EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP — For the past 21 years, Spectrum Fitness Rehab has tailored its physical therapy to the individual. Its newest location in Egg Harbor Township expands its tailored approach to athletes.
Pete Scordo, a physical therapist and co-owner of Spectrum Fitness LLC, said the facility at 3092 English Creek Ave. is a partnership with physical therapist Ryan Buccafurni.
It is traditional physical therapy, Scordo explained of the business — Peak Performance Fueled by Spectrum Fitness Rehab — “but with a more focused approach toward athletics and rehab for sports injuries.
“Our theory has always been each patient, each client is an individual, so there is no cookbook PT program for anybody that comes into our office whether they are 95 or 5,” Scordo said. “Everybody gets an individual assessment and program based on their specific needs.
“In the athletic realm, it’s based on their sport, based on their desire. You might get someone who wants to make a team. Another kid wants to be the best and is trying to get into the best school. Whatever your goals are, that’s kind of how we’re tailoring the program.”
Peak Performance and Spectrum became partners three years ago as Buccafurni ran Spectrum’s Northfield facility at 2300 New Road (Suite 101). He also is in charge of the EHT location that shares space with the Baseball Performance Center, providing a large athlete-centered gym along with the physical therapy space.
Scordo said the EHT location, which opened in January, works with athletes of all ages, from middle school to high school to college and for adults who are into sports.
He explained that Peak Performance Fueled by Spectrum Fitness Rehab does not teach fundamentals of a sport but instead works on the physical therapy and preparation for a sport.
“This is not one vanilla training program. Each person is evaluated for whatever their needs are, whether it’s an injury or just training, and then we train specifically for that sport,” Scordo said.
As an example, they’re not teaching a baseball player like a batting coach. They are working on strengthening muscles used in baseball.
“It’s flexibility, power, biometric jumping. We’re not doing sports-specific training in terms of teaching them how to swing a bat or swing a golf club. We’re doing the physical part to get them ready for their sport. We’re not coaches, we’re PTs and trainers,” Scordo said.
They also offer a bridge program.
“Say you’re an athlete who is doing physical therapy,” he said. “You’re done with PT but not quite ready to go back to your sport. It’s a more focused fitness program with a physical therapist to get you ready to go back to your sport.
“It’s a combo of PT that segues into sports training, athletic training, to get people back to their sport or specific hobby,” Scordo said.
And, he said, “If an athlete just wants to be trained or do preventive stuff, we do that as well.”
“If you’re an adult who’s a marathon runner, and you got injured and want to get ready to get back to running,” Scordo said, Peak Performance can help. “It doesn’t have to be someone who is on a team. We have backpackers, rock climbers. Anyone looking to get back to what they do.”
Why expand
Before the EHT location, Spectrum LLC had fitness and rehab facilities in Northfield; at 408 Rio Grande Blvd. in Rio Grande (inside Miracles Fitness); at 94 Route 50 in Ocean View (inside MFit Gym); and 860 Route 168, Suite 104 in Turnersville. The physical therapy company already treated its share of athletes while handling everything related to rehabilitation including geriatrics, cancer rehab, vertigo.
Buccafurni had approached them a few years ago to be part of what they were doing.
“Ryan had a niche where he was really into the baseball stuff, he was working with a lot of baseball players, but a lot of his knowledge base and skill is really toward the younger athlete,” Scordo said. “He wanted to make that more of a central part of what we were doing.”
Buccafurni joined them in 2021 at the Northfield facility where there were two separate offices in one location — Spectrum was doing its traditional rehab and he was doing the Peak Performance work.
In January, they opened the EHT facility, sharing space with the Baseball Performance Center, which is basically a baseball training facility, but they liked the idea of the physical therapy component.
“They’re baseball guys. They train people to do baseball. They don’t do the lifting and rehab piece. … We’re two separate companies but we work together as unofficial partners,” Scordo said.
“You have kids who need to be trained for baseball, but the baseball guys see they have issue with arm strength and back muscles. Instead of them saying, ‘go talk to your doctor,’ they say, “go see Buccafurni. He can set up up the training program you need to do the baseball stuff.”
The Peak Performance Fueled by Spectrum Fitness Rehab staff includes Buccafurni, PT assistant Nancy Webber and a strength and conditioning coach, Don Stone.
Hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and weekends by appointment.
For information, call (609) 204-4849.
– PHOTOS and STORY by DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
