Category: Business

Lyons Den Sports Performance For Next-Level Training!

When Connor Lyons realized that his dream of playing professional hockey had reached an end, he decided to do the next best thing:

He wanted to help others try to realize their own dreams.

After nearly a decade of helping train athletes young and old for a number of different businesses, Connor recently opened his own training facility, called Lyons Den Sports Performance, on S.R. 56, between Capital Tacos and Lüfka (see story on pgs. 22-23).

Connor’s latest venture will focus on something he wishes had been around when he was a young athlete — a specialized training facility for middle and high school athletes.

“These didn’t even really exist when I was playing in high school,” says Connor, a 2003 Wharton High graduate and the star of the school’s ice hockey club team. “My goal is to give kids the opportunity I didn’t have growing up.”

In today’s world of sports, and with college scholarships at a premium, top-level high school athletes are always looking for that edge — looking to get faster, stronger and better.

Lyons Den offers personal and group training that can help with things not typically taught by youth, middle or high school coaches. In a traditional high school setting, there isn’t time to take most athletes aside and show them how to run faster, jump higher or hit harder; but that’s what Lyons Den is here to provide.

Towards that end, Lyons Den is hosting a Peak Performance group training for high school-aged athletes (Mon., Tues., Thur. & Fri., 4 p.m.-5 p.m.), and a Next Level group training for middle school-aged athletes (Mon., Tues. & Thur., 3 p.m.-4 p.m.).

“I want to give kids the opportunity to get to the next level,” Connor says. “Sometimes they are just lacking the physical side of things. You can have skills, but if you’re not strong enough, resilient enough, powerful enough or fast enough, you won’t get there.”

While undersized when he played high school hockey, Connor turned himself into a physical player good enough to play one season as a third-line center at Division III Nichols College in Dudley, MA.

But, once he realized that hockey wasn’t going to be a career for him, Connor transferred to the University of South Florida and played for the Bulls’ hockey club program while earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Athletic Training from the USF College of Medicine’s Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine.

While he attended USF, graduating in 2011, he worked as a strength trainer with the school’s football team, and has since worked at the former Athletes Compound at Saddlebrook Resort, where he later became the associate director of sports performance, and at the Athletic Edge in Lakewood Ranch and the Applied Sports Performance Institute in South Tampa, where he was director of combine prep.

At each stop, Connor says he was able to work with dozens of Major League Baseball and NFL hopefuls looking to impress at their combines or their pro days. Many, he says, ended up making it to the pros.

In 2017, he returned to his hockey roots as the director of sports performance at AdventHealth Center Ice. At Center Ice, Connor also worked with USA Hockey for two years, and served as the strength and conditioning coach for the women’s national team that won the gold medal in the 2018 Winter Olympics and various other medals during his time there.

In March of 2020, he decided to open his own training business, which Covid-19 delayed until this past August.

“I sat on it for a while,” Connor says. “It was a scary time.”

Now open, Connor says 90 percent of what his gym does will be focused on middle and high school athletes.

Training To Prevent Injuries

Connor says that much of the training at Lyons Den revolves around injury prevention for athletes. He says there has been a positive correlation in soft tissue injuries and the rise of specialized athletic training facilities.

And, he says, he believes that gaining strength and learning things like landing or changing directions correctly helps prevent injuries. In other words, teaching athletes things like proper positioning allows them to give and take force in a way that helps decrease the likelihood of being injured.

Using the proper techniques, he says, when it comes to things like squatting, and properly rotating your hips and teaching the body to decelerate when running (or skating) also helps prevent the kinds of injuries that have become so common.

“Our No. 1 goal with our clientele is injury prevention, and everything else is a byproduct of that,” Connor says. “If I can get you stronger, you’re going to be more resilient on the field. If I can get you faster to help you get in better position, you’re (less likely to) be getting injured on the field and losing time.”

Connor also organizes speed camps and flight “schools,” where athletes can shave seconds from their times and add inches to their vertical jumps.

He also hopes to offer his knowledge to local coaches by hosting clinics showing them how advanced athletic training can be incorporated into practices and offseason workouts.

