Athlete Interview
What his experience has been like.
I interviewed one of our senior athletes who has been with KS&C since I made the move out to Minooka. He has seen exponential growth not only in his strength but his on field performances in every aspect. Pitching, hitting, fielding, sprinting, not to mention receiving a scholarship to play at the Division I level at Illinois State University.
Brayden Zilis
Brayden joined our program in August of 2023 when we started in a tiny strip inside of MVP waiting for the expansion to be completed. Starting out I wanted to make an impression on these kids, giving them the best training possible to put them in a position to succeed. Brayden was one of the first new recipients of that. I knew what my goals were for Brayden, beefing the kid up and putting some size on him for starters. I didn’t know who Brayden was other than the son of the owner of MVP and my first words to him were “You wanna start working out with me of what?” Putting him in a corner I think he didn’t have any other option other than to say yes.
Right then is when the journey started. Taking on the off-season head on the program started to grow, and so did Brayden. The first glimpse of what would be the start of his success was the initial testing at the Top Tier South winter training in November 2023. Reaching a max exit velocity of 96mph where his previous EV was 90mph. Then running a 1.52 second 10yd dash smashing his previous record of 1.72 seconds and not to mention we gained 15lbs of BW.
He then went to a preseason showcase for PBR and continued to flash new skill performance records. He ran a 6.87 in the 60-yard dash, his fastest ever dropping almost a full second from his previous best. All but one of his swings during BP produced exit velocities above the 94-mph mark with six at 98+ mph, including a max EV of 99.9 mph. Throwing 89 mph across the diamond, and on the mound where he sat 87-89 mph. Thats over 10mph gained in throwing and exit velocities over the course of the off-season training period.
That spring season is when Brayden started to stand out where he made First-Team All-State selection. The Illinois State commit hit his way to a .407 average with 15 doubles, three triples, seven home runs, 33 RBIs, 44 runs scored and 10 stolen bases. On the other side of the ball, the right-hander fired 48 innings with a 7-1 record, 66 strikeouts, a 0.58 ERA and 1.14 WHIP.
Here is a link to his PBR profile.
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Don’t just take it from me. Take it from Brayden.
When did you start training at Kinetic Strength & Conditioning?
August of 2023
What were your skill performance numbers at before training with KS&C? (Throwing Velocity, Exit Velocity, 60yd Dash, Vertical Jump)
My throwing was about 80-81, exit velocity was 85, 60 yard was a 7.7, and vertical jump was a 30’
What are those numbers now?
My throwing velocity is now 89, exit velocity is now 103, 60 yard is now 6.8, and vertical jump is now a 37
What has your experience been like training with KS&C and how has it impacted your performance on the field?
It has helped me evolve not just as a player but as a person as well and made me a lot better than what I previously was.
What is your advice to any high school athlete looking to play at the next level?
Put your head down and work, and you can play at whatever level you dream of.
What are your next goals?
To make a deep run in the playoffs this season in high school.
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There you have it.
As always,
SHARPEN YOUR SWORDS
