CMJ Jump Height
47.7 cm (18.8″)
▲ +7.1 cm vs 22 days ago (+17.4%)
Elite ≈ 80th pct MLS GK pool
Kaden has tested twice on VALD ForceDecks in the last three weeks (8 Apr → 30 Apr 2026). Across that 22-day window he has put on +2.3 kg of bodyweight while simultaneously delivering a +17.4% gain in vertical jump height and a +23% gain in reactive jump power. This is an unusual combination — most athletes lose vertical when they add mass — and indicates a real underlying training adaptation rather than just session-to-session noise.
The profile remains elite-tier on bilateral power output (CMJ 47.7 cm, RSI 1.70, Peak Power 59 W/kg) and elite-tier on reactive strength (Rebound Jump 41.2 cm with 98% retention vs first jump). Bilateral force symmetry has actually tightened over the period (Concentric Impulse asymmetry dropped from 3.8% → 0.7%).
The persistent gap is unilateral. Single-Leg Jump asymmetry sits at 15.4% (vs 15.5% three weeks ago) and his SLJ Landing RFD asymmetry has worsened from 13.9% to 25.3%, both in favor of the left side. The pattern is consistent with a left-leg-dominant diving profile that is becoming more pronounced as he gets stronger overall — without targeted intervention, the asymmetry tends to widen with bilateral strength gains. This is now the highest-priority programming target.
Bottom line for the coaching staff: Real, measurable progress in three weeks. Bilateral ceiling continues to climb. Single-leg balance has plateaued and needs a dedicated unilateral block before college report-in.
Below: light bar = 8 Apr, dark bar = 30 Apr. Bars are scaled to the larger of the two values per metric. Δ% is the percent change in the direction-of-improvement (gain on jumps/power, drop on contact/asymmetry).
Up clearly: CMJ jump height (+17.4%), CMRJ rebound jump (+17.9%), reactive power /BM (+23.2%), CMJ RSI-Modified (+10.6%), Single-leg jump on both sides (+13–14%). Bilateral force symmetry tightened from 3.8% to 0.7% asymmetry — that is a meaningful neuromuscular coordination gain.
Down or sideways: Peak Power /BM dropped 8.4% bilaterally (offset by the +23% rebound power suggests power is shifting toward the reactive end of the spectrum). Rebound contact time grew slightly (+5%). Active stiffness is down 15% — likely a function of using a deeper rebound countermovement (CM depth went from −18 cm to −28 cm range), trading stiffness for amplitude.
Down where it matters: Single-leg landing asymmetry indices grew with overall force production. SLJ Landing RFD asymmetry went from 13.9% L to 25.3% L; Peak Landing Force asymmetry from 3.2% R to 18.1% R. As Kaden has gotten more powerful overall, the underlying left-dominant diving / right-dominant landing split has become more visible. This is normal but it is the next coaching target.
| Test | Trials (8 Apr / 30 Apr) | Purpose | Position Relevance |
|---|---|---|---|
| CMJ · Counter-Movement Jump | 3 / 3 (bilateral) | Maximal vertical power, eccentric/concentric balance, landing absorption | Aerial duels, corner kicks, crosses, max vertical reach on shots |
| CMRJ · CMJ + Rebound | 3 / 3 (bilateral) | Reactive strength, stretch-shortening cycle efficiency, fast SSC | Recovery dive → push back up; quick second-effort jumps |
| SLJ · Single-Leg Jump | 2L+2R / 2L+2R | Unilateral concentric power, between-limb asymmetry | Diving push-off, lateral first step, single-leg take-off saves |
| SLHAR · Single-Leg Hop & Return | 2L+2R / 2L+1R* | Reactive single-leg stiffness, landing stabilization, ground contact economy | Re-direction after dive, quick reset to set position |
| SQT · Isometric Squat | 2 / — | Maximum static force production | Power push-off, plant-leg drive — not retested 30 Apr; recommend repeat next session |
