What is “The New Culture?”

I’ll never forget my first workout at Stadium Performance. It was an upper body power lift in the spring, and I was paired up with a group of girls; some of whom who were two and three years younger than me. Being a hockey player who has spent the better part of his adolescence in the gym and on the ice, I figured I would be able to coast through the lift. Unfortunately, the opposite happened, and those group of high school girls almost put me in an early grave. I had never been pushed that hard in my athletic career to that point. As I peeled myself off the turf, the proprietor of this institution of savagery looked at me and said, “Easy day kid, we’re just building you up for those nice little summer sessions.” At that point all I could think was, “What the Hell did I get myself into?”

Looking back on this day two years later, I have come to reflect on what SP means to my family and I, and how it’s unique culture truly separates itself from any other strength and conditioning facility. First of all, the level of instruction and attention from the staff is unparalleled. My family has provided SP with a myriad of challenges including rehabilitating my younger brother’s knee, providing personalized training to my mother after a major shoulder surgery, and getting me into game shape within a span of two months. I can honestly say Joe and the entire SP staff has met each of these tasks with the highest levels of professionalism and attention to detail, while always treating me and my family with nothing but kindness. That’s not to say SP doesn’t push every athlete to their maximum potential. The entire staff at SP are masters at holding each and every athlete accountable, and encouraging them to take pride in every repetition 100% of the time. The staff has the unique talent of being able to read a certain athlete’s mental state, which allows them to figure out what buttons to push in an effort to help said athlete reach their fullest potential. Joe and his staff truly take a personal interest beyond any professional requirement in the development, maturing, and safety of everyone who walks in their door.

While the training environment is great at Stadium Performance, I truly believe the best part of this facility is the culture created by trainers and clients alike. Simply calling Stadium Performance a gym or training facility would be doing the entire population of SP a grave injustice. “The New Culture” really exists and is something completely different from anything else I have experienced as an athlete. In my two years at SP, I have not met a person I didn’t like. Everyone from high school athletes, NFL Players, and middle aged personal training clients comes into the facility with a down to earth attitude and an insatiable appetite for hard work. I have thought about what attract these athletes to SP, and why I don’t see more of the proverbial primadonnas that infect many of the gyms and rinks I have been to over the years.

My personal hypothesis for this phenomenon is that the workouts are so difficult and mentally taxing that only the truly motivated who understand the need for such training are able to survive their time at SP. Posers and egomaniacs just don’t understand the need for this kind of training, and realize they are better off taking their gym selfies somewhere else.

I could go on for hours about how I think Stadium Performance is the essential weapon needed in every athlete’s arsenal, but the best advice I can give to anyone considering SP is to get in there and try it out for yourself. If you are truly serious about bettering yourself and working towards your goals, I guarantee you will not regret this decision. This is not just another gym that stands behind the testimonials and hung jersey’s of professional athletes. This is a culture that develops great people while teaching great values. We all just happen to be athletes.

-Vaughan Kavanaugh, University of Alabama “Roll Tide”