Are there any GIMMICKS that actually WORK in training?

Look up Knees Over Toes guy.

Most supplements are "gimmicks" but the only one I have found actually makes a difference for me is L-Glutamine. Take it immediately after working out or at the start of your cool down.

I have them use bosu balls for balance drills and resistance bands with handles for strength training.

How about footwork and sprinting—is there anything better than hitting the track or a short hill? Thanks

Look up the 4:30 miler.

Kenyan form drills work. Getting in the habit of negative splitting most runs is key. Playing various sports, particularly ones that demand lots of short sprints and plyometrics like basketball, soccer and tennis, is probably the best "gimmick" for overall development, managing the stress of competition and avoidance of overuse injuries.

Medicine Ball workouts

Doubles

Toe shoes, nose strips, and get your tonsils removed.

Long fast hiking over steep hills with a heavy pack in the base phase.

Interesting thread. I definitely think that there are drills that aren't widely used that could benefit athletes in many sports. I'm certain they exist for masters middle distance running because I use them, but I don't know if they would transfer to High Schoolers.

The problem in coaching is that teenage boys have the attention span of hummingbirds and the training ability of a beagle puppy. It has to be simple. It has to be fun. It has to be short. Even what I just wrote is too long!

Look up Tony Holler and his Feed the Cats videos and interviews. It's for sprinters, but there is carryover for all speed and agility sports. Also check out the X-factor drills he recommends. Holler uses a lot of aphorisms that *might* stick in the minds of kids (and you as a coach) that can be useful in staying focused on the desired outcomes. Holler also talks about creating buy-in of your athletes. Keeping kids (and adults) motivated is a big part of coaching.

Studies show they should continue to participate in several sports and not just one (specialize) for both both long term physical development and possible mental burnout. As Magness would say, "focus on the big things" (patient athletic development, sleep, nutrition, strength training) vs the small things. Most importantly keep it fun!

In the winter we used to do a lot of drills and strength work between XC and track. My state does not have an official indoor track season, but there we did travel to indoor meets.

Here is some of the stuff we did:

-All the typical

-hurdle walk overs

-single leg over hurdles

-bench step ups, with or without dumbbells

-running with resistance band while teammate holds you back (makes exaggerated knee drive and arm drive)

-bounding drills/plyometrics of all types, jumping over hurdles, off of boxes, over boxes etc.

I think we did this mostly to break up the monotony and because the weather could be so dark and gross.

The gimmicks the OP mentioned are not gimmicks. The key is to add resistance during training to build strength. A parachute, pulling a tire, running away with a resistance band all do this. If you can run 100m with a parachute, you'd be surprised how much easier it is when you take off that parachute.

I know multiple runners faster than 4:01 for the full mile who take beta alanine when trying to peak. It's a very effective supplement for races between 2-4 minutes.

I wouldn't necessarily call running drills, strength and core work "gimmicks," but I think they help a lot in training. My training plateaued, so I added that stuff at the suggestion of a local club coach. I didn't think I'd really notice any improvement and thought it'd be a waste of time, but was surprised by how much it helps after several months of consistently doing that stuff.

I would just recommend everything Rocky does in all the training montages.

Gimmicks imply things that look good but don’t really provide any real benefit. None of the exercises you mention are gimmicks but proven quality training if done right.

Anything that slows you down makes you faster.