Gaining an edge

By Kristi Lambert

A new program is revolutionizing many of Logan High School’s sports teams. Players and coaches have seen results and the student body now chants as one— “We believe in RACE Rx.”

Developed by Matt Rhea, RACE Rx is a private sports conditioning facility that opened its’ doors in Logan two years ago. Rhea said that because of the research the company is conducting, RACE Rx has “the most advanced training programs available.”

“We offer youth sports conditioning programs at our private facility and consult teams, organizations and athletes on their conditioning,” Rhea said. “My area of expertise is sports performance enhancement. We look at what athletes need to improve upon. We are very cutting edge.”

Rhea consults for the U.S. Olympic Training Center and a number of professional teams including the Phoenix Suns, Pittsburgh Pirates and the San Francisco Giants. Now, he is also a consultant for Logan High School.

Last year, Rhea began working with senior DJ Nelson and the baseball team in their weekly training

“Coach Favero…was confident that I could help his team and other sports so we started conversations regarding the entire school program,” said Rhea. “Mike Hansen, athletic director Clair Anderson and Mike Favero were instrumental in developing a scenario for me to help all interested sports.”

Though RACE Rx is offered to all sports and have athletes from every sport participating, the football, boys basketball and baseball teams are those who have been implementing the program since the beginning of the summer.

Each sport is assigned a trainer or coach from RACE Rx and the workouts are specified to each sport. The basketball team incorporates defensive slides, close outs and back peddling into its’ workouts. The team works with RACE Rx three days a week. Two of those days are focused on power and strength, the other is purely conditioning.  It is a process of sequencing and the workouts are different every day.

Logan Brown has been the head coach of the boys varsity basketball team for two years, and has witnessed the effects of the conditioning and strength programs.

“We struggled last year. That’s what is kind of neat about RACE Rx. We’re taking something and seeing the benefit of it. Our athletic community is way more confident,” Brown said. “Matt Rhea is very well spoken and knows how to handle people. Our high school was looking for something like that.”

“My speed has improved tremendously compared to last year. Everyone has gotten bigger from the strength part of it and faster too,” said junior Jesse Braddy.

Since Braddy was a wide receiver for the football team and is currently a guard for the varsity boys basketball team, he has found that RACE Rx has made an impact on the sports teams at LHS.

“We’ve seen major improvements. Probably the best thing that could have happened to us here,” Braddy said. “Everyone wants in on it because they can see the effects.”

“I’ll be honest, I’ve never had a team that was as well conditioned going into the season,” Brown said.

“We measure different variables like speed and power. We have seen tremendous improvements in all measurements,” Rhea said. “We have also seen a great amount of commitment from the athletes to their preparation for competition, nutrition and training habits.”

The effects of RACE Rx don’t stop there. 

“Everyone pushes each other," Braddy said. "The workouts are very difficult and it really brings everyone closer.”

“If they’ve had to sweat with their peers, it makes them bond together. I can tell that they are more unselfish, more of a caring nature,” Brown said.

“It has affected our mentality. Made us tougher…mentally and physically,” Brown said. “Sometimes kids don’t know their limits until they’ve broken them a couple times.”