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Bloomfield Hills, MI (January, 2024) – Marian High School today announced a partnership with Exercise Innovations of Madison Heights for strength & conditioning services within the department of athletics.

Under the leadership of owner David Boyer, Exercise Innovation was created to educate young athletes and parents on injury prevention and sports performance. Boyer holds the unique distinction of holding certification as both an athletic trainer (ATC) and a certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) as recognized by the National Strength and Conditioning Association. In addition to these professional certifications, Dave holds a Bachelor of Science in Sports Medicine with an emphasis in Athletic Training from Eastern Michigan University and Master of Science in Sports Psychology from Capella University.

Dave’s experiences in both orthopedic clinical rehabilitation and performance enhancement were refined following stops with the Detroit Vipers of the International Hockey League (IHL), Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Boyer will oversee the design and implementation of the Marian Athletic Performance Program (MAPP), which encompasses strength and conditioning for all student-athletes, but also nutrition education and mental skills training.

While Boyer will be onsite several times throughout the school year to meet with coaches and students, he will be responsible for overseeing Athletic Innovation specialists that will be implementing practical knowledge through the certification process and under Dave’s tutelage onsite here at Marian High School.

Our primary specialist will be Kate Kolongowski. Kate is a former soccer and swimming student-athlete at Dearborn High School and was a defender on the soccer team at Wayne State University before being sidelined with injury. She recently completed a degree in Kinesiology and Exercise Science and is pursuing her CSCS.

“I’ve known Dave for over a decade and I’ve always been impressed with his knowledge, demeanor and his ability to simplify complex processes,” stated Mike Watson, Marian’s Director of Athletics.

“Programs like MAPP are not commonplace in Michigan schools. Dave’s knowledge in athletic training, performance enhancement and psychology will allow us to have a powerful and consistent resource for our students and coaches, but also provide aspiring strength coaches, especially women, an opportunity at career growth – it’s a win for everyone.”

Boyer and Kolongowski have already been working behind the scenes to understand what has already been implemented in the MAPP program and will be ready to hit the ground running. Coaches and teams will begin their introductory sessions by the end of the month.

“I’m excited,” said Boyer. “This is a unique partnership at the school level. We look forward to working with the athletic trainer and coaches to prevent and reduce injuries, get kids back in the game faster and impart the physical and mental skills so they can perform at their best.”