A Letter From our Founder
- Tom McCarthy
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
To the IFS Family,
Forty years ago, everything started with a simple weight set from Pacillo’s on Hertel Avenue. I still remember walking into that store with my dad—the clang of plates, the smell of rubber and steel, the feeling that something big was about to begin. We negotiated for a barbell, some adjustable dumbbells, and a handful of plates. I’m sure my dad simply thought he was giving his son a hobby or a healthy outlet….BUT what he was really giving me was the spark that would become my life’s passion.
As my basement gym evolved into a membership at Gold’s in West Seneca, I found myself surrounded by owners, mentors, and training veterans who shaped me in ways I could never have understood at the time. I was 13 years old—eager, curious, and clueless. They probably thought they were just keeping a kid safe or teaching him how not to waste time…BUT they were actually laying the foundation for everything I would someday become.
After college, I worked briefly as a mental health counselor. My clients wrestled with bipolar disorder or clinical depression. They taught me so much about life’s ups and downs, about perspective, and about the invisibility of the peaks when you’re in the valleys—and vice versa. Most importantly, they unknowingly guided me back to the realization that exercise could help people live richer, more rewarding lives. I thought I was helping them…BUT really, they were helping me..
Returning to UB for a master’s in Exercise and Nutrition Sciences deepened that purpose. I was again surrounded by incredible people—professors who poured knowledge, time, and generosity into me. They believed in me and prepared me to live and engage in my passion fully. I was a student…BUT they saw a future colleague.
In January 2013, I opened a small performance center on Maelou Drive in Hamburg. My father, along with my wife and children, were there to support me in laying the foundation that would grow into something none of us could yet imagine. In those early years, I coached hundreds of competitive and life athletes. I assumed I was the one pouring into them…BUT in reality, they were giving me the gift of expressing my life’s passion alongside them.
Over time, I became we. As new coaches joined me in the mission, I saw clearly that mentoring them felt just like the mentorship I had received decades earlier. Passing on knowledge—passing on passion—has become one of the greatest rewards of my career.
That mentorship eventually crystallized into Impact Fitness Systems becoming IFS, and into building something bigger than myself. I added partners. We added programs. We expanded into IFS Softball and IFS Basketball. In that expansion, I received two incredible gifts: Maggie Fuentes and Alexis Nasca. Their leadership, selflessness, and unwavering commitment to this community elevate IFS daily. I’m blessed to call them partners and friends.
This past weekend, all of this came full circle. At our Elmview location, we hosted a softball performance combine with over 70 athletes—each of them measuring, learning, competing, and smiling. The event was incredible, not only because of the athletes but because of our coaching and administrative staff who brought it to life. At the same time, ALLPLAY Athletics held their Rookie Combine at our Basketball/Volleyball Facility on Maelou Drive. Watching two thriving communities—two groups of athletes—from two different locations benefit from something that started with a barbell and a dream… it was humbling. And it was a gift.
Which brings me to you.
Thank you.
Thank you for being part of the IFS story.
Thank you for bringing depth, meaning, and community to what would otherwise be a solitary pursuit.
IFS’s mission has always been simple: We Help Athletes Get Better.
But missions only matter when they are lived out through people—and that’s you.
Our athletes.
Our coaches.
Our parents.
Our partners.
Our supporters.
Our community.
You are the ones who make IFS what it is.
So, on this Thanksgiving, from my family to yours: thank you for every gift you’ve given me and given IFS. Thank you for the privilege of serving you. Thank you for trusting us with your goals, your growth, and your athletic journey.
You are all truly special to me and to my family.
With gratitude,
Thomas McCarthy
Founder, Impact Fitness Systems (IFS)
P.S. As a small token of my appreciation, please enjoy a $50 IFS gift certificate—yours to use for any future training session, program, or membership, or to share with a friend or family member who might benefit from joining our community. Thank you for being part of the IFS family.
P.S.S. If IFS has been a gift to you, please share your story with us and with those around you!
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