Volleyball Players Elevate at PowerStrength
West Michigan is known for its volleyball prowess.
From high school, to club, to college, the area has produced some top talent in the sport.
This will continue as evidenced by a young group of athletes that are elevating their game at PowerStrength Training Systems (PSTS) in Jenison.
For Lexi Armstrong, Ava Bush-Nelson, Rylee Paddock, and Cara Crittendon volleyball is more than a sport, it is a way of life.
That is why each of them wanted to take their game to the next level and came to PSTS where workouts are created specifically for each individual athlete with their specific goals in mind.
“I wanted to come here to increase my vertical, be more athletic and have more agility, I just knew this was a good place to start.” Crittendon said. “I have increased those things and it has really helped in the game of volleyball.”
Crittendon, Bush-Nelson, and Paddock are freshmen that all skipped at least one of the lower levels on their high school team back in the fall.
When asked how PowerStrength helped Ava prepare to play varsity as a freshman, she said, “It helped a lot, it helped with discipline because you have to get here weekly if you want to see your growth and improvement. and it helped with keeping me in shape over the summer so that when I made varsity it wasn’t such a shock with all the work that we did.”
Armstrong, a junior at Hudsonville High School has already played three seasons of varsity volleyball.
“I think it allowed me to have an advantage that other people don’t have,” she said about PowerStrength. “Strength wise, I didn’t have to worry about that as much since I already was stronger, I had an advantage and it allowed me to work on other things.”
SPORTS SPECIFIC TRAINING
At PowerStrength, high school athletes work in small groups to get lots of attention from the coaches and are paired with others that want to accomplish similar feats.
“At school, they care, but they don’t target your sport and they just give the same workout to everybody and there are 40 kids in that class,” Bush-Nelson said. “When I come here it’s groups of 8-10 and there are 4 coaches and they give us exercises that are targeted towards volleyball to help us improve with our sport and not just giving us workouts.”
“Last semester I was in a 6th hour lifting class and I was one of two girls out of 40 boys,” she said. “It was nice to come here because it was refreshing and they hit different things than what you did at school.”
Bush-Nelson, Armstrong, Crittendon, and Paddock play for the same club volleyball team and are frequently paired together for their sessions at PSTS.
“At school we do a lot of the same things, we have a schedule, on Monday’s it is back squat, deadlift, things like that,” Armstrong said. “At PowerStrength we do many different things and I like it a lot better. Here (PSTS) you want to improve on the little things, we still lift heavy, but it’s the little things that really make the difference.”
RESULTS
Bush-Nelson led Jenison in hitting percentage last fall and was second in total blocks on a varsity team that won 40 games.
“The growth with my vertical and just my strength overall and my footwork,” Bush Nelson listed as improvement from PowerStrength workouts. “I’ve gotten so much faster and stronger and in better shape and more coordinated. It’s definitely worth it.”
Like Nelson, Paddock too was a freshman on the varsity team at Jenison leading the Wildcats in receptions.
Paddock played libero (back-row player this is usually a defensive specialist) for the high school team, but does more with her club which is currently in-season.
“I have been hitting a little bit on my club team and I can tell that I have been getting stronger and I feel like I have been getting faster as well,” Paddock said.
“I would say even when I jump serve, that is what I have been working on is serving, I would say it’s stronger and has a better pace on that, and I have noticed that with my club season my serves have gotten stronger and faster than they did at my school season.”
‘AMAZING’ ENVIRONMENT
Even with the right motivation, walking into a place like PowerStrength can be intimidating.
Which is why the PowerStrength team makes this a top priority.
PowerStrength Founder and CEO, Mark Ehnis, says, ” Trying something new and stepping out of your comfort zone is uncomfortable – but it’s worth it. We know the power this gives our athletes, so when they take that courageous first step, it’s our job to ensure they have an amazing experience, support them, and have a little fun in the process!”
He continues, “We’ve trained a lot of incredible female athletes over the years and that is only increasing. We focus on creating an optimal environment for learning and how to appropriately challenge each athlete. Our (PowerStrength) Team is incredible at cultivating success and the performance results follow.”
It’s no secret that when athletes actually look forward to going to train and work hard – results will follow. This starts with the environment of the facility and staff.
“It was very welcoming. I liked the small groups because I got to know all the coaches. It was a lot at first, but then we got into a groove and it’s nice,” says Ava.
