Young athletes raise the bar(bell)

When they are not at their gymnasiums, softball or soccer fields, chances are many of the area’s young athletes are at Reactiv Training Center.

Dumbbells, kettlebells, a basketball hoop and batting cage are some of the features inside the South Main Street facility, located in the same building as the future Palouse Ice Rink.

Reactiv Training Center is the realization of a goal shared by two local physical therapists, owners Brenda Boyko and Kelly Isakson, to meld physical therapy with strength and conditioning training. It opened in July.

Boyko, Isakson, trainer Travis Seltenreich and physical therapists work with all ages, but a large percentage of their clients are local athletes 18 years and younger, Isakson said. They train local high school and middle school teams, as well as provide individual training.

“The main thing is having kids start at younger age and working with a specialist professional to teach them how to move correctly so we maximize their performance and we also minimize their risk of injury,” Isakson said.

Isakson said Reactive is also a medical facility with doctors of physical therapy on hand to oversee everything.

“This is what we do,” she said. “This is our gig is taking care of people throughout the age spectrum. We work closely with Travis to make sure the classes are very age-appropriate.”

Boyko said the training is tailored to their body’s developmental stage with the goal of helping them avoid injury, “Because we know that if they do this type of work, it’s going to prevent injuries.”

Seltenreich said the conditioning, strength training and therapy sessions the athletes go through is meant to help them perform better on the field or in the gym.

“It’s kind of taking the training and making it specific to a sport as much as you can,” he said.

Boyko and Isakson also run Moscow Mountain Sport and Physical Therapy. They said Reactiv’s 11,000-square-foot facility gave them a chance to expand their operations to serve more people.

Seltenreich said he has heard positive feedback from school coaches and weightlifting teachers who have seen students improve their weightlifting skills and conditioning thanks to Reactiv.

“(The students) go into the school year and they get to their weights class and their teachers are like, ‘Whoa, cool, awesome, our jobs just got a lot easier.’ ”

Kyla Kiblen, mother of Kaci and Kolbi Kiblen, said strength training has enhanced her daughters’ athletic performance as well as their lives. She also praised the inclusiveness of the program.

“We’ve never had opportunities for girls in strength training,” she said. “So, for them to open up this facility and be so dedicated to all the kids, including girls, it’s just an awesome environment.”

Kaci, a ninth-grader at Moscow High School, plays softball and hockey. Her sister, Kolbi, is an eighth-grader at Moscow Middle School who plays soccer and basketball.

Kaci said her sessions usually include exercises like running laps, lunges, pushups, and squats. She wanted to try strength training so she could improve in her performance in sports.

“I just like the atmosphere the most,” she said about Reactiv. “Travis, especially — he always makes sure to have fun while we’re doing it, and makes sure we want to come back.”

Traiden Cummings, a Moscow High School ninth-grader, uses the facility along with his classmates. He said it has made him stronger and more athletic.

“It’s also a good way to use your time,” he said.

Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.