By STEVE KRAH
http://www.IndianaRBI.com
A unique blend of active youths, men and women go to a space in Franklin, Ind., to get better at their chosen activity or to enjoy the company of friends.
Located since 2017 inside the 400 Complex in Franklin, Ind., Powerhouse Athletics is available to college ballplayers who need to get in some cuts or a lift at 2 a.m. or to boys and girls learning in clinics or private lessons.
Established in 2013 by Chad Fowler, Powerhouse Athletics’ training space — batting cages, bullpens, defensive areas and a fully-stocked weight room — is in the process of expanding from 20,000 to 33,000 square feet.
The place located a mile north of Franklin College and less than two miles west of I-65 is equipped with HitTrax, Rapsodo, Blast sensors, Diamond Kinetics, iPitch, Hack Attack and many other developmental tools.
“We also train athletic movement for football, basketball and adults,” says Fowler. “We’ve got a little bit of everything in here.
“Our weight room is going from 8 in the morning until 10 at night. Our doors are open basically 100 percent of the time.”
During the COVID-19 quarantine of 2020, some college players moved in.
“We checked on them and brought them food,” says Fowler. “They were also doing school work.”
As of this writing, 512 baseball and softball players train at Powerhouse Athletics. That number includes two 2020-21 Gatorade Player of the Year honorees — Max Clark (Franklin Community High School Class of 2023) in baseball and Keagan Rothrock (Roncalli High School Class of 2023) in softball.
There are around 240 contracted players who compete for Team Powerhouse in travel baseball or softball. Each year that’s between 20 and 22 teams. Players come from as far north as Kokomo and as far south as Louisville.
“It’s really a community program, but our community is more the state of Indiana than just Franklin,” says Franklin.
There are six school districts in Johnson County — Franklin Community (Franklin Community High School), Center Grove Community (Center Grove High School), Clark-Pleasant Community (Whiteland Community High School), Edinburgh Community (Edinburgh High School), Greenwood Community (Greenwood Community High School) and Ninevah-Hensley-Jackson United (Indian Creek High School).
Through mutual agreement, these students can train at Powerhouse free of charge if they work around lessons.
“They help clean and with clinics and do a lot of mentoring with our youth,” says Fowler, who was born and raised in Franklin and graduated from Franklin Community in 1995. “And they’re not spending money to work on their craft.”
Two physical therapists help athletes. Several teachers donate their time to help students with their studies.
“We have grade checks here,” says Fowler. “We can help parents reinforce better behavior. We preach good character and good grades.
“We want to get them on the right path.”
Fowler insists on meeting every parents and athlete and knows them all by name.
“(College) coaches call me because I know the kid on a personal level,” says Fowler. “I know his character and his work ethic.
“They’re all my kids. There’s going to be some tough conversations. I’m going to love you death.”
Powerhouse athletes are held accountable for their actions.
Fowler keeps a white trapper folder with apology letters written to people that athletes might have wronged and gives them copies when the the athlete graduates high school.
Besides owner Chad Fowler and softball pitching instructor Keagan Rothrock, trainers include Laura Rothrock (softball pitching), Mike Copeland (Max Strength and Performance), Sammy Wilkerson (Max Strength and Performance), Tony Maclennan (catching), Patrick Antone (baseball and softball hitting), Haley Wilkerson (softball hitting), Erin Lee (softball hitting), Corin Dammier (softball catching), Emma Bailey (softball pitching), Jake Sprinkle (baseball pitching), Grant Druckemiller (assistant facility manager and hitting), Cody Fowler (facility manager and hitting) and Dalton Carter (lead pitching instructor and arm health).
Full-time employees are Chad Fowler, Cody Fowler, Carter, Druckemiller and office manager Rachel Fowler.
Chad and Rachel Fowler have three sons — Cody (25), Blake (22) and Jace (18). Cody Fowler played baseball at Franklin Community High school and attended Indiana State University. Reptile-loving Blake Fowler — he has a room for them at Powerhouse — has completed Ivy Tech and is looking into further educational options. Jace Fowler (Franklin Community Class of 2022) is committed to play baseball at Indiana State.
Jace is part of a group that was with Chad Fowler from age 7 to 17 — aka “The Kids That Built The House.” The others are Xavier Brown, Max Clark, Logen Devenport, Drew Doty and Nolan Netter.
Clark has been coming to Powerhouse since he was 5. Cooper Trinkle has been part of the crew since 7.
Brothers Cooper and Grant Trinkle regularly come to Powerhouse Athletics to help with youth clinics etc.
While many athletes have gone from Powerhouse Athletics to college teams and others have made that commitment, Fowler takes no credit for that and he does not place one achievement about another.
“That’s that kids and parents’ success,” says Fowler. “I’m just excited for the kid who gets into trade school as one who gets into Indiana State or Vanderbilt.
“We literally try to invest in every kid. It’s not just a baseball and softball building. It’s a good place. Everybody is one team. It’s what I require.”
Fowler witnesses a facility full of grinders and see that spirit around this cold-weather state.
“Indiana is a hotbed for baseball and softball talent,” says Fowler. “It’s incredible.
“Our Indiana athletes can compete with anybody out there. They do great work.”
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