Creative Speed Development with BX4 Fitness

Joseph Lampkin, a former Division I athlete, is now a youth performance coach who combines creative, evidence-based training with innovative sports technology. He is the founder and owner of BX4 Fitness, a performance practice that helps youth athletes develop speed and agility through creative and engaging sessions.

Although BX4 began as pop-up field training, Joseph has since integrated SmartSpeed Plus to enhance both training effectiveness and athlete engagement.

What sparked your coaching journey?

I noticed a significant gap in training opportunities and competition levels for youth after moving to Florida from the Northeast. As a parent, I started taking my kids to the park, where we would train and work on speed drills I had learned in college. Soon, local coaches began to take notice and asked if I would train their athletes.

As we formalized into BX4 Fitness, I realized that training without keeping track of performance and progress lacked justification for my methods and pricing. Adding objective assessment technology helped quantify training progress and provide legitimacy to my business.

Joseph describing speed and agility drills to his athletes.

As coaches, training is our bread and butter, but without objective measurement, we have no way of knowing if our training is helping or hindering our athletes’ development. When I came across VALD, it became a no-brainer to integrate SmartSpeed into our training process.

…without objective measurement, [coaches] have no way of knowing if our training is helping or hindering our athletes’ development.

SmartSpeed has been a great addition to our training programs and testing sessions. We primarily work with youth athletes, typically from age seven up to about 15, along with some high schoolers and young adults. At younger ages, progress happens quickly, so tracking those changes helps ensure development is on pace and keeps athletes motivated.

Performance technology is often associated with top-performing collegiate and professional athletes, but youth athletes may benefit the most from it. Seeing early trends in athlete speed and agility helps inform decisions about performance potential and development as an athlete.

What makes your approach different from traditional speed training?

I’ve applied SmartSpeed in daily training sessions to create novel drills for athletes, expanding its use beyond traditional speed testing. We still test the 40-yard dash and standardized agility drills at periodic intervals, but I focus more on creating challenging, competitive experiences that keep the athletes engaged while developing athletic skills.

I’ve applied SmartSpeed…[to create] challenging, competitive experiences that keep the athletes engaged while developing athletic skills.

Most of the drills I create don’t follow traditional speed and agility training. Often, drills are designed to ignite creativity in solving “movement problems” without an established standard for what constitutes a “good” time.

Joseph organizing his SmartSpeed Plus gate layout for group testing.

We still test the 40-yard dash…[but] I’ve found [creative drills drive] more engagement than getting everyone to meet an arbitrary linear speed benchmark.

I’ve found this creates more engagement than getting everyone to meet an arbitrary linear speed benchmark. In these scenarios, the “best possible score” is unknown, which keeps athletes excited and invested in improving with each rep.

New drills also mean that there are no competitive advantages, creating healthy competition and driving greater training intensity – ultimately contributing to the performance gains we see in our athlete development programs.

What drills are best suited for these applications?

One of my go-to setups involves the serpentine drill with a four-color reaction system, using different colors to signal a new task or object to maneuver around. As athletes move through a certain gate, they’re required to recall task activities and react in real time.

Serpentine Drill

This closely replicates game demands – processing cues, making split-second decisions and executing movements under pressure. It builds confidence in decision-making and reaction speed, all within a competitive, engaging training environment.

This closely replicates game demands… [and] builds confidence in decision-making and reaction speed, all within a competitive, engaging training environment.

Reactive ability is often overlooked, but like speed or ball control, it’s a skill that can be trained. Developing this capacity adds value for athletes and increases engagement. Tools like SmartSpeed make reaction-based drills competitive and enjoyable, keeping athletes focused and invested.

We also adapt drills like the grid drill by setting up lanes on the track and running individual reaction challenges while keeping sessions dynamic and enjoyable.

What impact do you see on athlete performance?

The most common feedback I get from parents is about building confidence. Youth athletes often lack confidence in their athletic ability and adaptability to various skills. Seeing their time drop from 10 seconds to 8 within a few attempts builds confidence that they’re capable, adaptable athletes.

Seeing their time drop from 10 seconds to 8 within a few attempts builds confidence that they’re capable, adaptable athletes.

BX4 athlete executing an in-beam start with live leaderboard results.

SmartSpeed makes progress visible and measurable, reinforcing both effort and development. Much of the improvement comes from consistent exposure to problem-solving within athletic tasks, with gains emerging over time.

What are you looking to do in the future?

Moving forward, we plan to continue providing speed and agility training that integrates performance technology. We also plan to expand our business-to-business opportunities by offering standardized testing to local sports teams and clubs – anything from 40-yard assessments to agility training.

To learn more about how VALD’s SmartSpeed timing gate system can streamline workflows and elevate speed testing in your facility, download our Practitioner’s Guide to Speed Testing or get in touch with our team.