One of Connor’s students is Nate Hargest, a Tampa hockey prospect.

Nate was recommended to Connor by Tampa Bay Lightning team chiropractic physician Tim Bain, D.C., and has been training with Dr. Bain for six years.

Now 16, Nate gives much of the credit for his success to Connor, who he says helped transform him into a stronger hockey player.

“It’s been incredible in regards to what I’ve been able to do on the ice,” says Nate. “I was definitely not one of the better kids when I started, but over time I’ve become one of them. I’m one of the strongest and fastest players. I don’t weigh that much, I’m not as big, but I’m winning battles and playing as well as the other guys.”

Nate was drafted earlier this year both by the Sioux City Musketeers of the United States Hockey League, and the Mississauga Steelheads of the Ontario Hockey League, two leagues that serve as a minor league system to prepare players for college.

“The results on and off the ice make me want to keep coming back and training harder,” Nate says.

The Lyons Den is located in the Cypress View Square plaza at 27217 S.R. 56. For more information about how to join or register for training, call (813) 361-2966 or visit theldsp.com.

Lyons Den training

Max’s Natural Pet Market & Salon Is Now Open In New Tampa, Too!

For the past two years, Wesley Chapel-area pet parents have been finding — and falling in love with — Max’s Natural Pet Market & Salon, which opened in 2019 on S.R. 54, about a mile east of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., near the entrance to Saddlebrook Resort.

Now, the store’s second location has opened, bringing premium nutrition and impeccable grooming in a cage-free facility to New Tampa, just south of County Line Rd.

Located in the same shopping plaza on the southeast corner of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. and County Line Rd. with Winn-Dixie and LA Fitness, the new store is owned and operated by Gregg and Gabriel Clavijo-Hopper, who are business partners of Paul Spalvieri’s. Spalvieri opened the original Max’s location and will continue to operate that store.

Max’s Pet Market & Salon is named after Paul’s four-year-old bichon frisé. Paul and his wife Martina live in Watergrass in Wesley Chapel and are pet parents to both Max and Missy, a Havanese, as well as three human kids.

Gregg and Gabriel are Paul’s neighbors. They became interested in opening their own Max’s location when they heard Paul was looking to expand the concept beyond Wesley Chapel.

As Paul was looking forward to opening new locations, Gabriel said, “Why don’t you let us buy into it?”

Being a healthcare worker during the Covid-19 pandemic took its toll on Gregg, and he decided he wanted out of the industry. Gregg worked in healthcare for 30 years, and Gabriel has worked at the Moffitt Cancer Center for about 20 years. They both love animals and knew they weren’t ready to retire.

Gregg says it went from a dream to a decision in December 2020, when he left his job to actively pursue opening a location of Max’s.

They are pet parents to a giant schnauzer named Regalo, a Pyrenees/border collie mix named Albee, and a Chinese crested named Taylor. They also have two human sons, Tony and Devin. Devin works at the store alongside Gregg and Gabriel.

“Our dogs have had skin and coat and stomach issues,” says Gregg, “and Paul told us about what he was doing — feeding dogs the right kinds of foods — and moving our dogs to that, we immediately saw great changes.”

For example, their dog Taylor had diarrhea every day, along with problems with his skin. They followed Paul’s advice and changed Taylor’s nutrition, with the high-quality, all-natural and organic food options from Max’s.

“He’s a completely different Taylor,” Gregg says. “Now he has a beautiful coat, no upset stomach, and no ripping of the skin.”

He and Gabriel have been training with Paul to learn about pet nutrition, and also taking many online seminars and reading books about how to help pet owners choose the food and treats that will help their pets eat healthier and avoid skin and digestive issues.

When You Love Your Animals

Gregg and Gabriel say their venture into the pet market and salon business is all about their love of animals.

“Pets are a great part of our families,” Gregg says, “and with the right nutrition and care, they can live long, healthy lives. There’s nothing better than having an animal companion.”

They believe that opening Max’s Pet Market & Salon is bringing something brand new to the community.

