There’s a new look at the Spectrum Sports Academy on Tom Andrews Road near the Roanoke Regional Airport.
A recent interior remodeling project has just been completed, with the grand re-opening set for this month. And a significant 22,000 sqaure foot addition is already in the blueprints, with a target opening of January, 2013.
The resulting training facility will be one of the most progressive state-of-the-art venues west of Richmond and is not unlike those found in big city studios throughout the nation, such as the Chicago Athletic Clubs.
The goal of Spectrum is to create champions for life in their committment to excellence. Spectrum offers numerous programs for all athletes to acquire sports knowledge in an environment appropriate to their individual levels of skill and experience.
Their programs are designed for the inexperienced youth all the way to the elite high school and college athlete.
“Our model provides opportunities for athletes at every level from discovery and the first exposure to a sport, through development of an athlete’s chosen sport skills, to refinement in helping an athlete reach the next level, ” academy director Cherie Hicks notes. “The academy’s approach is more than just sports. We develop life skills and athletic skills, offering a curriculum for athletes, coaches and their parents. We definitely have an unique model.”
The existing facility includes three full all-wood courts for basketball and volleyball, along with a baseball/softball hitting facility second to none. The future expansion will include a turf field and two additional courts to accomodate additional training in sports such as football, lacrosse and soccer.
The academy’s ‘Champion’s Approach’ will be integrated into all programs, giving athletes an understanding of what it takes to be successful in sports and in life. The team of academy directors is committed to leveraging their vast experience to the success of Spectrum’s model.
Billy Hicks, who has coached basketball at varoius levels for 25 years, and who has been the head coach at Cave Spring High School since 1996, winning three state championships, heads up the basketball academy.
Tamalyn Tanis, director of volleyball, is considered one of the most prominent coaches in her sport, winning five state championships in ten years at Cave Spring, a Virginia High School League record.
Mark Croye leads the baseball/softball academy with 27 years in working with youth and AAU players in both hitting technique and technical aspects of pitching.
Tom Gibbs, instructor of tennis, has been a tennis professional for 45 years, serving as Hidden Valley Country Club’s pro for 40 years.
Langston Ware, a former wide receiver for Liberty University, is a lead trainer for Spectrum’s condiioning programs and is certified through the National Academy of Sports Medicine.
“We have something for everyone from coaches clinics and parenting workshops to nutrition coaching,” Billy Hicks points out. “Our goal is to set a new bar for youth athletics through our unique teaching and training model.”
“We have programs that get kids started from kindergarden up,” Tanis adds. “In volleyball, I am excited to give boys and girls of all ages a chance to learn the sport. Spectrum is a year-round facility.”
“The Roanoke Valley has produced some exceptional athletes over the years, Cherie Hicks adds. “We believe our model will develop a generation of future leaders in their commitment to excellence.”
For more information about Spectrum programs, call 540-561-0921 or visit the facility at 3710 Tom Andrews Rd.
BILL TURNER
