vertical leap and speed exercises

Question
Hi, I'm 14 years old. I'm in the 9th grade and 5'7" tall. Recently, my school had tryouts. I'm not that fast, and there were a lot of tall people trying out. In the end I did not make the team and there was a lot of people on the team that didn't do anything in tryouts. I asked the coach what happen and he said that it wasn't based on your athletic ability, it was based on your height. So I made a commitment that I would get faster before next year. I heard about some stretches that help you jump higher. (hip flexor stretch, static stretches, etc.) Can you give me some explosive exercises that does not require me to go to a gym and instructions on how to do these stretches. Thank you.  

Answer
Dear Kaylin,
Thanks for your question,

Of course, i can give advice and info on how to perform the right workouts and tell you some secrets.

Here are some first tips on improving your jump at the first days.  When you try to touch the rim, you would better focus on the upper line of the square at the backboard, that is 6-7 inches over the rim. You will gain 1 or 2 inches at once(mental factor). From now on, jump agreesively at every play to make your nervous system clear that you are hear and ready for all(mental factor). Diet and nutrition is also another factor of utmost importance. Try to eat 40g carbo-10g protein 1/2 hour before training and 80g carbo-20g protein just after the session. This will keep your body fuel at the wanted level for peak performance anddramatically decrease the amount of time needed for recovery. Try also do add brewers yiest in your diet. I'm not kidding. This thing may stink to death, but is by far the most important natural supplement of a good athlete. It will add stamina and strength from the fisrt days. It contains B complex vitamins like nothing else that are the most significant vitamins for the body of an athlete.

Now, on to some real stuff. I'll give you a scientificaly proved, revised program that is mainly based on explosive plyometric workouts.

Enchancing strength and speed entails fast twitch muscle fibers exercising. That will be achieved by explosive plyometric workouts, like depth jumps, squat hops, thrust ups and more. Backward sprints, deadlifts and reverse toe raise are the KEY workouts of the whole program. What happens is... For every contraction a muscle makes an oposing muscle must lengthen. Take the biceps for example, as you contract it, the tricpes must lengthen. The key is not to strengthen the muscles that we normally associate with increasing our vertical jump like the calf muscle or quad muscles, but to strengthen their opossing muscles like the shin muscles and hamstrings. The reason for this is the major jumping muscles will not produce their max capable power unless they know their oposite muscle is strong enough to handle it - If your oposite muscles can't handle the opposing muscles power they would simply lengthen to much and SNAP!

So, here is some good drills to execute with sets and reps prescribed. If you see that after weeks, you can perform them more easily, start to add reps easy. Add 3-6 reps every 1-2 weeks and after adding about 15 reps, make a new
set.

a)Step ups - Get a chair and ensure it will remain stable(e.g.put it against a wall). Begin with one thigh on the chair parallel to the ground. With all of your strength, push off of the elevated leg and leap off of the chair as high as you can. Crisscross or switch your legs in the air. Land with the opposite leg elevated in the chair as in step 1. Repeat the procedure until you are back to step 1. This completes 1 repetition. (3 sets x 12 reps)
b)Burnouts - Elevated as high as you possible can on your tiptoes to assure that you work the high end of your calves. As quickly as you possibly can, jump repeatedly no more than 1/2 to 1 inch off of the ground making sure to keep yourself elevated as high on your tiptoes as possible ensuring that you are working the upper calf muscles. (2 sets x 200 reps)
c)Calf raises - step on a book or stair step one legged standing on toes, heel below the step, raise yourself up only with your calf, (4 sets x 20 reps)
d)Leap ups - bend down to a 1/4 squat position and jump back into the air to a minimum of 8 to 10 inches, (3 sets x 15 reps)
e)Thrust ups - Begin with your legs straight, thrust (bounce) yourself up as high as you possibly can and when come back down you thrust at once back up trying not to bend your legs. (5 sets x 20 reps)
f)Squat hops - Squat down into a sitting position while hugging a ball for balance.Make sure that you are looking straight ahead, with your back straight,  that you are elevated on the balls of your feet (half tiptoed) and most importantly that your thighs are parallel to the ground. Hop or bounce in the seated position between 3-5 inches per hop. (3 sets x 12 reps)
g)Depth jumps(maybe the most important exercise) - Get a chair or a box and ensure it will remain stable. Watch the cushioning. Get on the chair (2 to 3 feet high), drop off with both feet and as soon as you land, explosively jump back into the air. (4 sets x 10 reps)
Do not overtrain. Do not train two days in a row. This will cause an injury or a burnout which will leave you behind.. If you feel any strain or sharp pain in the first days, stop at once, massage, ice and stretch the particular muscle group.
Warming up, stretching and cooling down is of the utmost importance.

In different days, you will perform the following "reverse training" session.
a)Deadlifts(barbell or dumbells needed) - Stand with feet about hip-distance apart and hold weights in front of thighs. Keeping the shoulders back, abs in and the back straight, tip from the hips and lower the weights towards the floor. Lower as far as your flexibility allows. Lift bar by extending hips and knees to full extension. Pull shoulders back at top of lift if rounded. Push into the heel to go back to starting position.
b)Reverse toe raise - Grasp dumbbell in one hand to side. Position heels on forward edge of platform. Grasp support with other hand for balance. Pull the forefoot of both feet up toward body as far as possible. Return by extending feet until toes are pointed downward. Repeat. Keep knees and hips straight throughout exercise.
c)Backward sprints - Just sprint going backwards. Try to push yourself using the ball and toes of your feet. Keep knees high.

DO NOT EXCEED WHAT IS PRESCRIBED. DO NOT OVERTRAIN. DO NOT TRAIN TWO DAYS IS A ROW. I'll say it one more time. It is normal to feel any strain or pain. If you do, stop at once, massage, ice and stretch the particular muscle group.

The statement that stretching can make you jump higher is not proven yet. Many think that is a myth. However,my point guard (6')that dunks at ease, stretches his gastrocnemius and biceps muscles very often with one simple stretching exercise. You can try that too. Just sit down, stretch firstly let's say the  right leg, putting it right in front of you, knees straight, toes pointing up and your side and try to hold them. Do that for 5 minutes at each leg.

That's it about increasing vertical leap and speed, and now some really good secrets on how to get tall. But, i can reveal you these if you sent me a private follow-up question since i can't publicise it so simply to everyone.

Sincerely Yours,
Coach B.Anagnostou
Olympiacos Coaching stuff(Euroleague, HEBA)