| Metric | 8 Apr | 30 Apr | Δ | Elite Reference | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jump Height — Flight Time | 40.7 cm | 47.7 cm | +17.4% | 42 ± 5 cm | Elite |
| Jump Height — Imp-Mom | —† | 44.4 cm | n/a | 39 ± 4 cm | Elite |
| Peak Power /BM | 64.4 W/kg | 59.0 W/kg | −8.4% | 52 ± 6 W/kg | Elite |
| Peak Concentric Force | 1,936 N | 2,105 N | +8.7% | ~2.0× BW | Above Avg |
| Concentric Impulse | 264 N·s | 240 N·s | −9.1% | 200–250 N·s | Elite |
| RSI-Modified | 0.59 | 0.66 | +10.6% | 0.45 ± 0.10 | Elite |
| Time to Takeoff | 0.67 s | 0.71 s | +0.04 s slower | 0.65–0.85 s | On-pace |
| Countermovement Depth | −35.4 cm | −37.1 cm | +1.7 cm deeper | −28 to −35 cm | Deep |
| Takeoff Velocity | 3.34 m/s | 2.95 m/s | −11.7% | 2.65 ± 0.20 | Elite |
| Metric | 8 Apr Asym | 30 Apr Asym | Δ | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Concentric Impulse | 3.8% L | 0.7% L | ↓ 3.1 pts | Tightened |
| Mean Concentric Force | 3.8% L | 0.7% L | ↓ 3.1 pts | Tightened |
| Peak Concentric Force | 1.9% L | 3.2% R | +1.3 pts (flipped) | OK |
| Landing RFD | 8.3% R | 12.2% L | ↑ 3.9 pts (flipped to L) | Watch |
| Peak Landing Force | 9.8% L | 6.1% L | ↓ 3.7 pts | Improved |
Read: Push-up symmetry has tightened to a near-perfect <1% — Kaden has cleaned up his propulsive coordination over three weeks. Landing absorption remains the unresolved piece: it has flipped sides on the bilateral CMJ (was right-dominant, now left-dominant) and the magnitude is creeping up. Same pattern is visible — more aggressively — under unilateral load (Section 6).
| Metric | 8 Apr | 30 Apr | Δ | Elite Reference | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Jump Height | 39.8 cm | 42.1 cm | +5.7% | 39 ± 4 cm | Above Avg |
| Rebound Jump Height | 35.0 cm | 41.2 cm | +17.9% | 32 ± 5 cm | Elite |
| Rebound : First Jump retention | 87.8% | 97.9% | +10.1 pts | 80–90% | Elite |
| Reactive Strength Index (RSI) | 1.60 | 1.70 | +6.2% | 1.30 ± 0.30 | Elite |
| Rebound Contact Time | 322 ms | 338 ms | +5.0% (slower) | 350–500 ms | Elite |
| Rebound Peak Power /BM | 83.6 W/kg | 103.0 W/kg | +23.2% | 75 ± 15 W/kg | Elite |
| Rebound Active Stiffness | 16,272 N/m | 13,765 N/m | −15.4% | 10,000–14,000 N/m | Top Band |
| Peak Landing Force /BM | 49.3 N/kg | 52.9 N/kg | +7.4% | 40–55 N/kg | Top Band |
Read: The reactive strength block is the best news in the report. Rebound jump up 6.2 cm with retention climbing from 87.8% to 97.9% — Kaden is losing essentially zero output between the first and second jumps, which is rare. This projects directly to the goalkeeper recovery-save pattern. Active stiffness fell because he is using a deeper rebound countermovement; his coach can choose to coach a tighter rebound depth if compressing contact time below 320 ms is a priority.
Both legs gained jump height by ~14%. Right-side peak force gained 11.7%. The asymmetry index magnitude is essentially unchanged (15.5% → 15.4%), but the underlying force-production split has tightened: peak power asymmetry shrank from 6.1% L to 3.7% R. The flag remains the landing side of the equation.
| Metric | L (8 Apr) | R (8 Apr) | L (30 Apr) | R (30 Apr) | Asym 8 Apr | Asym 30 Apr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jump Height (FT, cm) | 21.6 | 18.3 | 24.6 | 20.8 | 15.5% L | 15.4% L |
| Peak Power /BM (W/kg) | 33.6 | 31.6 | 34.6 | 35.9 | 6.1% L | 3.7% R ↻ |
| Peak Concentric Force (N) | 1,446 | 1,418 | 1,466 | 1,584 | 1.9% L | 7.4% R ↻ |
| Concentric Impulse (N·s) | 155 | 148 | 167 | 161 | 4.5% L | 3.6% L |
| Landing RFD (N/s) | 32,354 | 27,854 | 57,215 | 42,715 | 13.9% L | 25.3% L |
| Peak Landing Force (N) | 2,265 | 2,340 | 2,517 | 3,075 | 3.2% R | 18.1% R |
↻ = direction of dominance flipped between sessions.
