Training
Sound sprint mechanics and explosive work under one unified system. This is where speed is built.
Manila, Philippines · Est. 2025
Manila's First Speed Academy Now Enrolling · Limited Slots Per Group
TRAIN
FAST.
MOVE
SMART.
Manila's first speed academy for youth athletes — every sport, every level.
We teach kids how to move: faster sprint mechanics, explosive power, and the body awareness that keeps them healthy and confident on the field.
What we train for
Every Sport
Football, basketball, baseball, tennis, track, volleyball and more — speed and explosive fundamentals that transfer to all of them.
Our edge
Technical Speed + Explosion
Body mechanics and awareness that protect athletes and unlock performance others leave on the table.
Why we exist
Too many athletes are told to just run harder — without ever being taught how to move properly.
We Don't Guess — We Measure
A fraction of a second is the whole game — scoring the goal instead of missing it, finishing the layup instead of getting blocked, chasing down the breakaway instead of watching it go. In nearly every sport, the fastest athlete gets there first.
−0.8s
Roughly 4 meters of separation.Up to 0.8 seconds off a 30m sprint over 7 months — measured on timing gates from a 4-point start.
−0.4s
About 2 meters, in one camp cycle.Common within 2 months alongside sprint-mechanics coaching — same timing gates, same protocol.
Day 1 → Week 12
A number you can hold us to.Weekly-program athletes get a measured baseline and a measured retest — timing gates and jump mat. No stopwatches, no guesswork.
All figures are real outcomes from our competitive athletes, measured on timing gates over a 30m sprint from a 4-point start. Individual results vary with age, consistency and training history. See how we measure →
What's New
Updates & Announcements
Weekly Programs · 2026
See Weekly Programs →
Now Enrolling
Weekly Programs Now Enrolling
Our 12-week speed development cycle is open — built around top-speed and acceleration mechanics, explosive plyometric work, and timing-gate and jump-mat testing from Day 1. Slots are limited per training group (15–20 athletes with 2–3 coaches per session), open to all sports and levels, ages 6–18.
Milestone
Manila's First Dedicated Speed Academy
NextGen is proud to be Manila's first speed academy built specifically for youth athletes across all sports.
2025
Proven
Athletes Cutting Real Time
Our competitive athletes have taken up to 0.8 seconds off a 30m sprint over 7 months — timing gates, 4-point start. That is roughly 4 meters of separation.
Ongoing
Speed Camps
Next Camp Dates: TBA
Our next camp cycle has not been scheduled yet. Dates will be announced here once confirmed. Weekly programs are enrolling in the meantime.
TBA
Our Story
Built for Every Young Athlete in Manila
Manila's First Speed Academy
NextGen Speed Academy was founded by Coach John Gotladera after years of seeing the same gap in youth sports across the Philippines: proper running mechanics, sprint technique, and the movement foundations every young athlete needs are rarely taught well — even at competitive levels.
The approach draws from the comprehensive speed development programs Coach John studied in the United States and Europe, where young athletes are built on movement quality, sprint mechanics, explosiveness, and long-term athletic development. That deeper foundation is a major reason athletes from those systems are able to perform at such a high level.
The Philippines is full of kids with real athletic potential. What holds many of them back isn't drive or work ethic — it's that their foundations were never properly developed. Sprinting in particular is highly technical, and without proper coaching, even the most gifted athletes leave real performance on the table.
With the right speed training and movement education, that changes quickly. Athletes don't just run faster — they become more confident, more explosive, better coordinated, and more efficient, and it carries directly into every sport they play. We've already watched many of our athletes elevate their game in ways their parents and coaches can clearly see — and that's the standard NextGen was built around.
Speed isn't only for sprinters. Every sport asks an athlete to accelerate, change direction, and control their body at pace — and sprint mechanics sit underneath all of it. Speed is trainable right through childhood and adolescence, which means there's no age at which it's too early or too late to coach it properly.
NextGen Speed Academy has trained athletes across the full spectrum — from complete beginners to elite athletes who have represented the country.
