April 13, 2019
The Pittsburgh Passion is taking steps this season to ensure the best care for its athletes. The organization has expanded its medical staff to include team massage therapist, Mark Capriotti.
Capriotti brings an element of expertise to the team. While many view massages as a reward for athletes, Capriotti takes a different approach. As the owner of In Motion Body Works, he believes that soft tissue massage therapy is vital in both performance and recovery.
“I enjoy working with people who appreciate the soft tissue work as part of the performance package,” explained Capriotti. “We all had a very common interest in the outcome of what massage therapy and soft tissue work can do for the players.”
In addition to partnering with the Passion, Capriotti also works with other prominent organizations in the Pittsburgh area.
Capriotti is a neuromuscular massage therapy teacher at the Pittsburgh School of Massage Therapy, and is the official team massage therapist of both Duquesne University’s men’s and women’s basketball teams. He says that he is drawn to smaller organizations that possess the “underdog” mentality. Capriotti enjoys being able to help these athletes reach their full potential.
“I’ll never say that what my work does makes a huge difference… but I know that I can at least be a small cog in that machine,” explained Capriotti. “It’s so exciting to get to be a part of that.”
This close-knit, gritty attitude is what caught Capriotti’s eye about the Passion.
After meeting with the team management and some of the athletes, Capriotti was impressed by the charisma and humbleness of the team. He says it was the personal connections he made with members of the Passion organization that really sealed the deal for him.
“… When it feels right like [this] you know that [it] is something worth exploring more,” said Capriotti. “I like these people. I want to work with them.”
The Passion are equally as excited for this new venture. There is no doubt that Capriotti’s skill and expertise will help the team reach new heights this season.
Team Massage Therapist, Mark Capriotti