EDGE ATHLETICS

Edge Athletics is pleased and excited to announce that Justin Cooper and Tyler Lydon from LMC Athletics will be joining the Edge Athletics staff effective immediately. The unprecedented move comes from over two years of relationship building that began shortly after the duo of Cooper and Lydon started to have positive and recognizable impacts to local basketball players. Jim Santoro, the Director of Edge Athletics and long time Head Basketball coach at Our Lady of Lourdes High School, recalls being highly impressed with the work that LMC was doing.

“The athletic training profession has grown rapidly over the last few years and although it has provided many athletes the ability to improve their individual skills, finding the right trainer that meets the needs of the athlete can be a difficult task. There is more to it than simply teaching an athlete how to make a layup,” Santoro said.

Cooper and Lydon impressed Santoro enough with what they were doing that prompted him to contact them to see if there was any benefit for the two organizations to work together. Two years later and after a long and productive getting to know each other process, “Coop” and “Ty” will join Santoro and coach Tom Jordan. Jordan also works with basketball players of all ages and from multiple counties and states.

Coach Jordan, a former player of Santoro’s, his assistant coach at Our Lady of Lourdes and his right hand man at Edge, was a little skeptical at first. But after going through the same “getting to know you” process, Jordan is looking forward to working with the new staff.

“We (the staff at Edge) have been together for so many years now and changes will always create some hesitations,” Jordan said. “But after getting to know Justin and Ty and seeing how they work together like we do, I think it’s a natural fit. It’s going to be a great team,” he added.

Justin and Tyler have developed LMC athletics into the premiere training organziation in the Hudson Valley and have been slowly extending their reach on a national level. Cooper, who has worked with D.J. Sackmann, one the top skills professional in the world, now travels all over the country working with players at the highest level, including the NBA. Lydon, a former standout at Syracuse University who was drafted by the NBA, has been more focused on the local talent. Couple them with Tom Jordan under Edge Athletics and you have quite an impressive team.

“I think the most important thing for me is that Justin and Tyler have the same views as we do as far as whats best for the development of athletes. We are all very realistic and honest with the athletes we work with,” Santoro said.

Cooper thinks that they have the ability to strengthen the already established Edge Athletics brand. “We are excited to partner with Edge Athletics to work with players of all ages and abilities. Edge has been a staple name in the local AAU/Training scene since we can remember. Joining forces will allow us to expand our reach, run more programs and continue to help athletes in the area reach their goal,” Cooper said.

Lydon is also looking forward to the new relationship. “I’m excited to get to work with edge athletics and be a part of a program that has done an amazing job elevating players to the next level,” Lydon said.

LMC will continue to operate outside of their work with Edge. Its unclear what the two groups will do going forward but its anticipated that Edge and LMC will coexist and maybe become one organziation in the future. But for now, the Edge Staff has expanded and has created an all encompasing basketball program.