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Nicolet
High School soccer player Katie Kohen trains at the Parisi
Speed School in Grafton while trainer Scott Synold tracks her
progress.
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Scott Synold is far from ancient.
Still, the 32-year-old can’t believe how little exercise the average
kid gets today compared to when he was growing up in Wauwatosa.
"Everything is right at your fingertips now," he says.
"Fast food, video games and computer games are more prevalent and
provide instant gratification. The only thing that isn’t instant is
health and fitness."
Synold hopes to do his part to change
that as director of Wisconsin’s only Parisi Speed School at Form
& Fitness in Grafton. Bill Parisi founded the program in 1992 in
New Jersey to help young athletes increase speed and power in an
efficient and safe way.
Everyone is welcome at the Parisi Speed
School, whether an elite high school athlete or a sedentary
8-year-old. Classes are grouped by ability, not by age, and typically
meet twice a week.
"We’re trying to empower youths
and change the way they view themselves," says Synold, who was on
the track team at UW-Madison. "We want to give them the
self-confidence they may not have on the playground."
By reaching children when they are
young, Synold hopes they can develop habits for life. Classes are
fast-paced and animated, with an emphasis on trying to make the
workouts enjoyable.
The Parisi Method is also popular with
high school athletes trying to improve their speed and fitness. The
girls on the Nicolet soccer team began working out at the Parisi Speed
School last November, and the results were evident by the spring
season.
"We had the technical skills, but
we were lagging behind some teams in terms of speed and overall
power," Nicolet coach Tony Quintero says. "They came into
the season faster and more fit. We didn’t have a single injury
related to pulled muscles."
Synold says the rewards are out there
for those athletes who commit to the program. "There’s no magic
pill or bullet," he says. "A stagnant lifestyle and injuries
are at an all-time high. We want to shift that paradigm."
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