Youth Sports Performance Training
NEW! Our Sports Performance Training is now partnered with Youth Performance Lab.
Training opportunities for athletes will take place at the Central Athletic Complex (500 S. Naperville Rd., Wheaton).
Registration needs to take place in person at the Ray Morrill Community Center, downstairs at Parks Plus Fitness (1777 S. Blanchard St., Wheaton).
Classes
Questions?
For more information about the program or registration, please contact Alex DiSerio at [email protected].
Class Descriptions
High School Performance – This program develops the foundation of strength, speed, and resilience that every athlete needs to thrive. Training emphasizes movement quality in all planes of motion, teaching athletes to move well before moving heavy. Precision, posture, and intent are at the core of every drill–helping athletes build durability, confidence, and game-changing performance.
Middle School Performance – This program bridges the gap between play and performance. Middle school athletes are introduced to structured training in strength, speed, and agility–always with careful attention to form and intent.
Sessions are designed to challenge athletes to think about how they move. We train across all planes of motion, building a strong foundation for durability and athletic growth. Athletes will squat, push, pull, and sprint with an emphasis on technique before intensity, ensuring safe progress and long-term development. While each workout challenges effort, the deeper lesson is ownership. Athletes learn to approach training with focus, resilience, and intent–skills that transfer directly to the field, the court, and the classroom.
Elementary + Middle School Performance – At this stage, movement should feel like play. This program helps young athletes explore how their bodies move through space–running, jumping, balancing, and reacting with intent. The goal is not to master heavy lifts, but to create durable movers who understand posture, coordination, and body control. Each session blends fun, games, and structured drills that teach the fundamentals of athletic movement. Kids will learn how to land safely, change direction quickly, and move with awareness. By focusing on rhythm, timing, and balance, we prepare them not only for sports, but for a lifetime of healthy movement. Success at this level is measured in confidence and consistency, not just speed or strength. With patience and practice, these athletes build the foundation for everything that comes later.
Blueprint for Speed – This program is designed for athletes who want to get faster–specifically in the start, acceleration, and top speed phases of sprinting. Sessions break down the mechanics of the 40-yard dash into teachable parts, with drills that sharpen form, build explosive acceleration, and improve maximum velocity. Athletes practice fewer drills at a higher quality, ensuring every rep develops true sprint speed.
PlyoGility – This program is built around explosive jumping and sharp changes of direction–the skills that separate good athletes from great ones. Athletes are challenged with multi-directional plyometrics, reactive drills, and body-control movements that demand precision under pressure.
By practicing takeoffs, landings, and quick transitions, athletes learn how to absorb force safely and redirect it with power. Each session emphasizes full recovery and maximum intent, helping athletes jump higher, cut quicker, and compete with more confidence in any sport.
Performance Assessment & Progress Tracking
At Youth Performance Lab, we use advanced technology to assess, monitor, and track athlete progress over time. Using Output Sports technology alongside OVR Speed Gates, we collect objective data on sport-specific movements, power, speed, and change of direction. This allows us to establish a baseline, identify strengths and limitations, and guide training with purpose as athletes progress through our program.
This technology helps us track key performance indicators across sports, including:
- Baseball / Softball: Swing speed & power
- Hockey / Lacrosse: Rotational power & stick speed
- Basketball: Vertical jump and passing power output
- Soccer: Overhead throw velocity, kick power & sprint speed
- Football: Broad jump, barbell velocity, agility & acceleration
- Tennis: Rotational power, racquet speed & agility
- Gymnastics: Jump power output & mobility
- Swimming: Start power, acceleration & mobility
- Golf: Swing speed, rotational power & mobility
Memberships
R=Resident; AT=Nonresident Wheaton Park District Athletic Team Member; NR=Nonresident
To register, please visit Parks Plus Fitness, located on the lower level of the Ray Morrill Community Center (1777 S. Blanchard St.).
Meet the Youth Performance Lab Coaches
Jimmy Walker
Co-Owner & Performance Coach
CrossFit L2 | Level 3 Fascial Stretch Therapist | Life Stretch Educator
Jimmy Walker has been in the fitness and performance industry for over 15 years and has owned and operated his own training facility for the past eight years. A husband, father, and lifelong coach, Jimmy has a true gift for encouraging and training youth, helping them develop not only physical strength but also confidence, discipline, and belief in themselves. Before becoming a full-time coach and business owner, Jimmy built a strong foundation in boxing, competing across the Midwest and earning recognition as the 2017 Chicago Golden Gloves runner-up during his amateur career. His boxing background continues to shape his approach to movement, mindset, and athletic performance. Jimmy is a Level 2 CrossFit Trainer, a Level 3 Fascial Stretch Therapist, and a certified Life Stretch Educator through the Stretch to Win Institute. He also holds certifications from the National Academy of Sports Medicine and the National Personal Training Institute, where he completed over 500 hours of education in anatomy, physiology, nutrition, and strength training. His ongoing professional development includes The Gymnastics Course, which influences his focus on body control, mobility, and movement efficiency. With a proven track record of helping young athletes unlock their potential, Jimmy creates an environment where parents can feel confident their kids are learning, growing, and training the right way—making Youth Performance Lab the clear choice for lasting development.
Elijah Pollack
Co-Owner & Head Coach
With over 13 years of dedicated experience coaching youth and high school football, Coach Elijah brings passion, purpose, and proven leadership to every program. Having worked throughout Chicago’s South, West, and North Side communities, he has served in diverse educational and athletic environments—empowering young people from all backgrounds to discover their potential through discipline, mentorship, and movement.
As Co-Owner of Top Gun 7v7 Football, Coach Elijah has helped guide and develop hundreds of student-athletes, collectively contributing to more than $23 million in collegiate scholarship opportunities. His impact extends far beyond the field, emphasizing character development, accountability, and a mindset of excellence that prepares athletes for success in both sport and life.
With over a decade immersed in the performance and youth development space, Coach Elijah specializes in long-term athletic development with a strong emphasis on systemic activation, intentional training, and recovery. His programs are designed to build proper load tolerance, improve movement efficiency, and reduce injury risk—creating a foundation for peak performance and lifelong physical health.
While rooted in sports performance, Coach Elijah’s philosophy reaches beyond athletics. His holistic approach helps young athletes develop confidence, body awareness, and resilience that translate to the classroom and everyday life. A lifelong student of biomechanics and optimal human function, he continues to study and apply the latest advancements in movement science to help the next generation train smarter, move better, and live stronger.
Devin Harkins
Devin Harkins is a Performance Coach at Youth Performance Lab where he focuses on developing well-rounded athletes through strength, speed, and movement-based training. With experience coaching youth football and group performance sessions, Devin creates a positive, structured, and motivating environment for every athlete. His coaching philosophy centers on consistency, effort, and confidence—teaching athletes how to show up, work hard, and take pride in the process of improvement. Through a blend of functional strength work, athletic movement drills, and competitive energy, Devin helps athletes not only perform at their best but also build discipline, resilience, and leadership skills that carry beyond sports.