In 2007, the seeds of a remarkable journey were planted when Tyler Naylor ventured into personal training, working with local athletes. A decade later, these humble beginnings blossomed into the creation of Evolution Athletics, a gym devoted almost exclusively to sculpting young athletes between the ages of 10 and 18.
The EA mission took root when a 13-year-old football enthusiast, yearning to be stronger and faster, sought Naylor's guidance. He says, "It was a pivotal moment that solidified our commitment to molding the next generation of athletic champions."
Under Naylor's guidance and with the help of fellow trainers Wyatt Williams and Elijah Jacob, EA focuses on local aspiring athletes to help them achieve their utmost ability as they grow and develop. AJ Sanders, a special needs teen with Down Syndrome, is also present most days, training and assisting with the athletes. Each of their chapters unfolds with purpose and promise as dreams are realized, and potential is honed—one determined step at a time.
Evolution Athletics has worked with over 300 athletes who have moved on to compete at the next level. Some of them include professional golfer Chris Thompson, now the golf pro at the Lawrence Country Club, Nebraska Cornhusker left tackle Turner Corcoran, New York Mets pitcher Bryce Montes de Oca, and Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Garrett Cleavinger. During the Major League Baseball off-season, Mets pitcher Zach Thornton and Boston Red Sox pitcher Ryan Zeferjahn are still training at EA.
Young athletes from diverse sports and backgrounds are welcomed at EA. The training approach is universal initially and then further tailored as the athlete develops. The focus is on the unique journey everyone undertakes on the path to athletic greatness, as well as the age of the athlete. The emphasis is on movement, agility, and strength—all areas important to athletic excellence regardless of the sport.
Naylor explains, "Assuring the young athletes have the base fundamentals, we take a movement first approach, so the athlete builds a better foundation to move from and has a higher chance of long-term success. Many times, athletes think they need to lift bigger and more weights. In reality, they need to focus on the movement patterns to improve in all the areas of speed, power, and agility, including additional weights as basic fundamentals develop."
When athletes come into EA, the team determines what type of program the child needs to start. The chosen plan runs in one-month blocks, and a monthly reassessment takes place to track the progress. When required, the training is adjusted to continue to challenge the athlete in continual improvement. Most of them train with EA two to three times per week, both during the sports season and off-season.
Evolution collaborates with local coaches seeking insights into aligning their training programs with team goals. They also help coaches better understand how EA training differs from others and why athletes have a higher success rate. The team also consults with the coaches of the professional athletes who train with them in the off-season to work on the areas of improvement identified by the coach.
In talking with Naylor, he revealed what led him to create this program. "As an athlete myself through my high school years, I saw the chance to work in this industry. I used personal training to enter into this focus and get my feet in the door. I knew early on that I wanted to do this and have not looked back."
More details about Evolution Athletics' functional sports performance programs can be found at EvolutionAthletics.net. Naylor's team offers in-person strength training, hybrid training, online programming, and speed and agility camps.
"...we take a movement first approach, so the athlete builds a better foundation..."
"...solidified our commitment to molding the next generation of athletic champions."