Honored and Energized: Stepping Into the Role of Southwest Regional Speed Lab Director
I’m incredibly excited and deeply honored to share that I’ve been named the Southwest Regional Speed Lab Director within the Universal Speed Rating (USR). This opportunity represents far more than a title; t’s a responsibility, a mission, and a chance to positively impact athletes and communities throughout our region.
Speed has always been a powerful differentiator in sport. Now, with the structure, data, and vision of Universal Speed Rating behind it, we have the ability to use speed not just as a performance metric, but as a true catapult for athletic development.
My Origin Story With Speed Lab and the Mission
My journey with Speed Lab began back in 2022, during the early days of the company. From the start, I was drawn not just to the methodology, but to the mission itself: Develop elite speed in everyday athletes. That belief immediately aligned with my own coaching philosophy, every athlete deserves access to high-level development, regardless of background, exposure, or starting point.
Being part of the Speed Lab community from its formative stages allowed me to witness firsthand how powerful standardized speed assessment and intentional development can be. I’ve seen athletes gain confidence, separate themselves competitively, and completely redefine what they thought was possible. That shared passion for growth, education, and impact is what has kept me invested from the beginning.
Since opening Transcend, we have intentionally strived to become the leader in speed development not only for New Mexico, but for the entire Southwest region. Every program, assessment, and coaching decision has been rooted in raising the standard, using speed as the foundation to elevate overall athletic performance.
Impacting Athletes Across the Southwest Region
As Southwest Regional Speed Lab Director, my focus is on supporting local athletes and coaches by bringing world-class assessment and development tools directly to our communities.
This role allows us to:
- Identify and nurture talent at an early stage
- Provide athletes with objective feedback they can trust
- Educate coaches on data-driven speed development
- Create alignment between training environments and competitive demands
Most importantly, it allows us to serve athletes who may otherwise be overlooked, giving them access to tools that help level the playing field and unlock potential.
The Honor of Serving as Speed Lab Director
Being named Southwest Regional Speed Lab Director is truly an honor. It represents trust, alignment, and a shared vision for what athlete development can and should be. This role allows us to continue expanding our reach, supporting coaches, and most importantly, delivering the best training programs possible to our athletes.
With the Universal Speed Rating and Speed Lab framework, we can ensure our athletes receive proven, data-driven development that translates to real performance outcomes. It strengthens our ability to serve, innovate, and lead—while staying true to the mission that brought us here in the first place.
This position isn’t about a title; it’s about responsibility. Responsibility to the athletes who believe in the process, the families who trust us, and the communities we represent.
Looking Ahead
I’m excited about what’s ahead, not just for myself, but for the athletes, families, and coaches we’ll serve throughout the Southwest. The Universal Speed Rating provides a powerful framework, and the Speed Lab environment allows us to turn that framework into action.
This is about building faster athletes, yes; but more than that, it’s about building confident, prepared, and resilient competitors.
I’m grateful for the opportunity to lead, collaborate, and contribute to something that has the potential to change how we develop athletes for the better.
The work is just beginning, and I couldn’t be more excited to get started. SPEED IS THE CULTURE!!!
Regards,
Adrian Baca
