RedLine Athletics Dexter is drawing a few new lines in the local fitness scene with a focus on developing, training and improving young athletes whether they just want to be in good shape or want to play their favorite sport at the highest level.
RedLine Athletics Dexter, which officially opens this month with a grand opening celebration on Saturday, July 14, is a unique sports facility geared toward youth athletes.
“We are a community that brings together like-minded athletes to achieve their highest potential,” says owner Patti Darland. “We have the ability to match the needs of each athlete regardless of sport.”
The 10,000 square foot training center, located in the Dexter Crossing Shopping Center across of Busch’s Grocery Store, features batting cages, low profile turf for H.I.I.T workouts and dynamic speed and agility training, a strength room consisting of Hammer Strength weight equipment and student athlete lounge areas.
What separates RedLine from other fitness facilities is their focus on developing youth athletes. RedLine is only for athletes 8-18 years of age so there is no worrying about what days of the week the gym can schedule a program for the younger athlete in amongst all of the adult classes.
“We also don’t try to fit kids into an adult gym or adult fitness program,” Darland says. “These programs are specifically designed for them. What we do here translates to all sports. And the facility itself is even designed for youth athletes.”
Another huge difference is that RedLine is available whenever the young athlete can squeeze in 90 minutes during the day for some training. Kids (and parents) schedules these days are not only busy but also in flux and always changing so if you want to get a workout in at 1 p.m. but you’re running late, just show up for the 2 p.m. workout.
That’s exactly what happened to Amanda Vetere a few weeks ago when her 9-year-old daughter Bella wanted to get in a workout. Bella, who plays for the Michigan Thunder U-10 travel soccer team, is coming off a knee injury and these workouts help prepare her for when she is ready to get back onto the pitch.
“She wants to be soccer ready when it’s time to play again and it makes me feel better to know she will be in good shape,” says Amanda. “Bella loves the agility stuff and she is always up for a challenge. And they make the workouts fun which she also enjoys.”
While Bella was working on soccer training, Cooper was working on baseball specific skills both in the batting cage and even fielding ground balls. Both young athletes just “dropped in” for training and to work on the sport they love.
Redline Athletics – Dexter offers workouts every hour on the hour. Just like drop-in basketball, this is drop-in workouts and includes a trained fitness professional and a focus on your particular sport or sports.
“It’s a great set up for everyone,” Darland says. “Let’s say a game gets cancelled because of weather. Well, you can still come over here and get a workout in.”
“We feature 90-minute sessions that focus on movement efficiency, speed and agility and strength training and these all translate to any sport,” Darland says. “Speed and agility is kind of the same for any age group although the better, older athlete will be going at a faster and more efficient speed. The big difference between the beginner athlete and the high school varsity player would be in the strength part of the program.”
Not only are the programs designed to improve skills and increase speed and strength but also to help prevent injuries. Each athlete begins with an evaluation that includes a movement-efficiency component that analyzes the major joints that could be susceptible to injuries.
“From these scores we provide a home exercise program that the athlete can do on their own that can help reduce the risk of injury,” Darland says. “This isn’t injury prevention but more injury reduction. Contact injuries are going to happen and there isn’t any kind of training you can do to prevent that.”
And Darland says they try to make it a fun experience for everyone. “We want this to be something they want to do rather than have to do,” she says.
Darland, who owns the business along with her husband Andrew, knows what it takes to be a successful athlete. She played youth soccer throughout Michigan and was a Division I collegiate soccer player at Ball State University from 2005-2010. She also has coached soccer throughout the Midwest for over 10 years and loves working with youth athletes to help them pursue their highest potential.
“I have had some rough patches with my athletic career including multiple knee surgeries that moved me to further pursue my Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN,” she said. “I understand the importance of the right training program combined with strengthening to allow each athlete to maximize their potential while minimizing their risk for injury.”
Darland became Clinic Director of Athletico in Farmington Hills.
“I loved my job and experiences there, but I continued to have a dream of focusing on youth athletics, and that is when I decided it was time to open Redline Athletics – Dexter,” she says.
RedLine Dexter has membership plans available.
RedLine customizes in semi-private, 1 on 1, or group training with one of their professional Sports Performance Specialists who are experts at helping youngsters become a better all-around athlete.
Semi-private training
The Semi-Private workout program is the best value in youth athletic training. This program will allow your athlete to train Pre-Season, In-Season, and Post-Season. They have made the price affordable, so you can get instruction and sports performance training from our sports performance specialist and former pro athletes, and get sport specific skill work and a strength work out developed for your sport and specific position – all this for less than the typical charge for a personal trainer.
High-Intensity Interval Training
The H.I.I.T. program is designed to prepare an athlete by training at a faster pace than they would experience in an actual game. Just as the name implies, the High Intensity Interval Training program is non-stop high intensity that works great in a 60-minute session.
One on One Training
For athletes seeking sport specific instruction, 1-on-1 training with our team of professional and elite level athletes, will assist in providing breakthrough results. 1-on-1 training requires advance appointments and are most effective when combined with our Semi-Private Training membership.
Team and Group Training
Team/Group training is the right choice to help your club team get to the next level. RedLine can custom design a training program to fit your schedule and achieve your goals. Many teams find that training with RedLine Athletics helps them develop superior athletes and allows coaches to focus their limited practices on strategy, execution and teamwork.
Address: 7039 Dexter Ann Arbor Road, Dexter
Phone: 734-253-2080
Web: http://redlineathletics.com/locations/michigan/Dexter
Hours of Operation:
Monday – Thursday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Friday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Sunday: Closed
