It is a program Bellaire resident Rick Leigh launched a little more than a year ago with three young teenagers and his experience with strength and conditioning at Nelson Field.
The “Lions Only’ group moved to the recreation center in Martins Ferry, and then after growing out of that facility, Leigh started utilizing the Nelson Jordan Center in East Wheeling and has since added to more than 40 young members of all ages.
“It’s been amazing, and I believe there’s a success story behind every child who participates in our program because they are making the effort to become a better person physically and mentally,” Leigh said this week on River Talk-Wheeling. “Jordan, Anthony, a different Jordan, Grant, Evan, Cane, Rick, David, Cole, Avery, Luca, Adriana, Jocelyn … there’s so many of them now that there’s no way I am going to be able to name them all off the top of my head.
“They come into the program not knowing what to expect. They join our group based on what their friends have told them or because of what their parents have heard on the radio,” he said. “But after they finish their first session, they find out that they love it and that they can’t wait to come back. After a few sessions, our members usually bring a friend or two to join, and that’s how we have grown so much since starting this a little more than a year ago.”
One reason why Leigh founded the youth program, which is free to any child wishing to participate, was that he felt kids were spending too much screen time on their devices and not taking care of their bodies. He soon found out he wasn’t the only one concerned.
“We have a member named Evan, and he’s a big video game guy, and his father told me that he’s been trying to figure out how to get him away from those games sometimes even if it’s for a little bit,” Leigh said. “Well, we found out that Evan loves boxing, and he comes to the gym and hits the heavy bags and does everything else we do that is boxing-related because he’s into it.
“Evan told me he never wants to miss a session because of how much he enjoys it and guess what? His father is really happy they found our program,” he continued. “His son is getting stronger, and, yes, for a little while, he puts the video games down. The same goes for his brother, too, and seeing those things take place is why I feel there are those success stories we can talk about.”
Without Notice
Educators have adopted many new methods to teach school students through the years, and most often it’s the approach that does not involve memorization but instead repetition.
Those same school lessons involve group activities to involve more interaction with classmates rather than working alone.
Leigh has adopted a very similar training regimen.
“When they come to the Nelson Jordan Center each week, they work out and have fun with their friends, but because they are having fun while not realizing that what they are doing to make themselves healthier. That’s the key right there,” he explained. “They have a place to go that is safe and gets them off the street or off their devices, and to me, that’s a success story right there.
“A lot of kids these days live on their phone or their tablets, but our program gets them free of those devices for at least two hours, and a lot of our parents have told us that it’s made a difference because they are active and moving around,” Leigh said. “Instead of being stuck on a couch playing a video game, they are interacting with other people and making their bodies stronger.”
And in most cases, the children are adding muscle without realizing it.
“Instead of sitting in a dark room playing some game on TV, they come here, and they do some cardio, weightlifting, and boxing, and they are tough workouts, but they do it,” Leigh reported. “If you do that twice per week, it’s inevitable that your body is going to get stronger, and you’re going to feel better both physically and mentally because you’re helping yourself improve in a lot of different ways.
“We have had a few of our members who have worked hard with us, and then they went back to school to play their favorite sport, and they have done excellently. One child, Anthony from Moundsville, tore it up on the football field for John Marshall this year, and so did Ty from Moundsville,” he said. “Both of them give this program a lot of credit because they’ve realized the difference it’s made. Again, success stories.”
Respect Goes a Very Long Way,
Leigh readily admits he lived a rough-and-tough childhood that led him into trouble at school and with local law enforcement.
And yes, he did serve time in jail for crimes he committed. These days, though, Leigh mentors the youth knowing that self-esteem plays a factor in most aspects of life, including an individual’s physical and mental health.
“And that’s why one thing we do preach to the kids during the sessions is that you have to be able to accept knowledge to become a better person, and you also have to respect yourself if you want others to respect you. I tell them that if someone offers criticism, they have to consider it and not fight it because it might be a way to improve yourself,” Leigh said. “If they can learn those things, they will better in school, on a team, and later in life, at your job.
“Our kids have responded to that advice, and they are doing really well with each other, too, and that’s really important because they are going to need to work well with others later in their lives,” he added. “It’s truly an amazing thing to watch; it really is.”
