The Bluffton High School Ricky Matter Strength and Conditioning Center is now the envy of most high schools in Ohio, thanks to a very significant equipment donation from Rogue Fitness, Columbus.
While Rogue Fitness may not be a household name to Icon viewers, the owners of the company are. Caity Matter Henniger and her husband, Bill, own of the Columbus-based company.
Caity, a BHS grad and basketball standout player, is the older sister of the late Ricky Matter, for whom the center is named.
The Icon stopped by the center earlier this week as the new equipment was being unloaded from a semi and installed. Installation should be completed by today and athletes will start using it over the weekend.
The previous equipment is staying in Bluffton, as the school donated it to Bluffton Family Recreation.
Daniel Tinch of BFR says his staff in installing that equipment at the center. Watch for a story on the Icon about that step in this story.
“I’m really proud of the building and my brother, and proud of what Rogue is able to donate,” Caity told the Icon.
Jeff Richards, BHS football coach, describe the new equipment as “Awesome. This is an all-sports-use facility and our kids know they are fortunate to be able to use it.”
He added that words don’t do it justice. “We’ve always taken pride in our facilities. This is just incredible.”
He said that the center is used every month of the year by dozens of Pirate athletes in every sport.
Gregg Denecker, Bluffton superintendent, said, “We are very grateful for the generosity of this equipment. We really have a first-class weight room.”
The donation includes the most up-to-date exercise equipment, which includes five full power racks for squats to bench to pull-ups. These allow 10 athletes to work out at the same time.
To personalize the equipment the word “Bluffton” with the familiar Pirate is engraved in customized nameplates.
Rogue manufactures the equipment in Columbus. Caity said that the company’s growth has exploded since her husband, Bill started it from scratch in 2006.
“We added 750 employees in March,” she said, “and we now have 1,300 employed with us. We have our equipment all across the United State and in Australia and Europe.”
The all-metal equipment is manufactured in Columbus. Caity said that the company’s goal is to create the equipment in the U.S., making it a unique world-manufacturer.
While working with Rogue, Caity finds that the basketball court continues to call her. The former Ohio State women’s basketball player is now the color commentator for OSU women’s basketball for The Fan (1460 AM) in Columbus.
She will work with play-by-play announcer Matt Andrews covering OSU women’s games.
