New Biz Gives Freedom to Reach Personal Best

by Blake Herzong
Athletic Prescottonians, whether they’re vying for a college scholarship or a perfect kayaking technique, have a new place to meet their New Year’s resolutions and develop their potential in 2022.
Freedom Performance offers physical therapy and sports training to two core markets, owner Dr. Brady Mengarelli says: young players for schools or competitive league teams and active adults looking to improve their performance.
“What I do is I train young athletes that want to be better at their sport, to be stronger, faster, more athletic, and I do that for adults, as well,” he said.
Many of his younger clients have been referred for further training or physical therapy by Process Driven Sports Academy, which is owned by Mengarelli’s former Prescott High baseball coach Rob Chriss. Mengarelli said how grateful he is for the chance to lease space at Chriss’ new building at 600 E. Moeller St. in Prescott.
“He has Process Driven Baseball Academy and wanted to develop a new brand in a new building, it’s state-of-the-art with turf everywhere. There’s a weight room and all sorts of features, it’s an amazing facility to do training for kids.”
Mengarelli works with children as young as 8 through high school who play baseball and football, plus some involved in soccer, dance and other activities. Adults who are avid hikers, runners, kayakers and other types of sportspeople also turn to him for coaching and physical therapy.
Training for both populations tend to include similar drills, he said: “We do a lot of speed and agility training, because we have about 50 yards of turf to work with on agility, running, how to change direction. We do that for about a half an hour. We’ll do a half an hour of strength training. And then any modifications for someone who has shoulder pain or back pain.”
Mengarelli was a multisport standout at PHS before going to South Dakota State on a football scholarship and earning a degree in exercise science, then coming back to Northern Arizona University for a doctorate in physical therapy.
For more information, call 928.420.3804 or visit www.freedomperformanceaz.com