Mark Olson is one of the foremost experts in the fields of strength and conditioning, performance enhancement and general fitness in the State of Michigan. He currently spends his time coaching athletes from numerous sports at all levels, with a focus on elite hockey players from around the country. He serves as the head coach of a AAA midget hockey team, acts as a strength coach consultant to a variety of programs and trains rigorously himself.

Prior to founding Athletic Mentors, Mark served as the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for Northern Michigan University after completing his own hockey career with NMU’s National Championship Team in 1991, where he was inducted into NMU’s sports hall of fame.
Following his hockey career, Mark went on to compete at very high levels in a variety of sports, including road and mountain bike racing, triathlon, XTERRA and powerlifting. Mark holds a Master’s degree in Applied Mathematics and has been an entrepreneur for numerous business ventures.

In 2003 Mark co-founded Athletic Mentors, which has become the premier strength and conditioning company in West Michigan. Athletic Mentors’ primary objective is to provide a coaching environment where athletes at all levels can reach their true potential in their disciplines and in their LIVES. Mark derives enormous pleasure from producing top-performing athletes, and has had the honor of helping many achieve their goals in state, national, and professional arenas. Athletes trained through Athletic Mentors programs range from youngsters to All Stars in almost every sport, plus non-athletes striving to be happy, healthy, moving and fit human beings.

Paul’s history in endurance sports began as a novice runner in 1977. Since then he has gained a breadth of experience participating in hundreds of events (running, multi-sport and bicycle racing). Paul has many successes competitively, though, emphasizes health and active living as core motivators. Paul is very supportive in his coaching style, blending the use of science, personal experience and consciousness to promote athletic economy and positive outcomes. His educational background in anatomy, kinesiology, physiology and biomechanics complement his ability and coaching effectiveness. Paul is an experienced, nationally certified (NCTMB) and Michigan licensed (LMT) massage therapist as well as a certified personal trainer with the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA ‚ CPT). For more on massage, see sports massage on this website.

Paul has successfully coached beginner-intermediate runners and groups since 2007. From a practical perspective, he understands the importance of balancing work and family life while developing a progressive and consistent athletic program. Athletes looking to improve general fitness and performance can look forward to a well-developed program of periodized linear and/or non-linear training that targets specific goals and events. The development of running economy, assessment of biomechanics (running form), range of movement (ROM) and restrictions due to tight or weak musculature may be topics of discussion and evaluation.

Personal Note:

In today’s fast-paced world it’s easy to lose focus. For an athlete, a loss of focus can lead to inconsistent training, performance decline, complete abandonment of a training program and/or an increased risk of injury. Proper coaching and planning are vital and key components of result oriented training and successful training programs.

Joey Chester has been a competitive athlete his entire life. While at Defiance College, Joey was an integral part of the school’s football team, excelling as a running back all 4 years. His moves on the field led him to become the third leading scorer going into his senior year, averaging 4.3 yards per carry. Off the field, he was a member of the Sports Business Association and received a degree in Wellness and Corporate Fitness.

Joey began his career at Athletic Mentors as an intern during the summer of 2013. Since that point he has become a familiar face among the athletes, staying with AM after graduation in May 2014. Joey has become entirely immersed in the training at AM. He oversees strength training of athletes in the areas of hockey, soccer, football, volleyball, tennis, swimming and others. He also offers personal training for adults looking for a lifestyle change.

Helping people reach their training goals inspires him. Being able to see the positive effects of the training is rewarding. Joey is passionate about what he does and all of the people that he is able to help along the way. His calm demeanor and insight have proven to motivate all that he works with.