OMI Charter Running Grizzlies Build Community and Lifelong Fitness Foundations with Volt Cares
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Marc Mares, Coach at Oakland Military Institute, partners with Volt through the Volt Cares program to empower athletes with accessible, personalized training, fostering lifelong fitness skills and community.
The Challenge of Supporting a Diverse Team and Tracking Individual Progress with Limited Resources
Before Volt, Marc Mares managed athlete training manually using an Excel-based system. While it provided a framework for general workouts, it lacked the ability to track individual progress or adapt to diverse athlete needs. Additionally, Marc faced the challenge of creating numerous scientifically grounded and engaging workouts that could scale across different levels of experience.
Why OMI Chose Volt
Volt’s adaptability and easy-to-follow, science-based programming stood out to Marc, and the Volt Cares program, which aligns with Volt’s mission of making world-class training accessible to all, made it possible for his team. During the pandemic, Volt became essential for maintaining the team’s positive fitness community, enabling athletes to continue training via virtual workouts and Zoom sessions. The exercise videos provided clear demonstrations, ensuring athletes could perform movements correctly and safely, even when training at home.
“Volt was essential in maintaining our positive fitness community during the pandemic. Its easy-to-follow, scientific-based programming allowed runners to stay engaged, whether in virtual sessions or on their own.”
“Every year, Marc shares a holiday recap video of his team’s progress. His dedication to his athletes—and the community he’s built with Volt—showcases the power of aligned missions.”
Favorite Volt Features
Marc highlights the flexibility of Volt’s platform as a critical tool for his program. The ability to quickly modify workouts based on the demands of running workouts, school schedules, or varying athletic levels ensures that every athlete has a tailored and effective plan. The exercise videos have also been invaluable for large group settings and at-home training, reinforcing proper technique.
Training Editor: The training editor allows Marc and coaches to easily customize and modify workouts to fit the unique needs of their students, ensuring programs remain adaptable and relevant based on changes to schedules or band-width.
Demo Videos: High-quality instructional videos for every exercise, provide the OMI students with clear, step-by-step guidance to perform movements correctly, whether in the gym or at home.
Coaching Cues: Built-in tips and form reminders embedded within workouts reinforce proper technique and maximize the effectiveness of each session, giving Marc the reassurance that every student is cared for.
The Results
Since adopting Volt, the OMI Charter Running Grizzlies have seen measurable improvements in performance, consistency, and community building:
Extended Injury-Free Periods: Athletes now remain injury-free for an average of 3-4 months, almost doubled from what they experienced prior to Volt.
Increased Training Frequency: Athletes now average 3 workouts per week, up from 2, leading to greater consistency.
Improved Athleticism: Marc notes that Volt has helped his athletes develop body awareness and coordination, breaking stereotypes about endurance athletes and fostering lifelong fitness skills.
Inclusive Community: The team’s winter workout club unites athletes across grades and experience levels, supported by scalable and adaptable Volt programming.
“There is not an easy metric to assess athleticism, but as new athletes progress through the season with Volt, they develop greater body awareness and coordination—essential skills for lifelong health.”