| Function | Dominant Side | Trend | Implication |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-leg jump output | Left | Stable (15.5 → 15.4%) | Push leg for diving and lateral first step is firmly left |
| Single-leg peak force | Right (was left) | Flipped sides | Right leg is catching up on raw strength — gap narrowing |
| Single-leg landing absorption (force) | Right | Worsening (3.2 → 18.1%) | Right leg now taking far more impact load on landing |
| Single-leg landing RFD | Left | Worsening (13.9 → 25.3%) | Left leg becoming the rapid decelerator under unilateral load |
| Metric | L (8 Apr) | R (8 Apr) | L (30 Apr) | R (30 Apr) | Asym 8 Apr | Asym 30 Apr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground Contact Time (s) | 0.21 | 0.20 | 0.17 | 0.19 | 3.9% L | 6.5% R |
| Concentric Impulse (N·s) | 53.2 | 48.8 | 33.5 | 28.9 | 8.2% L | 13.8% L |
| Peak Takeoff Force (N) | 2,272 | 2,277 | 1,772 | 1,734 | 0.2% R | 2.1% L |
| Peak Landing Force (N) | 2,354 | 2,474 | 2,568 | 2,696 | 4.9% R | 4.7% R |
| Time to Stabilisation (s) | 0.50 | 0.54 | 1.05 | 0.87 | 7.8% R | 17.1% L |
Read: Contact times tightened on both sides (left improved 17%, right improved 6%), confirming the reactive gains seen in CMRJ. However impulse output and time-to-stabilization both slipped, and the latter notably so on the left side. Re-confirm at next session — the right-side n=1 trial is a confounder here.
| Priority | Block | Sample Modalities | Target / Re-Test KPI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Right-leg unilateral strength bias | Rear-foot elevated split squat (R loaded heavier), single-leg RDL, step-ups; 2× wk @ 80–87% intensity | SLJ height asym < 10% |
| 2 | Bilateral & unilateral landing decel control | Tempo eccentrics (4-1-1) on single-leg squats, double-to-single landings, drop-and-stick to soft surface biased to weaker side | SLJ left landing RFD asym ↓ to <15% |
| 3 | Right-side reactive plyometrics | Right-only depth jumps from 20–30 cm box, single-leg pogos, drop hops to stick | SLHAR right contact time < 180 ms |
| 4 | GK-specific dive-recover circuits | Lateral dive → recover → repeat-set save (both directions), 3 sets of 6 reps biased to weaker side | Subjective coach grade on dive symmetry |
| 5 | Maintain elite reactive ceiling | 1× wk CMRJ-style bilateral plyometric, low volume, max-intent | Hold RSI ≥ 1.60 |
| 6 | Repeat isometric squat (SQT) | Add to next test session — was tested 8 Apr, skipped 30 Apr; re-baseline absolute force | SQT peak force tracked over time |
| Window | Battery | Decision Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 4 weeks (28 May 2026) | SLJ + SLHAR only (focused asymmetry check) | SLJ height asym must be ≤ 12%; SLJ landing RFD asym ≤ 15% |
| 8 weeks (25 Jun 2026) | Full battery (CMJ, CMRJ, SLJ, SLHAR, SQT) | SLJ height asym ≤ 10%, hold CMJ ≥ 47 cm, hold RSI ≥ 1.60 |
| Pre-season (Aug 2026, college report-in) | Full battery + repeat sprint capacity | Status report to college S&C staff |
Reference ranges drawn from Loturco et al. (2018, J. Strength Cond. Res.) elite Brazilian/European soccer pool; Cormack et al. (2008) RSI benchmarks; Bishop et al. (2018, Sports Med) asymmetry-injury thresholds; Fort-Vanmeerhaeghe et al. (2020) youth soccer asymmetry data; published MLS Combine pre-draft force-plate ranges. The "MLS GK Band" reflects the inter-quartile range typically observed in MLS academy and professional goalkeeper testing — exact values vary by club. Goalkeeper-specific normative data is sparser than field-player data; metrics where MLS GK pool is small are noted with wider bands.
All session-over-session deltas calculated as (latest − prior) / prior × 100, except asymmetry deltas which are reported in absolute percentage points (pts). Direction-of-improvement: jump heights, power, force, RSI = higher better; contact time, asymmetry, time-to-stabilisation = lower better. CMJ Imp-Mom values for 8 Apr were excluded from the delta because they appear inconsistent with the corresponding flight-time-derived values from the same session — most likely a single-trial integration artifact. The 30 Apr Imp-Mom value (44.4 cm) is internally consistent and matches expectation.