When you buy a relatively expensive suit or dress a tailor always checks how well the garment fits you. He looks at the total body and the movements that you may make before making final adjustments. This same concept should apply to your training program.
All aspects of your training should be integrated so that they are compatible with one another and will produce the results that you desire. Working only on individual aspects such as greater strength or greater speed or greater size may give you some improvement but it will not be the most that you are capable of.
In essence, your training must be tailored to you. All the pieces must fit into your individual physical and technical capabilities. Note that it is your physical and technical abilities, not one or the other. Only developing the physical and ignoring the technical, or vice versa, will not allow you to fully develop your potential.
This is especially true in the young high school and to a good extent collegiate and professional, athlete. The collegiate and professional athlete is included here mainly because of poor or unbalanced development in the high school years. This applies mainly to a lack of technical training and overindulgence with strength training.
For example, very few athletes are exposed to serious technique training when they are between the ages of 9 and 13. Yet, these are the most productive years in relation to learning skills. Also technique is rarely adjusted and improved as the athlete gets stronger. Understand that strength training can have it positive as well as negative effect on technique execution.
Most coaches and athletes, think greater amounts of strength is the key to improved performance on the field. This is mainly true in high school but not in college or the pros. Studies done on world record holders show that they rarely if ever, fall into the top 25% of the strongest athletes in their sport.
In regard to speed training, technique is critical not only for improved speed, but for the prevention of injury. Even today, most injuries that occur to athletes in running, jumping or cutting can be traced directly to improper technique.
Thus be sure to tailor your training for the ideal fit. Beware of coaches who only train you for the physical aspects but do not include the technical. Remember you need a combination of both the physical and the technical in the correct proportions that will give you the perfect fit for improved performance on the field.
For more information, see Build a Better Athlete.