My daughter went to the Arlington Heights HGG school closed day on 9/30/19. This was her 2nd time there. The 1st time was for a birthday party. She LOVED the day!!! She says the Zombie game was her favorite. She was a little nervous when she got there. Sam was so welcoming and sweet to her. She warmed up and absolutely loved her day. We can’t wait to sign up as a member.

Best kids program ever. BEST Summer Camp EVER. My son Martin loves it. He was at HGG Summer Camp for 8 weeks and he grew up so much. He became more confident, organized, strong mind and body, he learned archery, knife throwing, defense, working in a team and so much more….. I cannot say enough good things about HGG Arlington Heights. Sam the manager and all the team members are awesome with the kids. Thank you guys and keep it up!

“I LOVE THIS PLACE!” These are the first words quoted words by my two sons who spent a day actively running, climbing, going through obstacle courses, and working as a team with a whole group of kids they have never met before. It can be challenging to find activities that are safe, engaging, and age appropriate for two very active boys during no school days and it’s too cold outside to enjoy nature. Hot Ground Gym in Arlington Heights was recommended to us by a friend and her son. After one full day of high energy fun, my sons (ages 10 and 8) are already planning ahead for their next days off of school and asking to be signed up at HGG. They raved about Sam, the manager, and how he’s knowledgeable sharing safety lessons and tips to the kids. Knowing Sam has a background in being a first responder and an Army Veteran, I feel very secure dropping off my sons knowing that activities are planned with safety in mind. From a parent stand point, this is the highest compliment to HGG! They are choosing to climb, run, lift, partner up with kids they don’t know, and accept challenges to physical activities instead of begging to play video games, go to the movies, or watch tv! They will be repeat attendees for sure and I know I won’t hear any, “I don’t want to go… ” whining from them!

I feel so lucky that my Brownie Girl Scout troop and I got to attend such a fun and impactful teambuilding event at Hot Ground Gym to earn our Fair Play badge. The girls had an amazing time and left with big smiles, lots of confidence and strengthened bonds. I cannot believe how much the girls accomplished and grew in one hour! Sam and his team were great with the girls and have so much to offer, teaching life skills alongside such a variety of fun and creative activities (the themes for classes change weekly). I look forward to returning with my troop and my family!

Our girl scout brownie troop attended a teambuilding event tonight at Hot Ground Gym. They all had the best time! They were lead by two amazing leaders who helped them earn their Fair Play badge. They were able to work on their mental and physical abilities, all while working together! I highly recommend attending a class with your kids! Our girls cannot wait to return! Thank you Hot Ground Gym!!

Hot Ground Gym is a fantastic place for children to grow both physically and mentally. My daughters have started taking classes here and the weekly curriculum is outstanding for strength, confidence and team building. We recently hosted a birthday party here for my 8 year old and it was phenomenal. Well organized from start to finish. Sam and Evan did an incredible job directing and encouraging 18 girls through several obstacles and team building exercises. All of the kids had an excellent time. I would highly recommend this place. You can’t go wrong.

I just left Hot Ground Gym after an awesome team building event that I scheduled for my daughters’ Indian Princess program. Sam was amazing. He connected with the girls and got them moving, thinking, problem solving and working together. He kept them engaged and smiling which is not always easy for girls ages 5-12. Well done Sam and well done Hot Ground Gym. I would definitely recommend Sam and the gym if you are looking for a great event for groups sized 10-30. I know they do birthday parties there as well which I am sure would be great!

I cant say enough great things about this place! What a great concept. My son was invited to a friends birthday party here and it was a blast. I saw a couple parents (including myself) that wanted to jump in the party with the kids, because it looked so much fun. The place is super clean and well maintained. In the beginning I didn’t know if my son will be able to do some of the obstacles, he is not the most athletic kid in the class and that was my concern. However, the instructors encouraged and motivated every single child at the party and no one left behind. In the beginning of the party when they were explaining the rules one of the instructors said “Don’t be afraid of anything. We ask you to do it because we are here for you and we will overcome any challenge together.” The obstacle courses were a blast, but the coolest thing was their team building activities. The kids had carried the birthday boy in a kayak above their heads. They also go some parents involved in the kayak team building activity. This is an awesome place for kids!!!

Had an awesome birthday party experience there today! Joey and Jeremy were the ultimate hosts and really empowered the kids to overcome their fears and stretch their limits! Thanks for taking care of every detail and helping create such a special experience for everyone!

Another perfect review. Don’t even think twice…your kid will love it. My 6 year old daughter originally came for a birthday party and now comes twice a week and loves it! The skill building, exercise, rule following, respect, and teamwork make this place exceptional! Can’t say enough good things about this place. Sam the manager and all the team members are awesome with the kids. Thank you guys and keep it up!

This place is the absolute best! The coaches are amazing. My son had his 8th birthday party here and now he’s almost 9. The development we have seen is really incredible, and my son isn’t even consistent about going weekly which we are trying to do. My son did some summer camp and will be doing winter camp as well. It’s challenging, fun, and they learn so much about being a better and stronger person. It’s so wonderful for kids to have such amazing role models and teachers in the staff. Many thanks to everyone at Hot Ground Gym!!