When asked about her experience and walking into PowerStrength, Paddock said, “It was amazing, I love everyone here, they are so welcoming and I am newer to this place and it has just been great so far.”
“Definitely come here, it’s so amazing, everyone here is so amazing, they are so welcoming, so kind and you will see a big improvement!”
When it comes to the environment, Cara says, “It is a very good environment, very positive here, lots of encouragement and stuff that will help you. The community here is amazing and I love all the coaches, they help push you and you get better everyday.”
Lexi also added, “I’d say that is a great environment – you are going to see yourself improve a lot and it is a great environment, I love it!”
PARENTS APPROVE
While navigating their volleyball careers, Ava, Cara, Lexi, and Rylee have found themselves dominating both their high school and club seasons.
Their parents are watching with pride as they witness their daughters excel on the court, surpassing even their own expectations:
“I’d say the greatest take away from PowerStrength has been confidence in the gym, on the volleyball court, and in the weight room. Watching Ava’s strength and vertical jump improve over the last year has been unbelievable. She is attacking the volleyball at the net in a way I have never seen her do before. She owes that progress not only to her volleyball coaches, but largely to her PowerStrength coaches. They have taken her from a lanky 6-foot volleyball player and turned her into an aggressive athlete. I think for young female athletes walking into a workout where you feel wanted is very important. Ava has been able to connect socially to the coaches where she feels excited for her next class and confident they are leading her in the right direction. She has even made new friends along the way! I can’t imagine the new heights she will reach over the next few years!” -Megan Elliott (Ava’s mom)
“Rylee’s confidence in herself on and off the court has multiplied exponentially since joining Power Strength! Rylee physically has added much needed strength which has been evident in her ability to get off the ground quicker and higher and put a strong swing on balls that prior to joining PowerStrength would have been much less successful and aggressive. Our ability to pick and choose times and dates at PowerStrength that fit Rylee’s athletic and school activities schedule makes it a no-brainer for our family! It is so important to maintain consistent weekly and monthly training routines and our ability to do this with the PowerStrength scheduling system is fantastic! Rylee has been afforded the opportunity to work with incredible trainers at PowerStrength but, being able to train with super driven athletes from different schools has been a huge plus as well. She loves building new relationships with these student-athletes and really enjoys how they get along great and push each other to be their best! As a parent of a PowerStrength athlete we enjoy the ease of scheduling and payment structure! We also love the feedback we get from Rylee after every workout! Rylee obviously loves her workouts as she generally is excited to explain to us what she did each day!” – Burt Paddock (Rylee’s dad)
“PowerStrength has been great for Cara on so many levels. At the end of last season her volleyball coach suggested she work on her agility and vertical in the off-season, so PowerStrength was recommended given the growth other volleyball players have experienced in those areas at PowerStrength. We like how even in a group setting, she gets specific volleyball training that she needs to be better in those areas. Her vertical has increased and she’s quicker and more athletic on the court. After every workout she is so proud of what she accomplished and feels so strong and confident. Everyone has been very welcoming at PowerStrength! She has never been worried about knowing anyone at her workouts. Even the other members are encouraging. Thank you again for everything you do to help Cara!!!” – Joe Crittendon (Cara’s dad)
“Lexi absolutely loves the atmosphere at PowerStrength and individualized attention to each athlete. She has formed relationships with staff and follows athletes who strive to push her to reach her potential and challenge her to overcome obstacles. PowerStrength has ignited a love and passion for fitness, training and overall health. Because of her time at PowerStrength Lexi has been able to recover, return to sport and regain confidence. As a multi-sport athlete, she has seen improvements to her overall performance because of her time at PowerStrength. Strength, speed, agility, dynamic movements and balance are all areas where she has had measurable growth that have directly impacted her on the court and on the pitch.” – Lori Armstong (Lexi’s mom)
None of them are slowing down and are only becoming more dedicated. As the saying goes around PowerStrength – “better never stops.”
The future for these four is incredibly bright at the high school and club levels and beyond.
GETTING STARTED AT POWERSTRENGTH
PowerStrength specializes in custom personal training for specific sports. Every session is led by an experienced trainer in a small group setting that’s optimized for the best results.
5th-12th grade athletes of all sports and ability levels can sign-up at PowerStrength at any time throughout the year while spots remain. Multiple sessions are offered after school and into the evening, specific times are varied by location.
Visit https://powerstrengthpro.com/athletes to learn more or click below to Get Started