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Youth Strength & Agility Training in Westmont, IL
Mighty Oak Athletic is the western Chicago suburbs' most structured year-round strength and agility program for student athletes ages 6 to 18. We're based in Westmont, IL — minutes from Hinsdale, Clarendon Hills, Downers Grove, Darien, Burr Ridge, and Oak Brook. Our mission is simple: build better athletes, and build better humans doing it.
At Mighty Oak Athletic, we don't workout — we TRAIN.
$199/month. Unlimited sessions. Six days a week. Free trial. BOOK YOUR FREE TRIAL SESSION
Quick Facts
Location: 6424 S. Cass Ave., Westmont, IL 60559
Ages served: 6–18 (elementary, middle school, and high school athletes)
Price: $199/month — unlimited training, no contracts
Session length: 60 minutes
Schedule: Monday through Friday, 3:30pm to 7:30pm; Saturday 9:30am to 2:30pm
Program structure: 9 cumulative levels × 6 weeks each × 4 core movement patterns
Head coach: Mike Ockrim, CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist), founder of Mighty Oak Athletic and published author
Free trial: Yes — one free session for every new athlete
Training vs. Working Out — And Why It Matters
Working out is aimless. You go, you sweat, you leave. Maybe you feel better. Maybe you don't. Nothing is measured. Nothing is progressed. You're no further along in six months than you were on day one.
Training is a calculated approach. Every rep has a purpose. Every session builds on the last. Every athlete has a clear path forward and a way to measure the progress they're making.
That's what we do here. We don't run bootcamps. We don't chase sweat. We build strong, fast, confident, durable athletes — systematically, over years, with the same four lifts the strongest humans have trained for a century.
The Mighty Oak Athletic Method
Four Movement Patterns. Nine Levels. One Goal.
Every athlete at Mighty Oak Athletic trains the same four foundational movement patterns that build complete, well-rounded strength:
Squat — back squat for lower-body strength, posture, and mobility
Hinge — deadlift and power clean from the floor for posterior chain power and explosiveness
Press — overhead press for shoulder strength, core stability, and durable joints
Pull — floor rows and chin-ups for upper-back strength, shoulder health, and grip
Every six weeks, athletes test their progress. When they hit the standard, they promote to the next level. When they don't, they repeat the block until they do. No one gets passed along. No one gets left behind.
The Level System — Levels 1 Through 9
We use a nine-color progression system so every athlete knows exactly where they stand and exactly what they're working toward:
Earning a black shirt at Mighty Oak Athletic is a full year achievement. It means something. When a kid walks into a high school weight room wearing an MOA black shirt, their coach knows exactly what they're getting.
Why Parents Across DuPage County Choose Mighty Oak Athletic
We're a real barbell gym, not a bootcamp. Our athletes learn the back squat, deadlift, overhead press, power clean, and chin-up — the foundational lifts that have built strong humans for a hundred years. No resistance-band gimmicks. No trap bars. No pointless "functional" nonsense.
We coach girls and boys the same. Same barbells. Same standards. Same expectations. Strong girls become confident women. Strong boys become useful men.
We're led by a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. Head coach Mike Ockrim holds the CSCS credential from the National Strength and Conditioning Association — the gold standard for strength coaches. He's also the published author of Death Resistant, Mighty Oak Athletic Nutrition, and 13 Pounds in 30 Days.
We think in decades, not months. Our training philosophy is built on three Circles of Life: Recovery, Movement, Nutrition — in that order. We teach kids to play the long game. Be strong at 18. Be stronger at 28. Still strong at 80. Be strong to be useful.
We're local, and we know the scene. Mighty Oak Athletic has trained student athletes from Hinsdale South, Hinsdale Central, Downers Grove South, Downers Grove North, Benet Academy, Nazareth Academy, Fenwick, Lyons Township, Montini, IC Catholic Prep, and every middle school program across DuPage County.
Built for Every Sport
Strength and speed transfer everywhere. Our year-round program serves athletes across every field, court, mat, and track sport:
Football — explosive power, contact durability, speed off the line
Basketball — vertical jump, first-step quickness, injury prevention
Volleyball — jumping power, shoulder health, landing mechanics
Soccer — acceleration, change of direction, hamstring durability
Lacrosse — total-body power, shoulder strength, conditioning
Baseball & Softball — rotational power, throwing durability, sprint speed
Wrestling — grip, full-body strength, positional power
Track & Field — sprint power, throwing explosiveness, jump height
Cross Country — injury-resistant legs, posture, running economy
Hockey — skating power, core strength, body control
Don't see your sport? It doesn't matter. Strength is strength. Speed is speed. Every athlete benefits.
Is It Safe for Kids to Lift Weights? Yes — When It's Coached Right.
This is the number-one question we get from parents, so let's answer it directly.
The research is clear: Supervised strength training is one of the safest forms of youth athletics. The National Strength and Conditioning Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American College of Sports Medicine all endorse properly coached resistance training for children and adolescents. Studies consistently show that strength training reduces sports injury risk, improves athletic performance, and builds lifelong bone density.
The old myth that lifting stunts growth has been debunked for decades. What stunts growth is untreated injury, chronic overuse, and poor movement habits — exactly what happens to kids who only play their sport without a dedicated strength foundation.