01
Technical Speed
Sound sprint mechanics that unlock each athlete's true speed potential — not just raw effort.
02
Explosive Power
Plyometric and reactive training to make athletes faster off the mark and more powerful in every direction.
03
Body Awareness
Teaching athletes to understand and control their body — the foundation of every elite movement.
04
Athletic Confidence
Helping athletes trust their bodies and move with assurance — the mindset that turns training into real performance.
The NextGen Family
Athletes of every level, training together
Sports we train for
Football (Soccer)
Basketball
Badminton
Track & Field
Volleyball
Baseball / Softball
Martial Arts
Swimming
Tennis
Figure Skating
All Sports
Measured, Not Assumed
Progress Monitoring
Athletes in our weekly programs follow a structured development pathway — not just recurring sessions. Scheduled progress retesting measures improvement objectively and guides the next stage of training.
Retest 1
First Progress Retest
At a defined checkpoint mid-program, timed to athlete readiness, attendance, and coaching progression.
Retest 2
Final Progress Retest
At program close, with a full objective re-measure on the same protocol.
Report
Updated Progress Report
Provided after each completed retest, so improvement is measured, not assumed.
Progress retesting and updated reports are currently included in our weekly programs at no additional cost.
Programs
Find the Right Program
Weekly programs are now enrolling. Slots are limited per training group (15–20 athletes with 2–3 coaches per session), and athletes are placed by diagnostic result and coach assessment.
Speed is a skill — it can be taught, trained, and improved. Every athlete trains through our 12-week speed development program, built around two core areas — top-speed mechanics and acceleration mechanics. Whether your child is already competing or just starting out, the program meets them where they are and moves them forward.
Supplemental Athletes
Already playing a sport and want to become faster and more explosive within their existing training.
Beginner Athletes
No sport yet — building the right physical foundations before specializing in any discipline.
Starter
NextGen Speed Foundations
Our movement literacy program designed for athletes ages 6–10, or for older athletes who may benefit from additional coordination development as recommended by our coaches. Through structured play and age-appropriate activities, athletes build the foundations for speed, movement, balance, and body control while having fun. Think of it as a structured speed program hidden in play.
1–2× per week · 45–60 mins per session
15–20 athletes · 2–3 coaches facilitating
- Structured play-based activities
- Running, jumping & coordination fundamentals
- Balance & body awareness development
- Multi-directional movement skills
- Sprint mechanics foundations
- Movement literacy and confidence building
Most Popular
Core Program
Elite Speed Program
Our flagship speed development program for competitive youth athletes. Designed to build sprint mechanics, explosiveness, movement efficiency, and athleticism that transfer across sports.
1–2× per week · 1.5–2 hrs per session
15–20 athletes · 2–3 coaches facilitating
- Advanced sprint mechanics
- Explosive plyometric training
- Multi-directional movement
- Sport-specific speed development
- Acceleration and top speed training
Club Partnerships
B2B speed development embedded into a club's training block, with sessions coordinated around the team's own schedule. Get in touch to discuss.
Now Enrolling · Limited Slots Per Group
NextGen Weekly Programs
A 12-week speed development cycle built around top-speed and acceleration mechanics — with a measured baseline and a measured retest on the same protocol, so progress is a number you can check. Open to all sports and levels, ages 6–18.
Most athletes continue past the first cycle. The retest at the end of twelve weeks isn't a finish line — it becomes the new baseline. Athletes carry on into the next cycle with updated targets, and their measured record grows with them.
- Top-speed & acceleration mechanics
- Plyometric & explosive training
- Multi-directional movement
- Timing-gate & jump-mat testing
- 12-week measured development cycle
Meet the Coaches
Your Coaches
Coach John Gotladera
Founder · Head Coach
Coach John Gotladera is the Founder and Head Coach of NextGen Speed Academy — Manila's first dedicated speed academy focused on developing faster, more explosive, and technically sound athletes. A certified World Athletics coach and former Track & Field athlete, John combines competitive experience with evidence-based training to help athletes improve not just speed, but overall athletic performance, movement quality, coordination, and confidence.
