South Central Sports Performance+ Opens New Facility

Training and Recovery Available for Athletes of All Ages & Levels

At South Central Sports Performance+ our goal is for the athlete, no matter the age, to excel. Whether it is a 13 year old learning new techniques for a sport or a 50 year old focusing on health maintenance, there is a program offered at Sports Performance+. South Central recently opened a new facility in Laurel to provide more training and performance options for athletes.

Derek “Spike” Richards Sports Performance+ Coordinator

Derek “Spike” Richards, Sports Performance+ Coordinator, discusses the facility. “When the new facility was built, we knew what our athletes needed. So we did not hold anything back. The center is 6,200 square feet. It is turfed, so we can do full 40-yard sprints inside. We also have weight rooms. They are complete with everything an athlete could possibly need, and actually more. We have space and equipment for stability training, bands, cables, bosu balls and other training equipment that is not found in normal gyms.”

Each individual sport has its own sport specific need, so training received through Sports Performance+ is tailored based on need. Athletes receive an electronic sport specific workout to their phone to assist with training. By utilizing a 4 day rotation of training, each aspect is covered. The goal of training is to educate athletes how to be physically prepared for their sport in strength and speed.

“We write the training program for the part of the season that they are in,” said Richards. “Whether it is an off-season program, coming out of a season and we are trying to ramp them up into an off-season, or if we are trying to peak them for the season. So, what we try to do with an athlete is to hand them back to their coach, and have them ready to go.”

In 2022, South Central will open a new location for South Central Rehabilitation Services with Sports Performance+. The rehabilitation center will be an extension of outpatient physical therapy that is available at South Central Rehabilitation in Laurel, Ellisville and Taylorsville. This new location will be beneficial to the patient because they are able to transition to the Sports Performance+ program once therapy is completed.

Richards explains, “Injured athletes who are receiving therapy in Rehabilitation Services are able to train alongside the other athletes. They still have a feeling of being athletic and being around the sports people. They are able to access the equipment that they are going to need, and then when they transfer back into the Sports Performance+ program, we continue to get them healthier and ramp them up back into a full program. So, from injury to rehabilitation to recovery, our focus is to get the patient ready to return to play as an athlete.”

The unique and beneficial aspect of this program is that there is constant communication between the healthcare providers, therapists and trainers. “We always have conversations going on between the doctors, the physical therapists and myself as far as how far along the patient is, when are they going to be ready and when do we have to have them ready. The athletic trainers and I spend a lot of time talking to each coach about where their athlete is in the recovery process.”

South Central Sports Performance+ offers a comprehensive range of treatments and wellness programs. Our highly skilled healthcare professionals work with cutting-edge technologies and offer the most modern options available right here at home. Many of our providers have achieved special accreditations and recognitions. At South Central Sports Performance+, our commitment is to help you and your family enjoy optimum health through every stage of life.

To learn more about the program or available classes, call 601-399-0530 ext. 3 or visit SouthCentralSportsMedicine.com. South Central Sports Performance+ is now located at 2260 HWY 15 N in Laurel. The facility is on the south end of the South Central Place building.