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Pro Athletic Performance in Houma has been open since March 2010 – a three-year run training young athletes throughout the Tri-parish area.
Looking back over the years, co-owner David Butler Jr. said one thing is sure: in an athletic competition, he likes his athletes to come out on top.
Nestled on their St. Charles Street location, PAP is gathering steam as a full-fledged training service for men and women trying to perfect their athletic craft.
The training center also offers courses for adults looking to better their conditioning levels.
“Since we’ve been open a while now, we’ve been able to see how a lot of athletes have developed,” Butler said. “I can tell anybody – I put my athletes up against anybody, anywhere. That’s not to be arrogant. That’s not to be cocky, but we have a good program, and we really push them to do the best that they can. And we’ve seen the results. What are we supposed to say – that it’s luck? It’s not luck. It’s because we have a proven system that gets results.”
The idea for PAP is many years in the making.
Butler said the idea for their training philosophy comes from renowned Hall of Fame trainer Kurt Hester, who has trained several top-tier athletes and more than 50 NFL Draft picks and countless other professional athletes across several sports.
Butler said he came in contact with the trainer in his early days and was one of the first athletes to ever use the program.
Butler is a South Terrebonne High School graduate that played halfback at LSU. From there, he also had some stints in semi-pro ball.
“I was basically the guinea pig,” Butler said. “But he just kept developing his program from there, and it took off. I liked it, and I wanted to start something to bring the program here.”
With that in mind, Butler said he got with his business partner and co-owner Kirk Bonvillain and PAP was born.
It is now a full-fledged training center that polishes the craft of several local athletes – some of whom have even pushed their talents to the collegiate level and beyond.
“Since we’ve opened, we’ve had a handful of athletes who have pushed their way into the professional level of some kind,” Butler said. “We’ve been blessed with a lot of talented people. The proof is there.”
One of the reasons why people tout PAP is its versatility.
Butler said the business is a one-stop for anyone with any athletic training need.
“We do it all,” Butler said. “We offer strength, conditioning, speed, agility, awareness, safety – just everything,” Butler said.
The second is the one-on-one attention that athletes get within PAP’s walls.
Butler said he has a staff of trainers who get to know each kid, and try to create an atmosphere that is both diligent and fun.
Student athletes who have enrolled in the program say that is exactly the case, touting the work that the trainers do to keep the program lively.
PAP created a Harlem Shake video this past winter to showcase that fun-loving, spirited atmosphere.
“They do a great job,” Vandebilt Catholic and Blinn College signee Lionheart Leslie said. “They work you hard, but at the same time, you really can tell that they care.”
So as the business enters its fourth year, Butler said he is anxious to try and expand its reach.
They know the program works – they have the results to prove it.
Now, they want to share their secret with the world.
“When we first started, we really had to wait and see, you know? We didn’t know how everyone would develop,” Butler said. “But now? I’ll say it again. I’ll put our kids up against anybody. When you train your kids to be able to do things that average, everyday kids can’t do, then you should be ready to see abnormal results. We work our kids pretty hard, and they are seeing the results. It’s great.”
Children at Pro Athletic Performance pose for a funny photo after working hard in an afternoon workout. Trainers at the gym tout that they push the children to be the best they can be. The results speak for themselves. PAP has worked with some of the best athletes in the area.