What matters is coaching. A kid with a barbell and no coach is a risk. A kid with a barbell and a CSCS coach is on the single most evidence-backed path to healthy athletic development that exists.
That's why every Mighty Oak Athletic session is coached. Always. No exceptions.
Who This Program Is For
Elementary school kids (ages 6–10) who are starting to play organized sports and need a foundation of movement quality
Middle school athletes (ages 11–13) who are entering their biggest growth window and need strength to match their size
High school athletes (ages 14–18) who want to dominate their sport and earn college opportunities
Multi-sport athletes who need year-round strength without burning out
Beginners with zero experience — most of our athletes start here
Experienced lifters looking for real coaching and programming, not a commercial gym
Beginners are welcome and expected. Every athlete starts at Level 1. Every athlete gets taught every lift from scratch. No one is ever "behind."
Communities We Serve
Mighty Oak Athletic is the year-round strength and agility home for student athletes and families across the western Chicago suburbs:
Westmont · Hinsdale · Clarendon Hills · Downers Grove · Darien · Burr Ridge · Oak Brook · Willowbrook · Lisle · Woodridge · La Grange · Western Springs · Oak Brook Terrace · Countryside · Brookfield · Lemont
If you're within 20 minutes of Westmont, we're your gym.
Meet Coach Mike
Mighty Oak Athletic was founded in 2013 by Mike Ockrim, CSCS. Coach Mike is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, a published author of three books on strength, nutrition, and longevity, and a lifetime student of strength. He's spent more than a decade training young athletes in the western Chicago suburbs and has coached athletes who've gone on to college football, Division I track, and professional careers in strength and fitness.
Coach Mike also teaches weekly at Life Time Fitness and mentors student entrepreneurs at Fenwick High School's INCubatoredu program. He lives in Westmont with his wife Carey and their four kids — three of whom have trained alongside the other MOA athletes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Program Basics
What is the Mighty Oak Athletic youth strength and agility program? A year-round, CSCS-coached strength and agility program for student athletes ages 6 to 18 in Westmont, IL. Athletes progress through nine cumulative six-week blocks built around four foundational movement patterns: squat, hinge, press, and pull.
How much does it cost? $199 per month for unlimited training. No contracts. No long-term commitments. Cancel anytime.
What ages do you train? Ages 6 through 18 — elementary school, middle school, and high school athletes.
Where is Mighty Oak Athletic located? 6424 S. Cass Avenue, Westmont, IL 60559. We serve families across DuPage County including Hinsdale, Clarendon Hills, Downers Grove, Darien, Burr Ridge, and Oak Brook.
What are the training hours? Monday through Friday, 3:30pm to 7:30pm; Saturday 9:30am to 2:30pm. Sessions are 60 minutes. Athletes can attend as many sessions per week as they want.
Is there a free trial? Yes. Every new athlete gets one free trial session. Book your free trial here.
Training Questions
What exactly will my child learn? The four foundational strength movements — back squat, deadlift, overhead press, and floor rows/chin-ups — plus the power clean, sprint mechanics, change-of-direction drills, and sport-specific conditioning. Every lift is coached from scratch.
What is the color system? Athletes progress through nine color-coded levels — white, yellow, orange, green, blue, purple, brown, red, and black — with specific strength and movement standards at each level. It typically takes one year of consistent training to earn a black shirt.
Do you train girls? Yes. Girls and boys train the same program with the same barbells, the same standards, and the same expectations. Some of our strongest athletes are girls.
My kid has never lifted weights. Is that a problem? No. Most of our athletes start with zero experience. Every athlete begins at Level 1 and learns every lift from scratch with direct coaching.
My kid already plays a sport. When would they train? Any time that works. Our Monday-through-Saturday schedule is built to fit around practice, games, and travel teams. Most in-season athletes train two to three times a week.
Safety & Research
Is it safe for children to lift weights? Yes, when coached properly. The National Strength and Conditioning Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, and American College of Sports Medicine all endorse supervised strength training for children and adolescents. Research consistently shows it reduces injury risk and improves long-term athletic development.
Does lifting weights stunt growth? No. This is a decades-old myth that has been thoroughly debunked by pediatric and orthopedic research. Unsupervised injury, overuse, and poor movement habits stunt development — not properly coached strength training.
At what age can my child start strength training? As early as age 6 with proper coaching, according to the NSCA. The key isn't age — it's whether the child can follow directions and whether the coaching is competent.
Logistics
Do you offer team training for schools or club sports? Yes. Contact us to discuss team rates and scheduling for youth sports organizations, club teams, and school programs in the western suburbs.
Is there a contract? No. Month-to-month. Cancel anytime.
How do I sign up? Book a free trial session at calendly.com/mightyoakathletic/youth-strength, call 630-464-9498, or email Coach@MightyOakAthletic.com.
Build a Better Athlete. Build a Better Human.
Your kid only gets one childhood. One growth window. One chance to lay the foundation they'll stand on for the next seventy years.
Don't waste it on bootcamps, gimmicks, and working out. Give them a real program, a real coach, and a real path forward.
Call 630-464-9498 · Email Coach@MightyOakAthletic.com6424 S. Cass Ave., Westmont, IL 60559