In-Season Student Athletes: Our $30 Rate and Why Injury Prevention Matters

Fall and winter sports seasons around New Castle and Lawrence County bring a familiar pattern into our office: student athletes who are sore, tight, or nursing something they picked up on the field or the court and don't want to sit out for. We built our student athlete program with exactly that in mind.

The $30 rate

Mahle Chiropractic is happy to offer care to in-season student athletes for the price of $30. That rate includes the adjustment and any therapies necessary for that visit. Our goal is straightforward: promote injury prevention and help athletes get back to their sport as quickly and safely as possible. Students do need to be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian on their first visit, so plan for that if you're bringing in a student for the first time.

Why we built it this way

All three of our doctors, Dr. Mahle, Dr. Bowser, and Dr. Argiro, played sports themselves and battled their way through injuries along the way. Dr. Argiro played high school football, Dr. Bowser has an active interest in sports going back to her own upbringing, and Dr. Mahle has spent over two decades treating this community. That background shapes how we talk to young athletes, not as a generic patient, but as someone who understands what it means to want to stay in the game.

We're connected with Lawrence County SportsNet as part of this program, which reflects how central local sports are to what we do here.

Prevention, not just treatment

A lot of what makes this program worthwhile is catching the small things early, before they turn into the injury that ends a season. Tightness that limits how a joint moves can change how an athlete runs, throws, or lands, and over the course of a season that adds up. Regular check-ins during the season can help keep an athlete moving the way they're supposed to.

• $30 flat rate for in-season student athletes, covering the adjustment and necessary therapies
• Parent or legal guardian required to accompany the student on their first visit
• All three doctors played sports themselves and understand what it's like to play hurt
• Connected with Lawrence County SportsNet

Doctors who've been on the field themselves

Dr. Mitchell Mahle founded the practice in 2000 after earning his degree from Cleveland Chiropractic College and a BS from Penn State University. Dr. Kelsey Bowser knew she wanted to become a chiropractor at age 12 and earned her degree from New York Chiropractic College in 2020 after her Bachelor of Science at Slippery Rock University; she still enjoys sports and time outdoors. Dr. Christopher Argiro earned his degree from New York Chiropractic College after studying biology at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, and played football himself in high school before treating athletes from the other side of the table.

That background shapes the conversations that happen during a student athlete's visit, questions about which practice or which game is coming up, what position they play, and how a nagging tightness has been affecting their performance. It's a different kind of visit than a routine adult adjustment, and having doctors who've lived through their own version of it makes a real difference in how those conversations go.

Fitting a visit around a busy season

In-season schedules are tight, practices, games, homework, and everything else that comes with being a student athlete. We offer same day appointments when a schedule allows for it, which matters when a student needs to be seen before a weekend tournament rather than a week from now. If Tuesday evening or Thursday afternoon works better than a typical school-day appointment, those extended hours are there for exactly that reason.

We're also a family friendly environment, and we know a student athlete's first visit usually comes with at least one parent in the waiting room asking their own questions. We're glad to answer them, whether that's about what a visit involves, how the $30 rate works, or anything else about getting your athlete in for the season.

If you have a student athlete who's dealing with tightness, soreness, or just wants a check-in before a big part of the season, give us a call at (724) 656-9050. We're right here in New Castle and we'd be glad to help keep them on the field.