Ravens Coaches Visit Y to Meet Jump Stretch’s Hartzell

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Baltimore Ravens strength and conditioning coaches visited the Central YMCA High-Performance Studios Thursday to share ideas and concepts about performance, strength and conditioning with the YMCA staff and Dick Hartzell, founder of Jump Stretch.

Hartzell instructed Steve Saunders, head strength and conditioning coach for the Ravens, during the early years of his Jump Stretch training program.

As a result, Saunders believes in the techniques and wanted his staff to meet Hartzell and see the Jump Stretch program as it’s taught at the Central Branch YMCA. The Ravens employ similar training techniques as part of the team’s strength and conditioning — using bands to work on joint mobility, strength, speed and agility. 

Saunders has been with the Ravens since 2016 and guides all sports science, speed, strength program and recovery initiatives, working closely with the team’s athletic training department.

For more information on the Jump Stretch program, including team athletic Jump Stretch training, contact Carl LaRosa at 330 744 8411 ext. 152 or Meri Fetkovich at 330 742 4788.

Pictured at top:: Levi DeMarco, Y staff, Carl LaRosa, Y Fitness Coordinator, Steve Saunders, Baltimore Ravens, Dick Hartzell, Rob Beardman, Y staff, Tom Gacse, YMCA CEO, and Scott Elliott, Ravens.

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.