Free April 13th testing combine provides more than just exposure for high school athletes

The free Salina Regional Sports Medicine Athletic Testing Combine by Sharp Performance is an opportunity for athletes from across the state to gain exposure from local and regional sports media while objective testing results are compiled by trained professionals using modern technology.

The Saturday, April 13th event will be held at the Salina Fieldhouse located at 140 N. 5th St. in downtown Salina. The event is free for all athletes from the classes of 2020 through 2023, but pre-registration is required. Visit this link to the combine page for complete details and to pre-register.

“I’ve been fortunate to be involved with this event from it’s beginnings and in the process I’ve enjoyed getting to know Jake Sharp and his team,” said Kansas Pregame publisher John Baetz. “What has always impressed me is how the Sharp Performance team is focused on providing a professional event and helping athletes and coaches compile accurate testing results. When you watch them work with young athletes you can see their passion for teaching. Trainers like David Leonard and Cale Sharp and the entire SP team are focused on helping kids achieve peak athletic performance and it’s really quite satisfying to watch.”

While Baetz has spent the bulk of his professional life as a journalist, he also has over 10 years of coaching experience at three different high schools in western Kansas. He says the combine is as much about helping young athletes get a baseline heading into the summer as it is about helping generate scholarship opportunities.

“Certainly for many of the athletes in attendance it’s about raising their stock with college recruiters, and what a great opportunity because dozens of college coaches are going to see the results and they’ll be distributed across numerous media platforms,” Baetz said. “But for me, the real excitement is watching underclassmen learn to navigate the combine tests and achieve personal bests that may not get them on college radar but gives them a something to build on heading into offseason training. As a former coach I’m concerned more about athletes achieving personal bests than turning the heads of college coaches. That’s what coaching is all about.”

The Salina Regional Sports Medicine Athletic Testing Combine by Sharp Performance is one of the largest free testing combines in the Midwest. As many as 500 high school athletes will come to Salina for the event.

Registration for the event begins at 8 a.m. with testing starting at 10 a.m.

The free event is not possible without the support of a number of sponsors:

Salina Regional Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Clinic is the title sponsor for the combine and is one of the leading healthcare providers in the state.

Salina Regional Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Clinic providers work with athletes of every level to help prevent injuries or to heal through surgery and rehabilitation. Led by Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. Timothy Hawkes and Sports Medicine Physician Dr. Matthew Pyle, along with a team of certified athletic trainers, physician assistants and physical therapists, Salina Regional Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Clinic serves five Salina area high schools, as well as Bethany College, providing their athletes timely high quality sports medicine and orthopedic care.

For more information visit the Salina Regional Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Clinic website at www.salinaregionalsportsmedicine.com.

Gopher Performance joins the combine as the naming sponsor for the Gopher Performance Medicine Ball Toss. With over 70 years of experience supplying coaches with everything they need for their athletic programs, Gopher Performance knows strength and conditioning. With the most innovative assortment of training equipment and a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee on every product, strength coaches will find the tools, expertise, and service they need to develop first-class programs. Find them online at www.gopherperformance.com.

State Farm Insurance Agent Bary Martin, with offices located at 1023 Greeley Ave. in Salina, offers a complete line of insurance products including auto, home, business, property, life and health. A native of Hutchinson, Kan., and a graduate of the University of Oklahoma, Martin began his agency career in Salina in 1996. For more information, or to request a quote, go to Martin’s website at www.barymartin.com.

Sports Connection, with locations in Emporia and Salina, is a team sporting goods provider supplying Kansas teams with silk screening, embroidery, uniforms, equipment, trophies and more since 1980. Find them online at www.sportsconnectionks.com.

Sports in Kansas is the most popular high school sports social media outlet in Kansas. With more than 200,000 combined social media followers across multiple platforms Sports in Kansas content is viewed millions of times each month. Sports in Kansas provides comprehensive coverage of high school sports through their website, podcasts, radio shows and videos. Find out more by visiting @sportsinkansas on Twitter or www.kansas-sports.com on the web.

For the past 13 years Kansas Pregame published the only comprehensive statewide high school football preview magazine for Kansas and recently expanded to coverage of all sports with their launch of their new website www.kansaspregame.com. Kansas Pregame expanded into basketball and wrestling coverage with last November's Winter Sports Preview and a late March release is planned for the new Kansas Pregame Spring Sports Preview which will cover baseball, softball and track & field. Find Kansas Pregame on Facebook and Twitter.