Chamber Business Connection Vol. 1, Issue 10 | Page 10

Sports and School
-A Balancing Act
PowerMaxx Sports Club is the newest addition to Grove
City’s fitness scene. It is lead by by Dan Dague,
President of XPC Powerlifting, and Dr. Mariah Liggett.
Dr. Liggett has a PhD in Exercise Physiology from OSU
and a degree in Physical Education and Coaching from
Slippery Rock University. Mariah has won 15 World
Powerlifting Championships, and has set multiple World
Records. We sat down with her to discuss how best to
prepare a student for competitive sports in school.
Dr. Liggett explained that almost any individual can take
on some form of athletics - but it’s important to
remember a student’s reason for participating in sport
might be different than the parent’s.
“Athlete or non-athlete, exercise and education go well
together – girls and boys need to be active, and have fun
doing it,” she says. “It’s important to look at physical bal-
ance, flexibility, strength and body measurements such as
height and weight and the sport requirements.
We take quick, fundamental check on the athlete,
review their goals, skills and limitations, and circle back
with parents.
Dr. Liggett continued on, relating that once she under-
stands the goals of the parents, student athletes and
coaches, she can create a workout and effective routine
for the student.
“One major partnering checkpoint is to see what the
coach at school has them doing. I need to pair with the
sports program and always be in concert with coaches
– the goal is to help athletes be well-rounded,” she said.
“So, my job is to marry all of those things together.”
Finally, she related it is extremely important to approach
training with balance. Sports players, especially stu-
dents, need to have a well-rounded routine focusing on
mental and emotional health as much as the physical.
“If they’re already running and jumping on Tuesday’s,
then certainly I wouldn’t have them do the same thing
in a private coaching session Many times athletes go to
their practice and rehearse their sports, but they don’t
have time to physically condition and strength train.
Even placekickers in football need to work on their upper
body strength. “That’s where we come in – Let’s get ath-
letes fundamentally strong and ready to meet their
performance goals.
CHAMBER BUSINESS CONNECTION
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