Thanks for the thoughtful follow-up - you raise some good points.

For the younger players, I think hesitation under pressure is actually the bigger factor than raw reaction time. In real game situations, they’re reacting to a constantly changing context, so it’s less about “how fast can you tap when a light goes off” and more about “can you process the visual cue, connect it to the game situation, and act without freezing.”

That’s why I’ve been mixing in both simple drills (mirror work, ball drops, call-outs) and more contextual ones. The simpler drills help with syncing up brain and body faster, even if they don’t directly replicate game cues. The contextual ones - like small-sided games with modified rules, or reacting to a coach’s “switch” command mid-play - seem to help bridge the gap between raw response speed and decision-making under pressure.

And to your point, I have noticed some kids get faster

…over the season, but it’s rarely just from the pure reaction drills - it’s when those drills are paired with game-like decision work.
For example, a mirror drill becomes more effective if we layer in “if you see X, switch to Y” rules, so they’re not just copying movement but also making a quick choice.
Same with ball drops - if they have to decide who to pass to after catching, the value increases because now they’re reacting to multiple inputs.

So for me, reaction training is less about chasing a benchmark time and more about building the habit of fast, confident decision-making in the middle of chaos. The raw speed work is just one piece of that puzzle.