“The one thing that we’ve been missing in New Tampa is a boutique healthcare store for pets and a cage-free, relaxed environment for grooming,” says Gregg, “Plus, the store is bringing 15-20 new jobs to the area.” At out press time, the new store was still looking to fill some of those positions.

That includes not only retail staff, but also a team of groomers with technical expertise to give breed-specific cuts, with certifications such as National Certified Master Groomer, as certified by the National Dog Groomers Association of America.

And, the cage-free environment means dogs will never be locked up. Appointments run strictly on time to avoid a pet feeling stressed and anxious in a cage while waiting to be picked up.

Shannon Waite, who lives in Estancia, has been taking her Pomeranians to the original Max’s for grooming since it opened in 2019.

At that time, she had a senior Pomeranian named Leroy. As he got older and couldn’t hear or see, he got jumpy, and Shannon says it became hard to find a groomer who would take him.

“People don’t really like to deal with senior dogs,” she said, “but at Max’s, they took such good care of him, especially while he was ill.”

While she says her groomer went above and beyond — even coming in on her day off to give Leroy a bath during his last days — Shannon says others in the store did, too.

As Leroy got more sick and refused to eat, Shannon says she was at Max’s a lot.

“They helped me find food that would help him gain weight and told me how to get him to eat it,” she said. For example, “They explained that sometimes the dog can’t smell the food, so they recommended ways to get it to smell, like how long to microwave it for.”

Meanwhile, Shannon says her other two Pomeranians were not having trouble eating at all, so they suddenly ended up having to go on a diet, and the staff at Max’s helped her find the right nutrition for them, as well.

“At that time, I had one senior dog, a toddler and a teenager, so they were all at crazy stages, and they are high-maintenance dogs,” Shannon explains.

She says that the prices at Max’s always seem to be the same or even lower than other places she could buy the same items, including online sources.

“I love Max’s,” she says. “I recommend it to everybody. They take very good care of people’s pets, and that is hard to find these days.”

The New Tampa store is offering Grand Opening specials up until Christmas, including Salon Rewards cards (buy 12 groomings, get the 13th free, while the card supply lasts). Some of these specials may be noted on Max’s Facebook, Instagram and TikTok pages.

“When we first opened the store, it was all about Max, but our focus has changed,” says Paul. “Now, it’s all about your pet. (Both locations) offer the highest quality advice, products and grooming that you can get in the New Tampa or Wesley Chapel area. We have your dog or cat’s best interest at heart, and they are the number one reason why we open our doors every day.”

Max’s Natural Pet Market & Salon has two locations and both stores are open every day from 8 a.m.–7 p.m. The original Max’s is located at 28838 S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel and can be reached at (813) 649-3939. The new New Tampa store is located at 6431 E. County Line Rd., and can be reached at (813) 591-5368. For more information, visit MaxsPetMarket.com.

Max's Natural Pet Market & Salon

Want New Floors Quickly? Visit American Wood Flooring!

While families are waiting months for new furniture, contractors seem to be too busy to take on jobs, and Christmas gifts may be languishing in shipping containers still on the ocean, you don’t have to wait if you want new floors.

Andy Dunning, the owner and CEO of American Wood Flooring, located in the SuperTarget-anchored Northwoods Plaza on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., north of County Line Rd., says his crews are typically installing new floors for clients in about a week.

“From order to install is about seven to 10 days out,” Dunning says, although he admits that some materials are on back-order, and some clients could have back-ordered materials delayed for several months.

That’s not normal, though, and for those who are waiting, it’s not on the installers. Dunning says American Wood Flooring has 12 crews that are kept busy working six days a week with all the families who are remodeling their homes or upgrading builder flooring, especially at this time.

“We do a lot of new construction,” Dunning says. “Customers are buying new houses with cheap carpet and then come to us. We do the floors before they move in, because builder prices are ridiculous.”

The process normally doesn’t delay move-in day very long. An American Wood Flooring crew starts immediately as soon as the sale of the house closes. It’s typical for a crew to install 500 to 600 square feet of flooring per day.

Dunning says that if you have a mortgage, the builder has to install a floor covering to close. If his company pulls out brand new carpet, he will donate it to the Salvation Army or Habitat For Humanity to be used for another purpose.

