200 Speed Labs: Building a Nationwide Speed Training Community

The first Speed Lab was just a closet.

Thrown together at Togethership Middle School in Southern CA, that small room has turned into a nationwide movement. 

“We wanted a better process to track and evaluate athletes.” 

Les Spellman, Co-Founder of the USR, reflected. 

“We wanted a community of coaches to bounce ideas off of, to learn, grow and connect with. I knew we were onto something special, but I couldn’t have imagined how many elite coaches would buy in this fast.” 

We are proud to welcome the 200th Speed Lab into the Universal Speed Rating community. 

The vision for Speed Labs from the beginning started with the athlete. How could we help athletes train smarter and play faster? 

The first fly-10 was recorded in a parking lot.

The first Speed Lab Report was way too long and way too complex. 

So we got to work. 

We simplified to measuring what matters. We built a v1 of the USR software to transfer thousands of athlete datapoints from spreadsheets into a displayable leaderboard. 

We’ve partnered with industry experts like Tony Holler, and Brian Kula and our first 50 Speed Labs - coaches ahead of the curve who bought into our vision from the start. 

And with each new community member, each monthly education call, each athlete test and assessment, the goal has stayed the same: 

To be an elite community of coaches, obsessed with helping athletes train smarter and play faster. 

That’s the vision for Speed Labs. 

That’s what over 200 training facilities are focused on each and every day across the country and it continues to make an impact across the continent…

What is a Speed Lab?

200 Speed Labs is a milestone, but it’s more than just a number. 

It represents more than 100,000 athletes impacted through verified speed training, and more than 500,000 data points collected to inform training decisions, motivate athletes, and drive real results.

Across 200 training businesses, the vision for Speed Labs comes to life every single day inside facilities, on fields, and in team programs.

The Speed Lab partnership is built around three core pillars:

Analytics. Education. Community.

Analytics: Data That Validates

Every Speed Lab operates with the same standard. 

Athletes at Speed Lab locations conduct various assessments that break down key performance indicators like acceleration, max velocity, change of direction, and power production.

Those results are compiled into branded Speed Lab Reports that give athletes and parents a clear picture of where they stand, what needs improvement, and how their training connects directly to their performance. 

These reports are fully customizable to each Speed Lab, which means coaches get verifiable rankings, measurable progress tracking, and athlete profiles that guide training decisions and validate programming with complete transparency. 

“Data doesn’t replace coaching. It validates it. It gives coaches confidence in what they’re doing and gives athletes proof that the work is paying off.” - Les Spellman

No more wondering if the training is working.

Results are visible and progress is proven.

Education: For Coaching and Business Growth

Investing in education is crucial. Speed Labs get support in building their systems, their speed programs, and their ability to deliver results consistently. 

Speed Labs learn from coaches like Les Spellman, Tony Holler, Brian Kula, and many more.

They also learn from the nationwide network of businesses sharing strategies to grow sustainably and serve athletes better.

 “I didn’t know how to run a business, but I knew how to coach. So the education I’ve received on the business side of things has been a massive benefit for me. I really don’t think I could have kept my doors open if it wasn’t for the Speed Lab Community.” - Matt Erdman, Veritas Athletic Performance, Speed Lab in Scottsbluff, Nebraska

Community: Elite Coaches with the Same Mission

This community is full of driven coaches all chasing the same outcome.

Coaches are intentionally linked with others at similar stages of their business so they’re learning from people facing the same challenges and solving the same problems.

Each group is supported by Speed Lab Directors, industry leaders who actively use Universal Speed Rating in their own facilities and help guide newer labs with proven systems, best practices, and real-world insight.

The result is a community built on practical connection, not surface-level networking.

Coaches share drills, troubleshoot challenges, celebrate breakthroughs, and raise the standard together.

“The biggest impact for me has been the ability to network with other coaches and other facilities… it allows us to create a tight network, and really it feels more like a family to me.” - Jose Catano, Catano Performance, Speed Lab in Haverhill, Massachusetts 

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Across the country, the impact is showing up in real ways.

In North Dakota, Colby Wartman and his team have used their Speed Lab to establish credibility with local schools and club teams, using verified testing as a bridge to landing new partnerships and expanding services. As a result, 22 new seniors got college scholarships this past year training at Colby’s Speed Lab, Origin Performance. 

In Illinois, Adam Lane from Oak Performance has plugged in Universal Speed Rating seamlessly with his current training system leading to more confident athletes, better results, and validation to their parents that the money they’re spending training is worth it. 

In St. Louis, Nick Bonacker has used Speed Lab to set up systems in his business, for staff onboarding, continuing education, player profiles, and the specifics of their training program. Everyone on his staff knows exactly what they’re doing, and how they’re doing it. 

For the athletes, we’re hearing stories from Speed Labs every day like: 

Middle school athletes finding confidence for the first time from seeing their name climb a leaderboard.

High school players leveling up from JV to Varsity to getting college exposure. 

College athletes making an impact on the field and standing out in their sport. 

And dozens more just like them. 

“We’re grateful for every coach who trusted the vision, leaned into the work, and helped turn a closet in Southern California into a nationwide movement. This is just the beginning, and I can’t wait to keep building with this group of coaches.” – Les Spellman

Reaching 200 Speed Labs shows there’s real momentum from elite coaches nationwide, building something bigger than themselves. 

From 1 → 200.

And we’re just getting started.

JOIN THE SPEED LAB COMMUNITY

If you believe in helping athletes train smarter and play faster, we’d love to connect.

Learn more about joining the Speed Lab Community by scheduling an intro call with our team to see if becoming a Speed Lab is the right fit for you.