THE EDGE PUSHED TO

Robert Woolley grew up on Kent Island where he nurtured a lifelong passion for sports. The Kent Island High School alumnus took that passion to Salisbury University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science with Honors in Exercise Science and Business.

“I started a landscaping company,” Woolley said, “but I knew all along that it was a springboard to my ultimate dream.”

The dream was to open a facility designed to assist student-athletes in fine-tuning their skills past the high school playing level. Woolley’s degree laid the foundation and a whole lot of coaching gave him credibility with parents seeking additional training for their children. In 2013 his dream became a reality when the Edge Training Academy opened its doors in Stevensville.

“The Edge is a play on words,” Woolley explained. “If someone wants to push themselves to the edge of their limits, we’re here to provide the opportunity.”

Initially, the Edge Academy’s objective was to help one student each year to further their dreams of an athletic career beyond high school. Ten years later, they’ve exceeded that goal many times over, including an Edge athlete who was on Team USA for Men’s Lacrosse.

“The individual success stories are also ours,” said Woolley. “We measure those day-to-day wins as building blocks to a larger story.”

Train, play and give are the organization’s watchwords. The Edge Training Academy maintains a heavy focus on fitness training for studentathletes and adults.

“You walk in, train hard, and set out to achieve your goals.”

At the 24/7 open gym, personal trainers offer services from strength training and cardiovascular health to weight loss and disease prevention. Anyone can benefit from an array of targeted training programs that include sports-specific training, strength & conditioning, speed & power development, injury prevention, post-injury return to play, combine/showcase preparation and more.

Play takes place in the 25,000-square-foot Edge Arena. With a focus on the community, the arena’s turf provides an indoor sports playing field for team practice and a place for youth and adult leagues to compete.

“We take pride in providing a space for the community to come together,” Woolley said. They’ve hosted an array of activities, from paint parties to boot camps for adults, sports camps for children, kids’ birthday parties, proms and church services.

Giving is at the heart of the Edge’s nonprofit, appropriately named Giving the Edge Foundation.

“We didn’t want to forget the idea that personal development is equally as important as sports,” Woolley said.