Goodbye, AOTM, APEX Institute Info Night, and What’s New
Spring is in the air, and the sun is starting to shine. Spring sports are starting up, and we are preparing for Spring and Summer while looking towards the Fall. As we transition seasons, Speed Mechanics is transitioning as well. In this newsletter, we say goodbye to two coaches, congratulate our newest Athlete of the Month, prepare for our APEX Institute (sports school) Information Night, and look to new partnerships and programming.
First of all, it is with heavy hearts that we see Anthony Pluta moving on. Anthony has been an integral member of the Speed Mechanics family and has led the baseball training at Speed since opening in 2020. Pluta is a great person and a great coach, and we wish him the best in his pursuits.
Josh Campbell is another one of our coaches that is leaving the team, but not going far, as he takes the Head of Strength and Conditioning position at the Lambrick Park Academy. We want to congratulate Josh on this new position and a big accomplishment. Josh joined Speed Mechanics in October 2020 as an intern. From there, he dove in feet first, learning from the head coaches as much as he possibly could.
Josh began taking on Speed, Strength, Power sessions and baseball sessions, quickly becoming a staple in the facility. It is impossible to ignore Josh’s energy and we know he will bring that to Lambrick and will undoubtedly be successful in his new position. We will continue to work together to offer the best training for the athletes working with both the Academy and Speed.
ATHLETE OF THE MONTH – SPENCER GORDON
Now to the exciting news regarding March’s Athlete of the Month (AOTM), Spencer Gordon. Spencer has been training with Speed since the beginning. He has been consistent through the off-season, working hard on his sprinting capabilities in our Speed & Agility sessions, while building strength and explosiveness in our Strength & Power sessions. The coaches have noticed how hard Spencer has been working this off-season, and we wanted to recognize him for his consistency and coachability.
He always makes the sessions fun but understands when he needs to work hard. Spencer is a 6’0 (maybe more) 13-year-old who enjoys boating, taking his dog for long hikes, and I’m sure, hitting nukes. We’re all excited to see his hard work pay off by having a great season for the Victoria Mariners and Saanich Peninsula Basketball.
On Wednesday, March 9th, we are hosting our information night for the APEX Institute online from 5:30 to 6:30 pm. For those of you who don’t know, APEX is our sports school – starting up in September 2022. We are working with, and have support from, School District 61 and 62 to run this program.
Enrollment at APEX provides an opportunity for athletes in grades 10-12 to receive credit for training and complete academic coursework onsite under the supervision of a teacher. At APEX, student-athletes remain active members of their regular school but receive access to elite coaching and personalized training plans specific to their sports. Each athlete will also have access to our sports science lab for testing, tracking, and monitoring results.
Additionally, the Continuum Health Centre practitioners are readily available, as is designated classroom time for studying. Special guest lectures have also been built into the APEX program, emphasizing nutrition, mental performance, and recruitment pathways. If you are an elite athlete in your sport, then APEX Institute is the best option to help get you to the next level. Sign up for the information night today!
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Finally, we are excited to announce a new partnership and some potential collaborations in the works as I write this newsletter and a few new programming updates. We are excited to announce a new partnership with Kirby’s Source for Sports. The team at Kirby’s has been great in working with us and Under Armour to get our new AP shirts, staff shirts, and AOTM swag printed (look for this product to launch next month!).
They have also supplied us with new baseballs, softball, hockey pucks, and some other hockey training equipment for the upcoming hockey off-season. Kirby’s Source for Sports is a promising prospect to become a major sponsor for our upcoming charity event this summer, the Wolf Cup (stay tuned for more later).
To continue offering the best service possible at Speed Mechanics and ensuring our baseball and softball players have a great experience with sport-specific training, we have begun working with two groups from the Victoria community to bolster our programming. First off, we have had Marty Hall from Pro Way Baseball in to do a pitching session (his son Tyrus, on the Premier Eagles, has trained with us in the past) and to get a feel for the place.
Marty loves what we’re doing and is looking to put something together for us for April. We have also been approached by Curtis Pelletier at the Victoria Harbourcats and GM of the Golden Tide and Players Club. Speed Mechanics is a multi-sport facility but has grown up in the baseball community. As such, we want to ensure our players have the best opportunity to reach the next level.
We actively seek to do this by offering great coaching on the field and off the field – within our athletic development plans, through our recruiting sessions (upcoming), and within our sport-specific training.
This portion of the newsletter brings us to the final updates regarding our spring programming. We have Spring Break Camps happening from March 21-April 1st. AP Camps – Monday to Friday from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm – are for anyone, whether you’re in AP already or not, to come and try out some of what makes our AP Program great, plus try new skills like tumbling, rolling, grappling, and new plyometrics, while still working on sprinting and strength training.
We also have Speed Camp happening both weeks, where athletes can work on their sprinting technique through video analysis and drills to hone their skillset. The Speed Camp is 4-days, running on Monday/Tuesday and Thursday/Friday from 9:00 am – 11:00 am.
We have begun opening our gym memberships to the general population for Open Gym times on the Training Calendar schedule. This new opportunity will allow you access to the facility from 6:00 am to 3:00 pm Monday to Friday and Saturday from 8:00 am to 11:00 am and 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm. With gyms opening back up, we are prepared to open our space to everybody.
Next month, we will be introducing programs and training groups for people looking for tailored programming, injury rehabilitation, tactical/occupational training programs, and running mechanics training groups. In the meantime, we are offering regular memberships for $20 off at $65/month. This offer ends on April 15. Sign up today to lock in that price. If you are looking for a personalized program that includes your gym membership fee, please inquire today for more details.
As we move into the Spring, we look to continue building and growing our services at Speed Mechanics. Look for more updates and new blog posts on our website this month. Stay tuned as we finally look to open upstairs this April!