For any buyers who pay cash for their home, the builder can leave the subfloor and skip the installation and removal process altogether.

But, it’s not just new construction keeping the crews occupied. Dunning says the store has been busier than ever with remodels, especially over the last 18 months, because of the way people’s lifestyles have changed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“A lot of people are working from home or are stuck at home looking at their flooring and want to get something new in there,” he says.

Dunning says that recently, the most popular choice for flooring has been luxury vinyl plank, sometimes referred to as LVP.

“The trends continue toward that vinyl plank because of its durability, the fact that it is waterproof, dent-proof, and super scratch-resistant,” Dunning says.

That’s because vinyl plank floors may look like wood, but they aren’t. They are made from a PVC-type material with a tight lock-and-fold system to keep moisture out, even from the attached padding underneath that is made from an anti-microbial melamine material.

The current LVP flooring options are also dent-proof, which is an upgrade from when the vinyl planks first arrived on the scene and were made from a wood composite material.

“They’re always coming out with newer, more innovative ways to keep the product getting better and better,” Dunning says.

While the vinyl planks are his best sellers, American Wood Flooring also installs a wide variety of wood floors, as well as carpet, tile and laminate.

You can choose the flooring that matches your taste, lifestyle and budget, and the experts at American Wood Flooring can direct you to the materials that will work best for you. Dunning says that projects can be for just one room, up to every room in the entire home.

Dunning says there are many options, but he sees trends that are typical among many of his clients. “Usually we’re doing a hard surface, such as vinyl, wood or tile throughout the main areas, and carpet in bedrooms,” he explains.

A Wesley Chapel Fixture

The Wesley Chapel location of American Wood Flooring has been located in the Northwoods Plaza for more than a dozen years.

The company also has another location in New Port Richey. That location opened first, by Dunning’s dad and stepmom, before he opened the Wesley Chapel location in 2008.

Between the two locations, American Wood Flooring crews travel far and wide to meet their customers’ needs. In fact, Dunning says they often follow families when they move out of the area.

“We did a home in Meadow Pointe in 2016 and they’re moving to Apollo Beach, so now we’re doing the house in Apollo Beach,” Dunning says. “We’ve (installed floors) as far north as Ocala, as far south as Fort Myers, and as far east as Orlando.”

Wesley Chapel resident Patrick Murphy has used American Wood Flooring for several projects in his home, in a rental property, and says is now looking at redoing the floors in his office.

“In our old house, Andy did tile and laminate floor, then we moved to our new house in 2018 and he’s done almost our whole house,” says Murphy. “Now we’re shopping for new tile. It’s always a good experience. The pricing is competitive, the installers are good, and we like to support a local company before going to a big box store.”

American Wood Flooring offers free in-home estimates, and financing through Synchronicity Bank is available that allows many customers to pay no interest for 12 months.

The company also offers a non-transferrable lifetime warranty on every installation.

“A lot of companies won’t offer a lifetime warranty on the install, but we do,” says Dunning. “Sometimes the transition pieces will pop up or boards get loose, and we’ll fix that for as long as you own the house, as long as it’s an installation problem.”

American Wood Flooring’s Wesley Chapel showroom is located at 1285 BBD Blvd. and is open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday; and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sunday.

For more information, visit FlooringforFlorida.com or call (813) 991-7999.

American Wood Flooring

RADDSports Charity Hosts Golf Tournament On Dec. 6!

We’ve been telling you about RADDSports, the private company that has been responsible for the management and all of the programs at the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County, since long before the 98,000-sq.-ft. AdventHealth Sports Arena opened to the public at the Sports Campus in August of 2020.

But, one of the things the management at RADDSports had noticed since it opened is that there are a lot of outstanding athletes throughout the Tampa Bay area who can’t afford to pay for the basketball, volleyball, soccer, cheerleading and lacrosse programs offered at the Sports Campus, and that just didn’t sit well with president and CEO Richard Blalock and his management team.

