Tommy Andrade and Jeff Chou of Southpaw Barbershop are taking over Delridge Strength and relaunching it Dec. 1 as West Seattle Athletics Group. The youth athletic development program will operate at 5050 Delridge Way SW, next to Combat Arts Academy. Registration is open.

Andrade has been coaching with the West Seattle Junior Wildcats for three years. He says the new venture addresses a gap he and Chou encountered as fathers: specialized youth athletic training often meant traveling to Mercer Island, Kent or Bellevue for expensive, sport-specific programs. Their program will serve ages 9 and up, including kids already on teams and those who have never played a sport. Age groups will be 9-11, 12-14 and 15 and older, with training tailored to beginner, intermediate and advanced levels.

The 60-minute classes will take place in small groups in a 6,000-square-foot indoor gym. Training will cover mobility, flexibility, speed, agility, strength, conditioning and hand-eye coordination. The year-round program is intended to let athletes progress through the levels as they develop, without requiring them to make a team to participate.

West Seattle Athletics Group also plans summer camps, after-school programs and sport-specific sessions with college and professional athletes as guest coaches and mentors. Alongside paid summer camps, the owners plan free camps for foster kids and other underserved kids and families. Those camps are also intended to create coaching jobs for local high school students.

Originally reported by West Seattle Blog.