Next Level Training Celebrates Its 3-Year Anniversary

By Alexandra Gakos, Next Level Training

Next Level Training staff members extend a sincere thanks to all those who came to Next Level’s three-year anniversary festivities on May 9th. It was a pleasure to spend the day with our clients and friends. We can’t believe how quickly three years have flown by!

Professional athlete, Steve Weatherford, was on hand at the anniversary party to spend time with Next Level athletes and to sign autographs for those present. Steve also gave a motivational speech to the crowd, speaking of the road he took to become a professional football player, as well as of the obstacles he faced that ultimately contributed to his success. Steve also stressed how much he values being part of the Next Level family and how rewarding it is for him to spend time talking with—and inspiring—young athletes.

“Being a part of the Next Level fitness family and really bringing my passions to life here—and sharing that with the kids—is something that, for me, is my legacy,” said Steve. “My legacy is, Who did I impact and encourage and inspire by playing football?”

At the anniversary party, Next Level announced that it will be holding its first-ever summer camp, which will take place the week of July 6th to 10th. The five-day Off-Ice Training & Hockey Skills Camp will feature daily on-ice hockey sessions with Noel Rubin, Director of Boys Hockey for the NJ Colonials. The off-ice portion of the camp will consist of speed training, hockey skills training, dryland interval/circuit training, and team building sessions. Age eligibility for the camp is Grade 8 and below. Next Level members with individual training packages valid during the week of the camp will receive a 10% discount off of the camp fee. For more information on our summer camp, please call Next Level or click here to view our camp brochure.

During its anniversary celebration, Next Level made a series of other announcements, including naming a 2014-2015 Team of the Year. Since it is the first time Next Level has ever named a team of the year, it was only fitting that the team selected was an inspiring, hard-working group who has been a part of the Next Level family since the day Next Level opened.

“One team comes in here all of the time with great enthusiasm, always has an amazing work ethic, and [is] just a pleasure to be around…and that is the New Jersey Dare Devils,” said General Manager/Head Trainer, Bill Katinsky, as he congratulated the Dare Devils on being the Team of the Year.

Since Next Level opened its doors in April 2012, it has donated one free team training session a month to the Dare Devils, which is a special needs hockey program. The program, based out of South Mountain Arena in West Orange, is comprised of 50 boys and girls under the age of 30, who have various special needs. The team recently went to the Special Hockey International Tournament in Ottawa and had a perfect 4-0 record while there! Next Level could not be more proud of the commitment the Dare Devils demonstrate while training at Next Level—and the way the team’s hard work showed at the tournament.

The Dare Devils, in turn, presented Next Level with a plaque in gratitude of Next Level’s work with the Dare Devils. In part, the plaque read, “Thank you for your support in the quest to reach our goals through hockey.”

“[Next Level goes] above and beyond when it comes to our team,” Stephen Ritter, Dare Devils Head Coach, said of Next Level. “These are all special needs kids. We come out here twice a month, and Bill and his whole crew just treat us so, so good.”

Next Level also honored a Male Athlete of the Year, Andrew Petrillo, and Female Athlete of the Year, Kendall Cornine, for the 2014-2015 season.

Andrew (’16) is a varsity defenseman for the Delbarton ice hockey team and was drafted recently by the Youngstown Phantoms today in the USHL draft. At the end of this season, Andrew was also given the following honors: Gordon Conference Most Valuable Player; MSG Varsity All-New Jersey Ice Hockey First Team; NJ.com Boys Ice Hockey All-State First Team; NJ.com Non-Public Ice Hockey First Team; and NJ.com Gordon Conference All-Star First Team.

Kendall (’15), who was also named as Next Level’s March Athlete of the Month, is a varsity forward for the Morristown-Beard girls ice hockey team. Kendall will be attending Rochester Institute of Technology in the fall with a scholarship to play Division I hockey. Kendall was selected as the overall 2014-2015 Girls Ice Hockey Player of the Year by NJ.com, was a four-time All-State selection, and is currently the all-time leading scorer in Morristown-Beard girls’ ice hockey history.

In his speech at the anniversary party, Donald Shauger, owner of Next Level, mentioned several of the charities and organizations to which Next Level has donated over the past year. Over the past year, Next Level has donated to Susan G. Komen North Jersey, which funds breast cancer research; Homeless Solutions, which provides emergency shelter, transitional housing, and outreach services to homeless and low-income individuals in Morris County; Daytop, which is an adolescent substance abuse treatment program; and the American Heart Association, which raises heart health awareness. Next Level also held a coat drive this past winter and collected coats for Furnishing Solutions, Homeless Solutions’ retail clothing store whose proceeds directly benefit Homeless Solutions.

Donald promised donations to many of these organizations again in the coming year. He also reaffirmed Next Level’s commitment to the Dare Devils for another season, once again offering the team a free training session per month.

“One of our biggest things is, besides training the whole body and training the mind, also giving back to our community,” said Donald.

Next Level is also pleased to announce that it has joined the Morris County Chamber of Commerce. We look forward to connecting with our members and members’ families who also belong to the MCCC.

We sincerely thank our clients for their loyalty and support over the past three years. It is our pleasure to train you!

About Next Level Training

Next Level Training is conveniently located near Route 287 and Route 10 in Cedar Knolls, NJ. We offer a variety of services, including personal training (one-on-one and group), sport-specific training, hockey-specific training, team training, and nutrition counseling.

With certified trainers, an on-site physical therapist and nutritionist, state-of-the-art weight training equipment, and comprehensive, full-service programs, we give teams, athletes, and individuals the distinct advantage to reach their optimal fitness potential.

All incoming clients are assessed by means of an initial evaluation, as well as by a complimentary 30-minute physical therapy evaluation screening. Results from these baseline tests are used in order to determine individuals’ strengths and weaknesses, and they serve to enhance the level and quality of subsequent training.

With both one-on-one and group personal training, we cater to individuals’ needs and fitness goals. Our trainers custom design each session to provide a challenging and rewarding atmosphere, and all exercises have progressions and regressions to suit all participants’ fitness levels. Our one-on-one personal training allows individuals to work out individually in a setting that is entirely focused upon their goals and progress, as well as upon their form and technique. Small group training sessions (a.k.a. “boot camps”) provide a fun, energetic atmosphere that encourages individuals to push themselves and others.

We provide our sport-specific athletes with specific conditioning and dynamic workouts that prepare players for the unpredictable nature of their games. For our hockey players, we have unique hockey-specific equipment to help ensure every player reaches his or her peak performance. We use our skating treadmill and acceleration ramp to improve skating mechanics and to train the muscles to maximize their full potential. Our stick-handling machine works on puck control, while it simultaneously enhances players’ on-ice awareness by forcing athletes to keep their heads up. We use our two shooting lanes to teach correct shooting techniques, with a focus on increasing both power and accuracy. Our off-ice training is tailored to the individual players’ needs by improving strength, balance, flexibility, and agility.

For more updates about Next Level Training, please visit http://www.nextlevelnj.com/, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter.