc. programs.
“All of Lee’s programs are grounded first in teaching correct functional movement patterns and how to execute them in a very clear and simple format. Only when the athlete has established correct and efficient movement patterns does Lee then move on to the more complex movement patterns and Lee is able to explain a very complex subject area and break it down into very simple terms even the prepubescent athlete is easily able to follow.”
Mike has interacted with a lot of coaches and trainers from all levels since he started training and he has not found a trainer or coach that has broken down such a complex subject matter and into very simple steps that all athletes can follow easily and produce results like Lee does.
“I am very proud to say that I am a part of the Lee Taft family and I take great pride in being a beacon for his programs, teaching methods and philosophies,” Mike stated. “I have a very thriving Sports training business and I owe so much of it to Lee…thanks Lee!”
