Jill Bloom
410-601-5025
[email protected]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 9, 1998
CAL RIPKEN, JR., AND SINAI HEALTH SYSTEM FORM PARTNERSHIP
Baltimore Orioles third baseman, Cal Ripken, Jr., and Sinai Health System have formed a partnership to establish Cal Ripken, Jr., Sports Acceleration centers, advanced, sports-specific training programs for athletes. Sports Acceleration will develop several centers in the Baltimore/Washington metropolitan area. The first center is expected to open this spring in Columbia, Maryland. Tim Bishop, strength and conditioning coach of the Orioles, is also involved in the new venture.
"Cal Ripken, Jr., Sports Acceleration centers fit with Sinai Health System's mission to provide comprehensive wellness services to the community," said Warren A. Green, president and CEO of Sinai Health System. "We are pleased to be able to partner with Cal Ripken Jr., one of the world's most superior athletes, to bring the Baltimore/Washington corridor an acclaimed system of advanced training to athletes." The Cal Ripken, Jr., Sports Acceleration centers will utilize the Frappier Acceleration(tm) Programs, systems of training developed by Acceleration Products, Inc., of Fargo, North Dakota.
"These centers aim to help both professional and amateur athletes improve their performance and refine their skills," said Cal Ripken, Jr. "To be able to partner with Sinai Health System, which is known for its emphasis on wellness, brings an added dimension to a program that has already helped thousands of athletes around the world."
Under the agreement, Sinai Health System has service area rights to the entire Baltimore/Washington metropolitan area, including Fairfax and Arlington counties in Virginia. Several centers are expected to be opened over the next five years. Each center will carry Cal Ripken Jr.'s name. Sinai is responsible for management and oversight of all centers. Both Ripken and Bishop will provide professional review of all training programs.
Frappier Acceleration(tm), is a six- to eight-week program that is designed to help build an athlete's power, agility and speed through precise movements, intensity levels and duration. The program is customized for each athlete's sport, position and individual strengths and weaknesses. Specially designed protocols are used for youth, high school, collegiate and professional athletes. The programs have been developed in a medical setting with the input of orthopedic surgeons, physical therapists, occupational therapists, licensed athletic trainers and exercise physiologists.
"Frappier Acceleration(tm) Programs are based on scientific methods, advanced technology and continuing research in the testing and training of athletes," said John Frappier, owner and founder of Frappier Acceleration(tm). "Our programs rely on natural methods-- no shock treatment, no drugs. We're able to generate increased speed and strength by using the body's own natural resources."
Frappier, an exercise physiologist, developed the acceleration training programs in 1986 after attending a training education course in Moscow, Russia that demonstrated many of the principles now incorporated in his program.
More than 20,000 athletes in 49 centers throughout North America and in Europe have completed at least one level of the program. Additionally, over 700 professional athletes from numerous sports have participated.
Sinai Health System provides its region with a special emphasis on wellness and prevention, principally through Sinai WellBridge Health & Fitness, a 57,000-square-foot center that has been recognized as one of the top health system-sponsored fitness centers in the country. Sinai Corporate Health provides fitness and wellness services to business, industry and the community. In addition, Health Source, Sinai's community outreach program, provides a wide range of seminars, screenings, family education programs and support groups.
Sinai Health System is an integrated delivery system composed of Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, Levindale and Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital, and a number of clinical service and support entities that serve the central Maryland region.
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