At Lights Out Academy in Hamilton, owner Bryan Henry, head trainer Kevin Wagner and physical therapist Dr. Michael Wehrhahn work with athletes who are serious about improving their game. Whether their sport is baseball, ice hockey, football or another, from amateurs to high school and college players to professionals, they train athletes and work with them to safely and scientifically become both physically and mentally tougher.
Opened last April, Lights Out Academy is a sports specialty training facility, they work with both up and coming local athletes as well as professional athletes. Lights Out works with a number of area teams as well as individuals. Eight-year old Ava Barone, a four-time national tae kwon do champion, is one of their youngest athletes. They also work with NFL players including Hamilton West alumnus Jayson DiManche, former Allentown High School star Ross Sheuerman and Brandon Copeland, linebacker for the Detroit Lions, plus other professional athletes. In February, the NFL players spoke with the Lights Out Academy Young Athletes to share their expertise.
Henry grew up in the Hamilton area and played in a number of the athletic programs, including Hamilton Little Lads and Hamilton Pop Warner.
The first step for new athletes at Lights Out Academy is to meet with Wehrhahn for a full evaluation. Known as “Dr. Mike,” Wehrhahn recently became a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist.
“The very first thing we do is break down their body to help identify and movement dysfunctions that predisposes them to injury or limit their progress with strength training,” Wehrhahn said. “It is the foundation of our program. If kids test well, we get them in the weight room with Kevin, the best strength trainer in the Northeast area. If we find limitations, I can help them work those out. No one hits a barrier with training. We don’t hit roadblocks with our athletes.”
“We provide programs, it is the athletes’ sweat that provides the results,” Wagner said. “We have no machines. No one sits down here.”
Each program is customized to each athlete to help them achieve their personal goals to get to the next level—whether it is speed training or hitting or weight training. Wagner is a Natural Athlete Strength Association New Jersey State Champion Powerlifter. He has studied and incorporates a variety of methods, including the EXOS methodology.
“We look into the mindset of how athletes perform,” Wagner said.
He added at Lights Out Academy they continue to study and learn the new trends.
People come in for an hour at a time and work with a trainer or a physical therapist. It is not an open gym.
“Mike makes us different,” Wagner said. “We are science-based.”
Wehrhahn said another thing that makes Lights Out different is the level of training. He recently completed a 15-month residency with the top one percent of physical therapists in the country. The program has helped him to “develop athletes as a whole.”
“We complement each other in perfect harmony,” Henry said. “All of us crossed paths being with professional organizations. We are always open to learning.”
Henry, for example, brings his professional baseball experience to the team. After graudating from Northern Burlington High School and Keystone College, he played for two seasons in the Arizona Diamondbacks farm system.
“Mercer County is a very big baseball area,” Henry said. “We offer an off-season base strength program. I really do think we are the best in the area. That is flirting between confidence and cockiness, but we are a total package.”
Lights Out Academy is located at 3 Nami Lane, Unit 1-3, in Hamilton. Phone: (609) 838-9390. Web: lightsoutacademy.com.
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