BENTON HARBOR — Renaissance Athletic Club in Benton Harbor is celebrating its fifth anniversary by strengthening its support for student athletes.
On Sunday, the center on Graham Road, overlooking the Harbor Shores golf course, held an open house to recognize its half-decade of operation, and founder Sean Todman used the occasion to announce the start of the Renaissance Youth Foundation.
The nonprofit organization will support young athletes with training, mentoring, academic guidance and scholarship assistance. All proceeds raised will go to the program, Todman said.
Todman, himself a multi-sport athlete and former Georgetown University football player, said the launching of the Youth Foundation “is the thing I’m most proud of.”
In an interview with The Herald-Palladium, Todman said he always had the idea of such a program in the back of his mind, but the success of the Renaissance Athletic Club has allowed him to pursue this goal sooner than expected.
He has brought back Stephannnie Harvey-Vandenberg, a former manager at Renaissance with extensive sports management experience, as chair of the Youth Foundation.
She said the Youth Foundation is a “labor of love” for Todman, and she shares the same passion for helping young athletes.
The program will focus on teaching the youth how to be the best athlete they can be on the field, while emphasizing success in the classroom, college and beyond.
This will include conditioning for the pre-season, during the athletic season and off-season, as well as recovery from injuries, Todman said. Mental well-being and nutrition also will be part of the program.
One goal is to make fitness a lifelong pursuit, Todman said. “Training has to be part of the rest of your life.”
The strong emphasis on academics will make more students eligible for scholarships, Harvey-Vandenberg said. Mentors will guide students through the college recruiting process and even provide preparation for ACT and SAT college entrance exams.
“We want to get as many kids in college as we possibly can,” said Harvey-Vandenberg.
Renaissance Athletic Club officially opened Dec. 17, 2012, as a $5.5 million, 20,000-square-foot state-of-the-art center.
Todman, 30, started the Renaissance Athletic Club while he was in college studying sociology and criminal justice at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. He played on organized teams in rugby, cricket, soccer, football and basketball. His main sport is soccer, which has earned him multiple honors, including an invitation to compete with the men’s U.S. Junior National Team.
He’s lived around the world, but said he considers Southwest Michigan home, and this is where he wanted to launch his first business venture.
Harvey-Vandenberg grew up in Benton Harbor and graduated from Benton Harbor High School in 1989. She obtained a bachelor’s degree in broadcast communications and master’s degree in sports management at Grambling State University in Louisiana.
She was senior associate athletics director at Eastern Michigan University, responsible for 12 women’s sports programs and external operations. Previously, she was director of public relations at Western Michigan University, director of promotions in the athletics department at the University of Notre Dame and was a director of marketing for the National Basketball Association.
Harvey-Vandenberg came back to the Twin Cities in 2011 and joined the Renaissance team the next year.
At the open house, Todman applauded the team that has allowed Renaissance to be a success. They were able to add a lap pool in their first year, and an outdoor turf practice field in the second year, all ahead of schedule. A student athlete training program was introduced in 2013.
Along with a wide array of cardio equipment and training rooms, Renaissance also boasts a day care center and a cafe with healthy food choices.
In five years, Renaissance has logged 1,814 days with the doors open and has missed only 12. They have conducted 10,400 complimentary classes.
Scott Transou came on board three months ago as general manager after working at the University of Pennsylvania. He said he has a good personal chemistry with Todman and admires his interest in giving back to the community and providing an inclusive environment.
Isaac Hernandez, a personal trainer specializing in sports performance, said fitness is something that benefits everyone, even if they don’t reach the elite level.
“Not everybody is going to be J.K. Rowling,” the author of the Harry Potter series. “But everybody should know how to read and write.”
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