Fenwick High School Calls on Explosion to Get To The Next Level

July 6, 2011

Fenwick turns to fitness company to churn out healthier players

Strength, conditioning “worth every penny,” athletic director says.

By John Bombatch

Staff Writer

MIDDLETOWN — It’s fairly common for a collegiate athletic program to employ a strength and conditioning coach for its many teams. Now a local high school has one, too.

According to Athletic Director Mike Asbeck, Fenwick High School has recently hired Matt Wheeler, part-owner and trainer of Explosion Fitness Solutions. The Fairfield-based company initially worked with the Fenwick girls volleyball team during its 2010 state championship season.

Asbeck saw the benefits of a strength and conditioning coach during his days at Columbus DeSales High School, where a strength and conditioning coach was used by the football team. He said part of the reason for bringing on a fitness company was due to Fenwick’s small number of student-athletes.

According to the Ohio High School Athletic Association, Fenwick had 211 male student athletes and 192 in grades 10-12 last year.

“We have several multi-sport athletes out of necessity,” Asbeck said. “And our reason for doing this is to ensure that our athletes are in the best shape as possible.”

Asbeck said the school is paying for the training program. He declined to go into specifics when asked about the cost.

“All the student athletes will have a core training program available to them 3-4 days a week, depending on the week, and I think it will be worth every penny of it,” he said.

All-Ohio outside hitter Ally Beck said she noticed a difference in her performance last season after doing the workouts. The recently graduated Beck will play collegiate volleyball for Cleveland State, but has been using the workout sessions as a means to stay in shape before she heads off to college.

“It brought a difference in my abilities as a player,” Beck said during a break from a recent workout. “I was stronger for my senior high school season because of this program.”

Fenwick athletic trainer Amy Anders said she saw fewer injuries from the girls volleyball program, because of the Explosion Fitness regimen they went through last season.

“I’m all for what the program has to offer,” Anders said. “They did wonders for the girls. I had less overuse injuries last year than I ever had before. And they’re really good at understanding what can be done differently in the weight room.”

Falcons girls volleyball coach Yoon Ha said having a strength and conditioning coach enabled him to focus more on strategy during the team’s state title run.

“As far as plays and schemes, I knew how they worked. But I wasn’t as good at teaching the skills needed to jump higher or to hit harder. Something was missing before,” Ha said.

Wheeler said his program focuses more on enhancing an athlete’s performance, stance and athletic form, rather than teaching them the X’s and O’s of the sport itself.

Anders said Wheeler’s workouts are similar to what college athletes would have on campus.

“A strength conditioning specialist specifies the workouts for the team involved,” Anders explained. “They don’t just have a general program set up for everyone.”

Three-sport Falcon senior Kristin Thompson said the workouts have already helped her make smoother injury-free transitions from volleyball to basketball and track & field.

“I have more speed and agility, I have a better vertical jump for basketball, and it’s even improved my stance and pacing in track,” she said. “Without this, I definitely would’ve been slower. And I don’t think I would be as confident as I am now.”

Asbeck couldn’t say whether he thought high schools were trending toward hiring strength and conditioning coaches, noting that he’s seen some larger high schools employ a strength and conditioning coach for a particular team.

“We just wanted something that would be consistent with all of our athletic programs throughout the year — pre season, in season and post season,” he said. “If a school’s athletic program has a strength and conditioning coach, they’ll have a better chance to win. And it gives the kids a better opportunity to be successful athletes, in terms of building stamina and staying injury free.”

Asbeck said the current contract with Explosion Fitness Solutions will be re-evaluated after a year.

Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2851 or jbombatch@coxohio.com.

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