Riverside Sports Physical Therapy & Performance Center
When Riverside Physical Therapy in Newport News, Virginia first opened, their space and tools were limited to a few treatment tables and half a basketball court. They always considered themselves a “traditional” Physical Therapy (PT) clinic, offering classic outpatient rehabilitation and mobility services to their patients. While the previous tools and equipment certainly served them well, last year, Riverside decided to step up their game and expand their service offerings and programming.
John LaRue, the Director of Sports Physical Therapy & Performance at Riverside, jokes that he was a little partial to working with Advantage since he grew up in Syracuse and was familiar with our company. However, when it all boiled down, he said he knew Advantage was able to deliver the whole package — “everything under one roof” as he put it. Riverside sought out Pete Rogers, their local ASF representative, and the plans began to take shape.
Designing A Space for Treatment and Training
Riverside reimagined their facility to be something that visually and functionally attracted a different kind of client. They wanted to transform their space so they could expand into Sports Physical Therapy and Performance Training for athletes looking to return to sport, play better and/or be stronger. John and the Riverside team wanted to set themselves apart while also remaining loyal to their current clientele.
Pete and John each brought their unique and valuable expertise to the design process — Pete with his experience creating athletic training spaces and John with his Sports Physical Therapy knowledge. Together they worked to maximize use of the sizable new space and select an assortment of equipment that would diversify the ways that clients could benefit from their time there.
“It was really easy to work with Pete, seek advice, and ask questions, specifically about layout. We knew that we could expand our space in size operationally, though Pete was instrumental in ensuring that we were able to maximize the space. He kept in mind past client experiences and thought of the equipment from the perspective of the athlete. That insight allowed us to finalize our design and feel comfortable in creating the space we did. We doubled our usable square footage. ”
John LARUE, PT, DPT, SCS, CSCS
Director of Sports Physical Therapy & Performance
Riverside Sports Physical Therapy & Performance Center
A New and REWARDing Facility
Riverside’s new Sports Physical Therapy & Performance Center now incorporates a mixture of strength and conditioning equipment from Precor along with functional elements from Escape Fitness. The premium self-powered cardio pieces from Assault Fitness allow users to fully control their pace, which is ideal for both performance training and traditional physical therapy. A turfed area equipped with push sleds and a range of other functional training accessories spans the length of the 4,273 sq ft room. A custom Escape Hit Hub makes an impressive and practical statement, since it not only enhances training, it also conveniently stores all the accompanying functional accessories.
When the space was completed at the end of 2022, the Riverside Sports Physical Therapy & Performance Center re-opened their doors. The building and the basketball court have been there since the ‘60s, so there was a lot of anticipation and excitement surrounding the long-awaited renovation and final reveal. It truly gives Riverside an edge to have space and programming that serves the training needs of athletes and traditional PT clients in one place. Professional and collegiate athletes even sought out this specific facility for their services. John notes that seeing the space full and being used in its new capacities is a big deal and very fulfilling.
The Advantage Sport & Fitness Impact
Being able to expand programming into Sports Physical Therapy and Performance Training has made space and resources available for athletes to return to sport in a safe and timely manner. This was a huge benefit to the facility, allowing PT patients access to equipment they did not previously get to use. For example, the high ceilings and large blueprint allow them to host equipment typically only seen in gyms. The professionals at Riverside feel they now have everything they need to provide an even more superior level of service, and it shows through each patient’s journey.
“When you have access to better resources and more space you are able to deliver a better product, quality of care and services, which in turn produces better outcomes for patients. Does that athlete return to sport? Does that patient heal? This renovation has given us the opportunity to focus more on the individual and their treatment.””
John LARUE, PT, DPT, SCS, CSCS
Director of Sports Physical Therapy & Performance
Riverside Sports Physical Therapy & Performance Center
Once again, we are reminded of the mark we leave through our collaborative efforts with our clients. This is the beginning of a new era at Riverside and we’re fortunate to have been a part of it.