Working Out Well
Major Sports Performance Is Making a Difference in Youth Sports
Writer / Melissa Gibson
Photographer / Amy Payne
Jordan JP Peterson has always loved sports.
At Avon High School he played football, basketball, track and baseball. After graduation he played football at Indiana University, majoring in kinesiology, and then transferred to the University of Indianapolis to share the field with his brother.
After my seventh concussion, my mom medically retired me, Peterson says. I came very close to not being able to function like I do today.
The injury left Peterson questioning what to do next. Whatever it was, he knew it would involve sports.
Years of admiring coaches and trainers for their knowledge and expertise led Peterson to consider giving back what he had learned from his mentors.
I reached out to my high school and looked into coaching, he says. I fell in love with it. I became the varsity defensive-back coach for Avon High School football, and was putting all of my knowledge and experience into these kids. It was great.
The coach admits he was far from angelic growing up, but feels he can relate to those students with different upbringings and backgrounds. His experiences only made him stronger, with a desire to connect.
As he continued to develop relationships, students began asking for training, and he considered bringing out the dumbbells and barbells from his parents basement to get started.
However, Petersons mom had a different idea.
She said, Im willing to invest in you if youre willing to work for it. Lets get you a space and see if you can do this for a living, Peterson says. So, we started looking for a spot to rent. Shes super nervous. Im super excited. We ended up finding a spot on U.S. 36 and I had 13 athletes that said they were interested.
Major Sports Performance (MSP) is named after Petersons son, Major, and his three-week-old daughter has the initials M.S.P.
I named it after them because it helps me wake up in the morning, Peterson says. It gives me motivation to go hard because Im doing this for more than just myself. This is bigger than me.
After painting the walls and bringing in new equipment, Peterson launched his training business in the midst of the pandemic and wasnt sure what would happen next.
The first day went by and no one signed up.
I thought, Im going to let my mom down, Peterson says. The second day we got a couple of sign-ups, and then that afternoon I had two gentlemen come in from the youth football league in Avon, and they asked what it would take to bring the entire team to me. I went from three members to 27 overnight.
After seven months in operation, Peterson had 89 athletes enrolled.
The whole reason I did this was to help kids in Avon, he says. When I was in school, there wasnt anywhere to go until you got to the high school weight room. I want to help the kids get better. I visit other gyms and incorporate the things I like, and just kept growing.
He remembers a time when each class was overflowing, things were hectic and the mirrors were fogging up. However, Peterson continued to move forward.
Shortly after, I realized we needed more room, he says. I went from a 2,000-square-foot building to 5,000 square feet, and then rented a building across the street with 6,000 square feet. I began spreading out classes, getting smarter about scheduling and the business side of things. Today we have about 12 people per class.
The second, larger building became the home of Petersons MSP programs. The MSP baseball, football and track club has over 100 young athletes. They compete against other travel teams in the area.
I love how the programs are going because everything is family-based, Peterson says. Parents can stay, but a lot of these athletes are like my own kids. Ill care for you when youre hurt, but Im also going to coach tough. I go to the kids games. I try to show up to every single birthday party. They need to know this is not just about the training and the sport, but I care about them. This is a family.
MSP even schedules family outings.
Most recently, they traveled to Cincinnati to go-kart and paintball, creating bonding experiences outside of the games.
While the majority of Petersons work is centered around youths, MSP offers adult fitness classes as well.
High-intensity circuit training, the barbell club, and personal training are just a few of the options.
If Peterson had his way, the family would just continue to expand.
Id love to get to the point of having a big indoor facility, he says. I want to implement more classes, like bringing in athletes with special needs. They have programs to compete but I dont see why they cant continue to get better and train. Id like to get that going. Id also like to do something for homeschooled athletes or maybe kids who are in a detention center of some sort.
The ultimate goal is for all young sports enthusiasts to enjoy the process, learn and see their own self-growth.
I love seeing the younger ones get stronger and faster, and their confidence is through the roof, Peterson says. They arent benching or squatting yet, but theyre flexing their muscles in front of the mirror with pride. Thats so rewarding.
Its safe to say that mom is thrilled with Petersons success.
My mom, my wife, my brother and dad have all supported me every step of the way, he says. It makes the rough days better and the good days even greater. I dont know if I could have done this without them, and for them to invest in me and to see my potential means theres no reason I cant see the potential in each and every one of these kids, regardless of what they are going through.
The trainer has learned that he loves betting on himself, and when things get tough, he just pushes harder.
Most importantly, hes keeping his eye on the ball. 
When I die, I want all of these kids to come to my funeral and it be the same story in all of their books – he was someone who was always positive, a good role model and somebody who cared about me, Peterson says.
Major Sports Performance is located at 141 Casco Drive, Suite B in Avon. Call 317-659-6564 or visit majorsportsperformance.com for more information.
