For junior athletes looking to do something a little extra to maximize their potential, Redmond Pro Sports Club (PSC) General Manager Corey Weathers has the answer.

Weathers has spearheaded a new program, “High School and College Performance Training,” that uses top-level coaching and some of the best equipment in the industry to push athletes to their peak.

“I think the coaches really enjoy working with people that they can push to another level, and junior athletes are that select group, they have so much potential,” said Weathers, who formerly worked for Bellevue Pro Sports Club as a fitness program director. “Helping them to understand and get a lot more out of what they’re already doing really inspires the coaches. It’s fun to see those kinds of successes … and see the kids empower themselves.

“There’s not only the boost to what they can actually do with their bodies on the athletic field, but the boost to their self-esteem.”

A SUCCESSFUL MODEL

A lot of what Weathers’ program does is modeled after Mark Verstegen’s Arizona-based Athletes’ Performance. Verstegen has worked with professional athletes for 17 years and was credited with developing a revolutionary “core performance” training methodology.

“It’s a very sound program that he’s put together,” Weathers said. “We were able to take what he does with professional athletes, the same programs and resources, and offer programs for everyday individuals.”

The premise of the program builds fundamental skills for the junior athletes, while focusing on injury prevention and efficient body movement.

“A lot of kids are naturally gifted and talented athletes, but they don’t necessarily possess the knowledge of how to use their body effectively,” Weathers explained.

Each group session begins with 10-20 minutes of body-alignment exercises and then moves on to one of four focus areas that span the spectrum of sports: Speed, power, strength and agility.

A highlight of the Redmond PSC facility is the top-of-the-line “Keiser” exercise equipment.

Unlike ordinary resistance machines, Keiser uses patented pneumatic pistons that keep a consistent variable of resistance at any speed, and also features an LCD readout where users can view the power they are exerting measured in watts, as well as the number of repetitions and the percentage of maximum power used per repetition, which helps athletes keep tabs on their consistency.

Weathers said that kids trying to bench press or lift as much as they can is detrimental to their development, and would prefer to see consistency and endurance during workouts.

“They train their bodies to be really strong a couple of times and not efficiently through the duration of an activity,” Weathers explained. “We’ll take the weight off a little and have them be consistent, at 80-90 percent of their max power throughout the cycle of the exercise.

“Kids like to have that instant feedback. Knowing they can do an exercise 10 times is great, but knowing they can do it 10 times efficiently with power, is so much better. That is where we see the gains, and as far as the equipment goes, it’s what sets us apart from other facilities.”

LOCAL TIES

Weathers also noted a “big need” in the Redmond area for junior athletes to keep in shape year-round outside of school and complement the work they already do with coaches, particularly with the recent closing of Velocity Sports Training.

“We have 115 personal trainers and we’ve selected 12 of them as performance coaches and given them further education,” noted Weathers, adding that all coaches have four year-degrees in Exercise Science. “They’ve been working for the last year and half with a variety of individuals and now it’s time to launch our next phase, which is this program.”

Weathers chose his career path after a stint in physical therapy in his late teens, and wants to help ensure that today’s young athletes are prepared for a long and injury-free active lifestyle.

“Injury prevention and career longevity are two big things… I was in physical therapy when I was 17 because I wasn’t doing things properly,” he recalled. “I injured myself, and it’s taken me years to come back from that.”

While the high school and college program will cater to a specific group, Weathers made sure to note that any Bellevue or Dual Pro Sports Club member can reap the rewards from the Redmond facility’s machines.

In the future, Weathers hopes for the program, which is currently hosting a pilot group from Seattle’s O’Dea High School, to blossom into the sports training provider for all of Redmond’s schools and plans to get in touch with local athletic directors in an effort to introduce the program to the community.

Pro Sports Club Redmond on Willows Road is located in Willows Commerce Park (Phase II) at 9911 Willows Road, No. 100 in Redmond. For more information contact Weathers at cweathers@proclub.com or (425) 869-4760.