Zee-Speed: Best of the Best.


        I first attended Zee speed when I was eleven years old, the summer of 7th grade. 
My oldest brother Zach had been attending all through his high school years. I look up to 
my brother and wanted to do everything he did. So he was doing zee speed and so was I.
All I remember was running non stop. I was one of the youngest kids there but I wanted 
to keep up with my brother and all of the bigger kids. I knew I wasn’t going to but that’s 
why I never gave up in the drills, one hundreds, or stairs. A couple weeks into the camp I 
realized a difference in my athletic performance. But before I knew it, camp was over. 
My first year of zee speed was life changing. I may not have known that at the moment 
but I definitely realize it now. It’s not just training for sports; it’s training for life. Most 
athletes or kids in general are sleeping in until noon, but that is just one more reason why 
I love getting up at seven in the morning and attending zee speed. I use to think of 
summer as a time to hang out with friends and play video games but now I look forward 
to it because it’s time for zee speed. 
        
        They have had the most amazing and memorable staff the entire seven years I 
have attended zee speed. Some of the staff doesn’t return the next year but they all have 
made a positive impact on me in some way. Out of all the seven years there are three 
particular staff members that have been there the whole time and have made a huge 
impact on my life. These three staff members are Vern, Freddy, and Albert. Every year 
on the first day you could hear Albert yelling from a mile away. He is the most energetic 
person I know. It doesn’t matter what the weather is or if something bad happened to 
him, he is always out on the field jumping around, greeting people, telling jokes, and 
dancing. Albert is a great person to know and no matter what mood your in, he will put a 
smile on your face. Freddy has been there since the beginning also. He is most 
memorable for his cone drill or most importantly, line drills. If you don’t run all the way 
through the line on a drill or just in general Freddy will line everyone up and have them 
run line drills. At first I thought he was doing this just to make us condition more but I 
realized that it was more than that. You can’t just give up a couple yards short of the line 
because it will then become a habit. Not just a habit when you’re on the field at zee speed 
but other things as well. For example, you don’t run for a fifty-yard touchdown and when 
you get three yards from the end zone you walk in. You could easily get caught from 
behind and lose the game. It can relate to a lot of sports and in everyday life too. You 
have to finish. Last but certainly not least is Vern. Every year Vern is the first staff 
member to come up to me and shake my hand and ask me how I’ve been. He always talks 
to me throughout the camp and points me out as a reference to the younger kids. Vern is a 
great man and I am very glad that I know him. Thanks to all of the other staff members 
that have helped me throughout the seven years. I appreciate your words and wisdom 
very much.

        The man responsible for all this is Zak Smalls aka Blade. When I first met Zak I 
thought he was very intimidating. He always looked serious, mostly because he always 
wore black sunglasses, but that just showed how much he cared for everyone that has 
attended zee speed. When he first started the program there were only four or five people 
in it. It was just those people training hard and running stairs every morning. Then it 
started to spread and more and more people began to hear about it. After a couple years it 
grew into a very popular training camp. Some people couldn’t even get into it because it 
was too full. Every athlete wanted to join and be a part of the zee speed family. Zak 
Smalls is another person I look up to. He is so determined and caring and it definitely 
shows. He is always helping kids out if they don’t understand something and is one of the 
few staff members who runs with the kids and challenges them. He will always pick you 
up if you are feeling down and will help you reach any goal that you want to reach. Zak is 
the most motivational person you will meet. Even if you listen to him speak for a minute, 
you will think that anything is possible. He will also tell you that you have to translate 
your attitude and focus not only on the field but in the classroom as well. He is just an 
amazing person and I will always keep in touch with him.
	
	My experience at Zee speed training camp has truly been life changing. I have 
played football and run track now and zee speed has made a huge impact on my speed 
and power in sports. I have met some of the most amazing people and made friends along 
the way. It has helped me be a better athlete and a better person. My favorite thing has to 
be Stadium high school stairs. They are tough but it is worth the challenge. One of the 
things that has stuck with me throughout the years was something that Freddy once said, 
“You get out of it what you put into it.” This means that however hard you work at 
something that’s what you get out of it. It’s worthless just to show up and do everything 
at fifty percent and then leave knowing that you did whatever it took just to get by. That 
saying means a lot to me and it is very true. These seven summers of speed camp have 
been filled with sweat, soreness, aching, tears, laughs, and some of the best memories of 
my life. This program means everything to me and I hope Zee speed continues every 
summer because I don’t know what I would do without it. Thanks to everyone!


Dylan Jeffery Fletcher
Bethel High School Class of 2010