In order to rectify that situation, Blalock and his director of marketing Jannah Nager, who had years of prior experience in similar positions for nonprofit organizations like the American Cancer Society and the Pasco Education Foundation, decided to start their own nonprofit charity in order to provide scholarships for kids of all ages and ability levels who couldn’t afford to participate in the programs at the Sports Campus.

“RADDSports Charity wants to change the culture of youth sports by promoting equal access to quality sports and fitness programs, regardless of their ability to pay,” says Blalock, who also serves as the new Charity’s Chairman of the Board. “We decided we needed to start our charity to provide these kids who couldn’t afford our programs with scholarships to participate in their choice of sports at the Wiregrass Sports Campus of Pasco County. Our goal is to promote the total overall well-being and development of each child through education, discipline, physical fitness and teaching proper technique of each sport, and we don’t want cost to be an issue.”

Former NFL players Brandon Ghee (left) and Chris Pressley are among the former pro and college athletes on the Board of Directors of the new RADDSports Charity, which will be hosting its first-ever fund-raising golf tournament at Lexington Oaks Golf Club on Dec. 6.

How You Can Help

In order to kick off the fund-raising arm of the new RADDSports Charity, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Nager decided to organize a charity golf tournament, which will be held on Monday, December 6, at the recently upgraded Lexington Oaks Golf Club.

“This event is our first of hopefully many fund raisers for the RADDSports Charity,” Nager says. “It should allow us to fund our first round of scholarships, and we’re still looking for not only golfers to play in the tournament, but also businesses who want to help young athletes in need by supporting this and other upcoming events.”

Blalock, Nager, and their fellow original RADDSports management team members Anthony Homer and Arika DeLazzer all serve on the new RADDSports Charity’s Board of Directors. Other members of the Board include former NFL defensive back Brandon Ghee, who is the director of operations for Yo Murphy Performance, the sports training company that operates at the Sports Campus, Realtor and former NFL fullback Chris Pressley (who played a few games with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers), and former Florida State University tight end Carver Donaldson.

“We’re excited to kick off our fund-raising for RADDSports Charity at Lexington Oaks,” Nager says. “We thank owner Anass El-Omari, who gave us a price for golfers that ensures we will be able to raise money for our charity with this event.”

To play in the first RADDSports Charity Golf Tournament, or to help sponsor it, visit RADDSportsCharity.org, email development director Lauren Cione at Lauren@RADDSports.com or call (727) 271-4873. Sponsorships start at as little as $250 and your company’s logo/graphics will be displayed at the event.

golf RADDSPORTS

Dr. Teena Hughes Pediatrics Adds Dr. Roger Hughes & Celebrates 20 Years!

For two decades now, Teena Hughes, M.D., has treated children at her private practice in the University Medical Park at E. Fletcher Ave. and N. 46th St., about five minutes south of Tampa Palms.

As her practice celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2021, Dr. Hughes is excited to welcome her son, Roger Hughes, III, D.O., to Teena Hughes, M.D., P.A., Pediatrics.

For now, the name remains unchanged, but both doctors agree the partnership reflects exciting growth.

Caregivers bring their children for routine care and well checks, including free prenatal consultations for moms-to-be. School and sports physicals are offered, as are vaccines. The providers also treat illnesses and injuries in children, and the doctors also are on staff at AdventHealth Tampa.

Dr. Teena Hughes is a Board-certified pediatrician who earned her M.D. (Doctor of Medicine) degree from the University of South Florida (now known as the Morsani) College of Medicine, followed by a three-year residency at All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg. She then spent seven years practicing in a health care group before launching her own private practice.

Dr. Roger Hughes, III, joined the practice last July after completing a three-year pediatric residency through the University of Florida at Sacred Heart hospital in Pensacola, FL. Prior to that, he earned a Bachelor of Science in microbiology from the University of Florida in Gainesville in 2013. He then earned a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Bradenton, FL, in 2017.

“Initially I went to medical school thinking I would see adults, but in the third year you do rotations and I did pediatrics here in Tampa,” he says. “I loved it, so from there, it just kind of worked out.”

