ELKHORN, Neb. (KMTV) — Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Harrison Phillips returns to his Omaha roots to help train young athletes at the new ETS Performance facility in Elkhorn.
- Video shows young athletes working with coaches and Phillips.
- We spoke to young athletes and parents about the importance of investing in training like this.
- Phillips shares how ETS Performance operates and what kind of training it provides.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
The upcoming school year is quickly approaching, which means fall sports for young athletes are too. To prepare in the off-season, some kids are trying out ETS Performance, a new gym where Omaha native and Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Harrison Phillips is putting on a combine.
"We're doing a bunch of different running drills, we're doing our flying 10s, pro agility and that," said Bellevue West junior Peyton Francis.
Francis has dreams of playing football at the collegiate level. At this new training center in Elkhorn, he's learning from the best.
"Just seeing that someone from Omaha, because Nebraska is kind of smaller, seeing how far they can make it kind of shows me and other football players that you can make it too as long as you have your mind right for it," he said.
The new gym has been open for a while, but this grand opening is an opportunity to invite new athletes in and work with one of the pros.
"Before you get to go lift the weight or do anything, we're gonna put you through an assessment, figure out what your individual specific needs are and modify a plan specifically for you," said Phillips.
Phillips said the gym specializes in customized training programs with a focus on injury prevention, something he wishes he had as a kid.
"I had a lot of injuries to ACL, I had back issues, and that stems from when I was younger trying to do these insane workouts that a 13-year-old kid shouldn't have to be doing," he said.
It's an investment parents like Ali Herrera are willing to make to help her son grow into the basketball player he wants to be.
"It's a good confidence builder, and, you know, having someone pay attention to them and what they need to succeed or to move forward with the sport that they love, it's a big deal," said Herrera.
While this gym is newer to the Omaha metro, ETS Performance is a gym with locations around the U.S. Since 2010, the training center has produced more than 2,500 collegiate athletes and over 250 pros.