Through his proven coaching system, he has worked with athletes across multiple sports, helping them unlock their full potential through proper sprint mechanics and long-term athletic development.
Coach James Gotladera
Performance Coach
Coach James Gotladera brings a diverse athletic background to NextGen Speed Academy, with experience in both basketball and competitive UAAP judo. His multi-sport experience gives him a strong understanding of coordination, body control, explosiveness, and athletic movement across different sporting environments.
As part of the NextGen Speed coaching staff, he works closely with athletes to help develop movement quality, sprint mechanics, coordination, and overall athletic performance.
Coach Alfonso Abrogar
Performance Coach
Coach Alfonso Abrogar is a former track athlete and competitive ultimate frisbee athlete with experience in speed development and strength & conditioning training. His background across sprint-based and field sports gives him a strong understanding of explosiveness, conditioning, movement efficiency, and athletic performance development.
At NextGen Speed Academy, he helps athletes improve sprint mechanics, coordination, movement quality, and overall athleticism across multiple sports.
Coach Mike Espiritu
Performance Coach
Coach Mike Espiritu is the Co-Founder and Head Coach of Liksi Lifestyle and is certified by the International Strength and Conditioning Institute (ISCI).
With a strong background in strength & conditioning and athletic performance development, Coach Mike helps athletes build the strength, explosiveness, coordination, and movement foundations needed for long-term athletic growth and high-level performance.
Coach Nash Candelario
Performance Coach
Coach Nash Candelario is a current UAAP Track & Field athlete representing Ateneo de Manila University and has experience coaching youth athletes through Ateneo's university athletics programs.
As an active competitive athlete, he brings firsthand experience in sprint training, athlete development, and performance coaching while helping young athletes improve their speed, explosiveness, movement quality, and confidence in sport.
Our coaching team is trained under the NextGen performance philosophy centered around sprint mechanics, movement quality, explosiveness, coordination, and long-term athletic development. Every athlete trains under one unified system designed to help them move better, become faster, and perform confidently in sport.
Beyond the Session
Speed Is Built Outside Training, Too
The six things every champion controls. We coach the first one — the other five happen at home, and they decide how much of each session actually sticks.
Sleep
Growth, recovery, and skill retention happen during sleep. Consistent, quality sleep helps young athletes get more out of every session.
Nutrition
Real food fuels training and recovery. Our free 49-page Athlete Nutrition Guide is built for Filipino families and real school days.
Recovery
Rest days, hydration, and smart load management help the body adapt and reduce the wear that comes with hard training.
Mindset
Confidence, focus, and ownership turn training into performance. Our free Athlete Journal helps young athletes build these habits.
Consistency
Progress compounds. Athletes who reinforce good habits at home tend to see the clearest long-term gains.
Parent Resources Library
Education for Complete Athletes
NextGen Speed Academy is built to support families, not only train athletes. Our free Parent Resources give you practical, evidence-informed tools for the habits that shape long-term athletic development — nutrition, recovery, mindset, and competition preparation.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything parents usually ask before getting started.
Don't see your question? Reach out below — we usually reply within a day.
We primarily work with youth athletes ages 6–18 across all sports and skill levels. Athletes are grouped based on age, coordination, training experience, and overall development level to ensure safe and effective training.
Not at all. Many of our athletes are completely new to structured speed training. Our programs are designed to build proper movement foundations from the ground up before progressing into more advanced speed and explosive work.
Speed is one of the most transferable athletic qualities across sports. Our athletes come from football, basketball, volleyball, baseball, swimming, tennis, martial arts, figure skating, fencing, track & field, and more.
Improving sprint mechanics, explosiveness, coordination, and movement efficiency can directly improve overall athletic performance in nearly every sport. See our football and basketball pages for sport-specific detail.
Most athletes are told to simply "run harder" without ever being taught proper sprint mechanics and movement foundations.
