New Athletic Center in Somers Offers a Multitude of Programs
News Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Daniel Papes and Bill Swertfager go back a long way.
At Horace Greeley High School, Papes, Class of 1979, and Swertfager, Class of 1978, played football and baseball together, with Swertfager being the captain of both squads when Papes was a junior.
Swertfager also won the state championship in wrestling his senior year and played football and wrestled at William & Mary. Papes followed in his footsteps as the captain of the football and baseball teams his senior year.
“He was a role model for many of us younger classmates,” Papes said of Swertfager. “A phenomenal human being then and now.”
Since that time, for more than three decades, Papes and Swertfager have coached youth sports in Chappaqua and Katonah, respectively.
About nine months ago, the pair started talking about partnering to open an athletic center in the area. In August, the company Prodigy Athletics was created and The Prodigy Athletic Center, a 25,000-square-foot state-of-the-art, multisport facility on Route 100 in Somers, was established with the launch of The Prodigy Volleyball Academy. It has drawn nearly 400 participants of all levels from throughout the region.
“The operating principles we talk about having at Prodigy are the same principles we have used with athletes that we have coached for over three decades,” Papes explained.
Bringing further credibility to the Volleyball Academy is the involvement of co-founder Diane Swertfager, a four-time state volleyball coach and 17-time Section 1 champion at Hendrick Hudson High School.
“At Prodigy, we believe that character is as important as skill,” she stated. “Our goal is to help young people grow, not only as athletes, but also as resilient, confident individuals who are prepared for life’s challenges.”
Bill Swertfager said when The Prodigy Volleyball Academy first started, they were expecting eight to 10 teams. They currently have 26 teams with players traveling from as far as Danbury and White Plains.
“We shaped our business to this,” Papes said.
In addition to four volleyball courts, The Prodigy Athletic Center features four pickleball courts, a fully-equipped fitness center, a yoga and dance studio, a dedicated matted space for martial arts and kickboxing, a classroom for training and tutoring, physical therapy and cutting-edge speed and agility training for athletes.
During a recent tour, Papes and Bill Swertfager proudly showed the many different areas of the former warehouse space and spoke about the ever-developing plans they have for the business.
“We’ll try to do everything top of the line,” Swertfager said. “We try to think of everyone: players, coaches, parents. There’s so many opportunities that we have.”
The custom-built fitness center has equipment from Hoist, True and Concept2 for cardio and strength training. Personal training is also available.
The Prodigy Athletic Center has formed a three-year partnership with M2, which specializes in speed and agility training and physical therapy for athletes of all ages and levels.
In addition, the facility is available for birthday parties with sports activities and coach chaperones, as well as event rentals for other large gatherings.
“We’re very happy with the way things are going in all aspects,” Papes said.
An official ribbon-cutting event is being planned for later this month.
For more information on programs and events at The Prodigy Athletic Center, call 914-352-4833 or visit www.prodigyathleticcenter.com.
Rick has more than 40 years’ experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, running the gamut from politics and crime to sports and human interest. He has been an editor at Examiner Media since 2012. Read more from Rick’s editor-author bio here. Read Rick’s work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/pezzullo_rick-writer/
