Why Reactive Drills May Be Failing Your Athlete — A Smarter Approach to Speed and Agility Training in Portland, Oregon
In the world of youth sports, speed and agility training can make the difference between being average and becoming elite. But not all training is created equal. At APEX PWR in Tigard, Oregon, our coaches aren’t just running kids through cone drills — we’re helping athletes move with purpose, think faster, and react like the game depends on it.
Coach Yuji, one of our performance specialists, has been working closely with high school football players (among athletes in other sports) in Portland, Beaverton, and surrounding communities, dialing in their speed and agility training with one thing in mind: make every movement count.
“What the athletes are ‘reacting’ to matters,” Coach Yuji explains. Many coaches lean on flashing lights, verbal commands, or even hand signals to train “reaction.” But while these drills might look cool on social media, they may be missing the mark when it comes to sport-specific skill development.
In other words, athletes make decisions in real time based on direct perception — what they see and sense in front of them. The body doesn’t need to wait for the brain to process a signal; it acts in context.
That’s why at APEX PWR, our agility training in Portland prioritizes drills that look, feel, and move like the sport itself.

“For American football players, agility activities that involve things like responding to flashing lights and performing specific movements assigned to each color, or chasing bouncing tennis balls thrown in succession are less representative compared to activities that involves chasing/evading opponents in spaces of varying sizes and densities, an example of which is shown in the video.“ Coach Yuji says.
Our Youth Speed and Strength Training programs are built around this concept of “representative learning design.” The drills aren’t random — they’re strategically chosen to mimic game-like scenarios, improve reaction speed, and teach athletes to move with intelligence.
And no, that doesn’t mean throwing kids into chaotic, injury-prone situations.
“This does NOT necessarily mean they have to jump into high-force, high-unpredictability activities. Speeds and complexity can be scaled without 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 the skill (as opposed to keeping perception and action coupled),“ Yuji says. “It does take a little bit more effort and creativity, but developing a deep understanding of the theoretical frameworks for motor learning is a helpful starting point.“
That’s exactly what we offer at APEX PWR: speed and agility training in Tigard that goes beyond the basics and builds better athletes. Whether your child is aiming to improve their footwork, get faster off the line, or become more agile on the field or court, we’ve got the tools, coaching, and theory to back it up.
Real Training. Real Results.
Here in the Portland, Oregon area, we work with youth athletes from all over the region — including students from Mountainside High School, Tigard High School, Beaverton High School, and local club sports organizations. Our approach is different because it’s evidence-informed, sport-specific, and community-driven.
Parents often tell us how much their kids enjoy training with the APEX Team.
What Parents Are Saying:
“Iris and Yuji are great. My 13-year-old has been attending classes there for a few months now. He has fun and is seeing great results.” — Justin Davis
“Our kids took the Youth Athletic Performance class. They had a fantastic time and really got a great workout in. My son plays on a high-end travel hockey team, so the need for additional performance training for speed and strength is necessary. Overall, fantastic experience.” — Melissa Raimondi
“My daughter started attending workout classes a few weeks ago and she has been loving the extra agility and strength to get her ready for club volleyball season. She’s loving the instructors and the workouts.” — Lena Gladstone
“Six stars! Our son’s athletic development has been exceptional thanks to APEX and their coaches! As a college head baseball coach with 24 years of experience, I understand the importance of athleticism, foot speed, arm speed, and bat speed. APEX, Iris, and Yuji helped my son develop all of those. My only regret is having to move away!” — Brian Billings
If you’re a parent in Beaverton, Portland, or Tigard looking to help your young athlete take the next step, check out our:
- Youth Speed and Strength Programs
- One-on-One and Small Group Personal Training
- Or simply visit our Home Page to learn more about our community and offerings.
Train smarter. React faster. Move with purpose.
Because true agility isn’t random — it’s trained.
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