When Will asked me if I would write a "testimonial" regarding my experience at SAA my 1st question was "How many words?". Thats basically cause I could go on and on about the topic. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the training my 2 sons have received at SAA has been at the highest level and has significantly impacted their success wrt to youth and high school sports. More importantly the knowledge of proper training techniques emphasized at SAA will be something they can take forward with them well past the days when their playing careers end.
My oldest son Johnny is currently a senior at BHS. He started training at SAA in middle school. Like most parents I was a bit concerned with the idea of him starting weight training at too soon. Johnny is a solid athlete but he was a late bloomer in terms of physical maturity so he was smallish/slowish as compared to his peers. At the time I was looking for some way to level the playing field in order for him to be able to compete.
If you are a parent who is interested in providing your kid with the tools to succeed in youth/HS/college sports you are probably aware that there are many options available. We had tried several other facilities when SAA was recommended to me by 2 ex-BHS baseball players: Anthony Brignola and Jimmy Day. Both had a great deal of success and they swore that their experience with SAA was fundamental to their outstanding performance on the field.
From the 1st day Johnny trained at SAA something clicked and I knew the knowledge and personal attention provided by the SAA trainers would prove worthwhile. Johnny started slowly as he was taught proper techniques. Over the years he has gradually built up to much more advanced training. The results have been nothing short of astounding. His strength, power, speed have increased many fold. Just as importantly, he has avoided the types of injuries associated with the usual HS weight room experience.
Obviously a large amount of Johnny improvements can be associated with just normal growth and maturity. That being said I am convinced that getting a relatively early start has been instrumental in maximizing his gains. Evidence in fact, my younger son Patrick/8th grade also started training at SAA last year. All indications are that his trajectory will be similar to Johnny's.
Finally, I can't overstate how much fun Will and his staff make the experience at SAA for athletes. I never have to prod either boy to go to workouts. They look forward to it rather than seeing it as drudgery. Moreover I have observed similar reactions from their buddies who train alongside them at SAA.
So as I warned Will, this is rather long winded testimonial. The long and short of it is that SAA is a great place for young athletes to train. If you have any further questions you can text me at the phone number provided below and I would be more than willing to discuss any aspect of my experience with SAA.
Regards,
Mark Podlesnik
847-727-9548
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