MUKILTEO—Vice Athletics North, a specialized strength and sports performance gym, opened its doors to the public on Wednesday, March 11, with a celebratory ribbon cutting and live demonstrations.
Vice Athletics North is a brand-new, high-level, athletic training facility where youth athletes can receive hands-on training, academic coaching, and even on-site physical therapy.
“Our vision is to be a powerful community resource, a cultural game changer. We want to focus on ourselves, making ourselves stronger, and being a solid community team. We just want to be a local resource, have the community come out, trust us, depend on us,” said Vice Founder Joseph Palumbo, who spent 10 years working in the NFL (for both the Bengals and Browns) as a conditioning coach.
According to its website: “Vice is more than just a gym. It’s a space built by local families who believe strength builds confidence and community creates growth.”
Walking through the doors of Vice North, located at 11811 Mukilteo Speedway #200, guests are immediately greeted by a large green synthetic turf, lifting equipment, drill equipment, and three attached rooms; one used as a conference room, one for physical therapy with an on-site, licensed, physical therapist, and a backroom used as a recovery center.
The 9,010 square foot facility also has two locker rooms complete with showers.
“I specialize in return-to-sport rehab. Sports work best when we have the closest to the pro model as possible. What I mean by that is a direct relationship with the coach, the strength staff, the doctors, and the rehab professionals,” said Jake Hughes, on-site Physical Therapist, and Owner of Sports Physical Therapy (SPT) in Lake Stevens. “My physical therapy is not only to get athletes back on the field as soon as possible but keep them on the field. I think if you have a body, you have the potential to be an athlete.”
Physical therapy is completely individualized to Hughes’ clients’ specific needs and injuries. He also takes all insurances, including Medicaid and Medicare.
Vice North’s main target is athletes, but the training goes beyond just physical fitness. Vice even offers a D1 program for college preparation.
“The greatest high school athlete in the world isn’t going to play college ball if they can’t get into college, so I want them to be a holistic athlete, educationally, and in all the areas. I need you to be smart, I need you to be fit, I need you to be nutritionally balanced, so you don’t gassed out – I need you to be all of it,” said Jim Tinsley, Vice North Co-Owner and Director of Operations.
Tinsley is also President of the Mukilteo Chamber of Commerce and has coached softball for nearly a decade.
“Vice is performance elevated. Tell your siblings, tell your parents, we’re here to stay and it’s culture. Mukilteo culture,” said Director of Athletics Ivan McLennon, who also played for WSU, the Atlanta Falcons, and is currently the head football coach at Kamiak High School.
At Wednesday’s ribbon cutting ceremony, dozens gathered on the turf to hear a few words from Mukilteo Mayor Joe Marine, before the ceremonious ribbon was cut. The grand opening was then celebrated with catered food from upstairs neighbors Azteca, and athletic demonstrations by local sports teams.
“One of my favorite thing I get to do as Mayor is to welcome in a new business and have them be a part of our Mukilteo family,” Mukilteo Mayor Joe Marine told the Lynnwood Times. “The smart ones, of course, join the Chamber because of the benefits of interacting of all the other business owners. This turnout here is great and a lot of that is because the owner, Jim, is a member of the Chamber. I would encourage most of our businesses to join the Chamber if they haven’t already.”
Mukilteo Council President Jason Moon told the Lynnwood Times the most important thing to him is youth, and Vice Athletics North is exactly what Mukilteo needs to get kids off the street, focus on a positive (and healthy) outlet, and overall, he said, this will reduce juvenile crime.
“Crime is down overall but if you look at the percentage of the not so good people doing the crime, they’re juveniles. We need to help the youth grow up in a community setting which I think [Vice North] is doing. Anything we can do to support our youth is what I’m all about,” said Council President Moon.
Vice Athletics North is now officially open to the public. The training facility is membership based and focused on small groups, and large group, training.
To learn more visit: www.viceathletics.com/north
Author: Kienan Briscoe