At NextGen, we focus on:
- Sprint technique
- Acceleration mechanics
- Explosive power
- Coordination
- Movement quality
- Long-term athletic development
We help athletes understand how to move efficiently — not just work harder.
Yes — speed is a trainable skill, and with proper coaching most athletes get meaningfully faster. Our competitive athletes have taken up to 0.8 seconds off a 30m sprint over 7 months — measured on timing gates from a 4-point start, or roughly 4 meters of separation.
Many athletes see improvements not only in sprinting speed, but also in:
- Explosiveness
- First-step quickness
- Coordination
- Agility
- Balance
- Confidence
- Overall movement quality
Results vary depending on consistency, age, training history, and individual development.
Some athletes begin showing visible movement improvements within just a few sessions, especially in coordination and sprint mechanics. Several of our athletes have taken 0.4 seconds off a 30m sprint within 2 months — timing gates, 4-point start, or about 2 meters of separation.
More significant long-term improvements in speed, explosiveness, and athletic performance typically develop over weeks and months of consistent training.
Yes. Our Speed Foundations program is specifically designed for athletes who are new to structured speed and movement training.
We prioritize building strong foundations safely and progressively before moving into higher-level training.
Our programs are group-based, designed for 15–20 athletes with 2–3 coaches facilitating each session:
- Speed Foundations group training
- Elite group speed development
Every athlete trains through the same structured program — we do not write a separate plan per athlete. What the data changes is how that program is delivered: which program and training group an athlete is placed in is determined by their diagnostic numbers and by our coaches, not by age or by a menu selection.
Within the group session, athletes receive individualized coaching cues, technical corrections, and feedback specific to their own movement profile.
Most athletes continue into another cycle. The retest at the end of twelve weeks becomes the new baseline, so the next block of training starts from an updated picture of where your athlete is — not from scratch. Over time that builds a measured record of how they've developed, which is something we can show you and something your athlete can see for themselves. Athletes who want to stop after one cycle are welcome to, and you'll still have the full report and retest data.
Yes. Athletes joining our weekly programs complete the NextGen Speed Analysis before being placed into a program. It gives us the objective baseline our coaches use to determine which program and training group fits the athlete — and it gives parents a clear picture of how their child currently moves.
Placement is coach-determined based on those results, not by age.
Yes — when coached properly.
Our programs are designed with long-term athletic development in mind. We focus heavily on movement quality, body control, coordination, landing mechanics, and proper progression to help athletes train safely and effectively.
NextGen operates as a mobile academy across Metro Manila. Training locations vary depending on schedule, venue availability, and athlete grouping.
Reach out with your area and we'll recommend the nearest available venue. Learn more on our Metro Manila training page.
Yes — our weekly speed development programs are enrolling now, with limited slots per training group.
Our Speed Camps are not currently enrolling; the next camp dates are to be announced.
Simply reach out through our Instagram page, or by phone or email.
We'll discuss your athlete's sport, goals, location, and experience level to recommend the best starting program.
Get in Touch
Ready to Start?
We'd Love to Meet Your Athlete
The fastest way to reach us is through Instagram. Send us a message and our coaches will get back to you to discuss the right program, nearest venue, and schedule that works for your athlete across Metro Manila.
📍 Mobile Academy — Metro Manila
We train at various venues across the metro. Tell us your area and we'll confirm the nearest available location.
We train at various venues across the metro. Tell us your area and we'll confirm the nearest available location.
- BaseManila, Philippines
- CoverageMetro Manila & nearby areas
- Viber / WhatsApp / Telegram(+63) 917 510 0385
- Emailtrain@nextgenspeedacademy.com
- Instagram@nextgen.speed
- HoursMon–Sat, 7am–7pm
Inquire Through Instagram
@nextgen.speed
Message us on Instagram with your athlete's sport, age, and area in Metro Manila. Our coaches will reply to walk you through programs, schedules, and the nearest available venue — and answer any questions you have along the way.
Message Us on Instagram →Prefer to call or email?
(+63) 917 510 0385 · train@nextgenspeedacademy.com