NORTH SALT LAKE — For awhile, the Frozen Ropes training facility in North Salt Lake gave baseball players a chance to improve on their skills.

However, a new name and a new owner has taken over the location, and so far has developed quite a following in just a few short months of existence.

“We took over this place in March,” said Gary Seljaas, owner of Elite Athlete Zone, located at 670 North Redwood Road in North Salt Lake. “Then we opened up around April with a few different ideas on what we should be doing to help athletes.”

Unlike Frozen Ropes, which specifically concentrated on baseball players, Elite Athlete Zone broadened the spectrum to include training for basketball, lacrosse, baseball, volleyball, wrestling, rugby and football players, among other sports.

While also the owner of D1 Sports Nutrition, Seljaas has a background in exercise physiology and sports training.

With years of experience behind him, he decided to open the training facility for one reason: to make athletes better at any age.

“Everybody should have the opportunity to reach their full potential in sports,” he said. “And for the younger athletes, we want to help them enjoy the game rather than just taking part in it.”

As part of the facility’s remodel, Elite Athlete Zone replaced three of the old pitching mounds and put in a full basketball court, complete with tile-like flooring that still reacts like hardwood.

“They have a special padding underneath,” said Seljaas. “So even though the floor looks the way it does, when someone bounces a basketball, they get the same reaction as if they were in a gym.”

Also included in the facility are areas for speed, agility and strength training, along with newly-added pitching machines.

“We also have these removable mounds,” said Seljaas. “It makes it easier for us to get them out of the way in case we just want to concentrate on one specific thing.”

For football players, the same amenities are also available, along with other tools to run combine-like drills such as high jump, cone drills, bench press, and the 40-yard dash, among others.

As part of the facility’s opening, they have already recruited former University of Utah and Phoenix Suns basketball player Chris Burgess to be part of a basketball camp.

The camp is for youth ages 5-18 and will include a pair of sessions, the first occurring Monday, June 13.

Burgess is also a Bountiful resident and currently plays basketball overseas.

“We also have a few former NFL players that are willing to help us out with some of our other training,” said Seljaas. “The success has been great for the short amount of time that we’ve been here.”

One such player is Toniu Fonoti, an eight-year veteran from the NFL that played for San Diego, Minnesota, Tampa Bay, Miami, Atlanta, Carolina and Detroit.

“We want the facility to be open to everyone too, not just athletes,” said Seljaas. “If someone wants to come in and be in better athletic shape, we can help with that.”

For more information about the basketball camps or about Elite Athlete Zone, visit www.eliteathletezone.com.

sgillet@davisclipper.com