By CINDY EISEN
Springboro Sun Editor
ceisen@tcnewsnet.com
Springboro once again welcomes a world-class business to the city.
Prodigy, offers talented students from across the United States a chance to train with top level, experienced specialty athletes in a world-class athletic training center. The facility is the largest wrestling and/or mixed martial arts facility in the United States. Nearly 50,000 square feet of space is dedicated to athletic excellence.
Located at 235 South Pioneer Blvd., a space that was a warehouse has become a training facility for top-notch wrestlers, boxers, and mixed-martial artists (MMA). The center also offers training for yoga, boxing, kick boxing, ultimate fighting, weights, cardio, and more.
The facility is designed to bring Olympic quality training to the Midwest. The local training center is larger than the Olympic team training center in Colorado. “The instructors are at a quality that most colleges don’t have,” explained Rhonda Croucher, VP of marketing. She spoke of Josh Souder who teaches Martial Arts and has 17 professional wins, four losses. Beginning wrestling is taught by Mary Kelly who is one of the top ranked female wrestlers in the nation, placing third in the Olympic trials. Kelly is just one of the wrestling coaches who moved to the area from locations like Chicago, Oklahoma, and South Carolina. Some coaches come from the area, like Jimmy Hartman who comes from Franklin. Former Olympians are on the staff.
The center is currently in the process of contractual negotiations with USA Wrestling, an arm of the Olympic Committee, to become sanctioned to provide training for Olympic hopefuls. Coaches include former Olympian Kevin Bracken, and several top-ranked USA wrestlers – Mary Kelly, Matt Lackey, Teyon Ware and Sam Hazewinkle. Wrestling programs for youth through adult will be offered at the center. Prodigy Youth Wrestling Team currently holds the title of National Champions. The Director of the Wrestling program is Ryan Root, who is one of the facility owners. “There is not another facility like this in the world,” Croucher explained as she spoke of the heated wrestling room which is kept a 100 degrees to increase the flexibility of the wrestlers.
Prodigy Training Center will also holds an exceptional Mixed Martial Arts program, MMA. Several exciting professional fighters will train at the site. Bas Rutten, undefeated UFC heavyweight champion, is a part owner. He came to Springboro to take part in the grand opening activities. Other members of the prestigious mixed martial arts staff include Hector Pena, Jim Kelly teaching Jui Jistu, Donnie Branch teaching boxing, Christina Bailey, Josh Souder teaching MMA, Mojo Horne teaching Muay Thai, Justin Christopher and Jamie Toney. Craig Charles, facility owner, is Director of the Mixed Martial Arts program. The center will offer Mixed Martial Arts training for adults, as well as Boxing, Kick Boxing, Thai Boxing, Jiu Jitsu, Tae Kwon Do, Self Defense and Kick Boxing for Women, Strength and Conditioning.
Donnie Branch, a boxing instructor, believes in offense as “defense is natural” he explained to a class. He said strength and conditioning is part of any athletic training. Photos of Branch with George Foreman and Mike Tyson are in the front lobby along with signed photos with Ken Norton and Mohamed Ali.
Prodigy Training Center openly welcomes everyone who is serious about fitness to train at the facility. The weight training area houses over 110 pieces of equipment and a huge assortment of free weights.
Prodigy will offer the non-profit “Medals in the Making” program. This program allows at-risk youth to use sports to change their lives. They will be given training in boxing or athletic excellence in the USA wrestling program.
The business has three part owners and a partner. Part owner Bas Rutten is known as “the godfather for the MMA system.” Rutten, a native of Holland retired in 2000. He had been wresting in Japan and came back in 2006.
Individual, family and corporate memberships are available.