While Dr. Teena doesn’t expect it to happen anytime soon, the long-term plan is for Dr. Roger to eventually run the practice when the time comes for her to retire.

“The patients are excited and thrilled to meet him,” she says. “They’ve all heard about him over the years, and it’s nice to have someone to learn the ropes and get to know all the patients.”

In addition to helping with hospital rounds at AdventHealth Tampa and sharing the after-hours phone calls, Dr. Roger brings an influx of fresh ideas to the practice.

“It’s nice to have someone to bounce ideas off of and ask questions to,” says Dr. Teena.

She also says that some patients prefer to see a man, so she’s glad that he is now available to those patients.

Because she’s been in practice for more than two decades, Dr. Teena now sees the children of people who were her patients when they were kids.

“You have to be flattered,” she says, “It’s nice to see everybody grow up.”

In addition to the two doctors, patients also may see the practice’s two advanced nurse practitioners — Kelsy Overton, APRN, and Ashleigh Mader, APRN.

As a private practice, Dr. Teena says she and the other practitioners in her office offer more individualized service and have a better rapport with their patients than what you might find at some of the big pediatric groups.

For example, when her patients call after hours, she knows exactly who she’s talking to. That’s different than the big groups, where doctors have to see patients from several different offices.

Dr. Teena Hughes Pediatrics offers benefits typically associated with a larger practice, such as extended hours. In fact, the office open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m., and from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays, but the plan is to expand those weekday hours to 8 p.m.

“We want to be more available for working parents,” she says, “and prevent emergency room visits.”

Jennifer Statz is a mom of three kids who moved to Westchase, but wouldn’t even consider finding a new pediatrician.

“I love them so much that I happily drive 30 minutes,” she says. “They’ve seen my kids grow up, and they’re almost like friends to me.”

While her kids have been cared for by Dr. Teena since her oldest child was born, they have seen Dr. Roger, too.

“I feel equally comfortable with them both,” she says. “I love seeing Dr. [Teena] Hughes, but it’s great to have both of them there. She’s got the experience and he’s full of all this new knowledge.”

Jennifer says that all of the practitioners at the office — and the staff members, too — are warm and genuine, and make her feel at ease, especially when her kids are anxious about vaccines or seeing the doctor in general.

“I always feel like they listen to my concerns, address them appropriately, and do whatever it takes to help me understand why they’re recommending a particular medicine or whatever it might be,” she explains. “I always leave there with everything I need.”

Covid Testing & Vaccines

While the office never closed during the Covid-19 pandemic, Dr. Hughes says there were many fewer patients over the past year, who would usually be seen for school physicals, sports physicals, and to be treated for illnesses they may have picked up at school.

“It’s now ramping back up,” she says, while the office continues to follow all protocols and guidelines recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) & Prevention.

The office also offers Covid-19 testing, which does take a couple of days to get results from the lab. And, thanks to the new CDC guidelines, the Pfizer Covid vaccine is now available at the office for anyone ages 5 and older and the Moderna vaccine is available to anyone ages 18 and older.

“You do not have to be a patient to come in for the vaccine,” Dr. Teena says.

The practice also has ramped up its partnerships with manufacturers and companies looking to improve their products, offering research trials to patients, if they want to participate.

For example, a current study gives new parents six months of free infant formula plus incentives to participate.

“Formula companies are always doing research to improve,” Dr. Teena says. “It’s great for a new mom who needs formula. These are tried-and-true companies, so it’s not experimental.”

She says the current projects have created an entire research department at her practice, which now includes five people. Active projects include vaccine trials for meningitis and pneumococcal pneumonia. Dr. Teena says rapid Covid testing should begin soon, and she’s also hoping to start Covid vaccine trials for children.

“It’s completely voluntary and if people don’t feel comfortable, they don’t have to participate,” she says. “We participate because it helps medicine to be new and innovative and helps patients.”

Teena Hughes, M.D., P.A., Pediatrics is located at 4444 E. Fletcher Ave. at N. 46th St. in Tampa. For appointments and more information, call (813) 903-0060 or visit TeenaHughesPediatrics.com.

Dr. Teena Hughes