Overcoming adversity is nothing new to Madison resident Scott Young.
His mettle is tested on a daily basis in his career as a police officer with the Ridgeland Police Department and in the gym, as both push his limits physically and mentally.
Young is taking that hard-earned resiliency and resolve and channeling it into giving back with his non-profit gym, Mettle Sports.
The Jackson native played football at Mississippi College, which is where he earned his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.
“I knew I wanted to be in law enforcement, but I also had a passion for training and working out and lifting weights,” Young said.
After college graduation, he became certified through the National Strength and Conditioning Association as a certified strength and conditioning specialist in 2004.
He worked as a personal trainer for a while, but he always dreamed of opening his own place and training athletes.
After throwing the idea around with his wife, Liza, and some family members, he found that there is a need in the community for people who cannot afford a person trainer.
“I thought it would give me the opportunity to help level the playing field for some athletes. It’s not like other training facilities where you pay by the session or by the hour,” Young said.
Mettle Sports, a non-profit which will be located in Ridgeland, will give athletes the chance to train with a professional without the hefty price tag.
The idea for Mettle Sports was born in 2012, and Young received approval to become a non-profit in 2014.
“This whole time has been a slow process,” Young said, as they started a fundraiser to build the funds to open up shop and fill the space with the necessary equipment.
So, for the last five years, Young has held a football combine for free for area athletes each spring to raise money to open Mettle Sports.
Combines are typically invitation only or require a fee. The Mettle Sports combine is different in that all athletes are given the opportunity to compete free of charge. It is held at Ridgeland High School each year.
“They have been very generous in letting us use their facility each year,” Young said.
Athletes from all across the Jackson metro show up to sprint, vertical jump, broad jump, run three-cone drills and bench press.
“Then we calculate their numbers and see who is the fastest and strongest,” Young said.
The combine and extra funds for the gym are provided strictly through donations. Businesses and community members donate each year to cover the cost of drinks, insurance, entrance fees and more, while also adding to the Mettle Sports fund.
“Over the years, we kept saving that money and we’re finally at the point where we can open,” Young said.
He expects to officially open the gym in the new year and expects to be able to handle 12 to 14 athletes at a time. The gym will be stocked with power racks, weights, plates, bars and dumbbells.
“I’ve always had a heart for youth and their development,” Young said. “I was lucky enough to be raised in a two-parent home. My dad taught me to lift weights at a very young age, and that helped me continue my career playing football. Some kids aren’t afforded that opportunity. I just wanted to give kids the opportunity to compete at the next level.”
The level of training athletes receive at a certain age has an impact, according to Young, so he believes this opportunity could help put some students ahead of the curve.
“Mettle is a character trait. Someone’s ability to overcome adversity and hard times in their life,” Young said. “There are so many kids who have that, but they just don’t know where it lies. We want to help them in that area and give them confidence and help them through those hard times and let them know that they are totally capable of doing it.”
“I just want to reach as many kids as possible in a positive way,” Young added.
