Warren G. Harding Athletics Joins Forces with GRIT Sports Performance to Elevate Performance and Wellness

Warren, OH — Warren G. Harding High School is taking bold steps to return to its winning tradition—starting from the inside out. Under the leadership of Athletic Director Rick Shepas, the school has committed to raising the bar across its athletic programs. From investing in a new strength and conditioning coach to constructing a state-of-the-art Student Recreation and Wellness Center, every decision has been made with student-athlete development and wellness in mind.

The latest step? A comprehensive partnership with GRIT Sports Performance—officially naming GRIT as the school’s "Official Growth, Recovery, and Innovative Training Partner".

Through this partnership, GRIT will begin on-site baseline testing for 200 student-athletes—100 female and 100 male—across all WGH athletic programs. These performance evaluations will aim to better identify injury risks, pinpoint opportunities for physical development, and establish personalized benchmarks that will inform strength, speed, and recovery programming throughout the year.

“We’re not just building teams, we’re building a standard,” said Shepas. “This partnership with GRIT aligns perfectly with our mission to prioritize athlete development, welfare, and long-term success.”

GRIT Founder Paul Fair added, “We’re excited to align directly with the mission of an entire athletic department. This isn’t just about performance—it’s about building a culture that connects, engages, and inspires the modern athlete to train, recover, and evolve at the highest level. This is just step one to what we hope will be a long and exciting partnership.”

WGH and GRIT are showing how tradition and innovation can work hand-in-hand—elevating what athlete development, team performance, and student-athlete welfare can look like for today’s high school programs, coaches, and athletes.

About GRIT Sports Performance GRIT is a sports science and recovery company helping athletes at every level unlock their full potential. Through its advanced GSP Labs, soon to deploy mobile GSP Rovers, and data-driven protocols, GRIT delivers performance testing, recovery solutions, and individualized training strategies trusted by athletes, teams, and high school and collegiate programs across Pennsylvania and Ohio.

About Warren G. Harding Athletics Warren G. Harding High School, located in Warren, Ohio, has a proud history of athletic achievement. WGH is setting a new standard for athlete development—balancing tradition with innovation to create a comprehensive, wellness-focused model for student-athletes.