My kids did the winter camp at hot ground and liked it so much! Fun activities, awesome coaches and a great work out. Unfortunately, we have already other plans for MLK but for the summer the kids are asking already to sign them up for the camp.

My Daughter loves this place. She has learned so many new skills and good things from this place. They teach them so much more than obstacle courses they teach them team work and respect. The winter camp was awesome she loved expending time with the coaches and new friends. We will be doing more camps for sure. Thank you Hot Grounds you are awesome!!!

My son loves the classes and was sooo looking forward to winter camp. It exceeded his expectations!! While he had a blast, as a mom i appreciate the balance of fun, challenging activities (the “missions”) with team building exercises, self-defense training, and character building. I really cannot say enough about HG, it has made my kiddo love exercise and develop physically and mentally!

We were very excited that Hot Ground Gym offered a camp session for Good Friday. It gave our son the opportunity to spend the day learning new skills and being active. We love Hot Ground Gym! We have seen a big change in our son over the course of the last couple of months. All of the instructors are great with him and have taught him so much! He is learning to work with other kids as part of a team, to be a good listener and be respectful.

I was so excited, when I got an email, about registering Ian for Hot Ground Presidents Day camp. Days off of school, usually mean a full day of TV watching, and junk food at Grandmas, so the option of having him, hang with friends, participate is lots of action packed fun, was an awesome alternative. He LOVED it! He was so excited to tell me all about the knife throwing, and Archery, and the fun team works activities that he did. He was active and busy all day, by the time I picked him up, he was spent! We love Hot Ground, and look forward to enrolling Ian any camps they have in the future!!

My son (8) and daughter (10) had an amazing experience during HGG summer leadership camp. Each week they learned new leadership, teamwork, safety, and problem solving skills. Sam and his team are amazing and exceptional! My kids are looking forward to the classes offered throughout the school year and enrolling again next summer. This is truly an awesome program for all kids!

Both of my boys love “working out” here once or twice a week. The instructors are wonderful and the sessions are very reasonably priced. A hidden gem during the winter!

Cannot say enough good things about this place. The staff are friendly – if I’m sitting waiting the ones that are not with kids come over and introduce themselves. My son loves the classes, he is beginning to show belief in his abilities and more confidence. Your kids will have a ball. Give it a shot!

My daughter has been attending Hot Ground Gym since January and we couldn’t be happier. We love the physical workout she receives, but the teamwork, motivation, and practical skills are outstanding​. I love watching her and the other children excel and smile when they complete something that may have seemed too difficult moments before. All the coaches are professional and great with the kids. In short, they are the best! Our entire family highly recommends Hot Ground Gym.

I cannot say enough about what the classes at HGG have done for my boy’s perseverance and patience and leadership qualities. And it’s a great workout too!

Our boys, 7 and 10, did the HGG Leadership Summer camp for the month of June. They had a lot of fun learning to work together with others, be leaders, be accountable (at least there) and experience drills, obstacle courses, and other activities not offered at other camps. They liked going to the lake once a week. The boys came home tired!

This place provides unique experience for my kid. There is no other place in the area that exposes kids to learning real life skills, survival methods, leadership. etc… I love the owner too

Literally love this place and all that they stand for. This is a facility ran by people who care about setting our kids up for success with a side of tough skin. It’s a bit far for us but my sis in law and I make it happen by alternating carpool just so we can get the kids into at least one week of their camp sessions. They focus on team building, confidence building, working out their mind, and their bodies everyday. They rave about their day and actually are begging for another week. Do not hesitate to support this facility and their leaders, you and your kids will be happy you did!

We found Hot Ground Gym (HGG) by accident because of my daughter’s interest in Parkour or Ninja-type obstacle course activities, kind of like the American Ninja Warrior tv show. There are two aspects to HGG’s approach that made this place a great choice for our child’s after-school activities: 1) classes offer far more than a fun, physical after-school activity where the kids get to burn energy by climbing, jumping, swinging on ropes, etc; and 2) while the kids are “playing” they’re also learning about teamwork, confidence, cooperation, responsibility, leadership and problem-solving skills. That is the backbone of this whole company which is run by veterans—teaching kids very important life skills during the classes through the different activities. Other important details which factored into our decision choosing HHG included: 1) small class size; 2) individualized attention; 3) beautiful new facility that is very clean; and 4) very reasonable rates for classes. We started our child at 1 time per week but are moving up to 2 times per week since she loves it so much.

We have two daughters, ages five and seven. At Hot Ground Gym they get a good work out but don’t even realize they are exercising because they are focused on the obstacle course tasks. These classes safely challenge the kids to try things they normally wouldn’t get to try: climbing over walls, running up ramps, climbing ropes, etc. Sam does an amazing job breaking down the ever-rotating obstacles into separate skills and then training those skills and muscle groups. My daughters are growing in confidence and resilience. We are so glad to have found HGG!

We highly recommend Hot Ground Gym classes because they offer a fun, physical after-school activity coupled with learning opportunities in social and emotional learning. The kids get to burn energy by climbing, jumping, swinging on ropes, etc. While the kids are “playing” they’re also learning about teamwork, confidence, cooperation, responsibility, leadership and problem-solving skills. Hot Ground Gym is owned by veterans who are great role models. We also love the small class size, individualized attention as well as the beautiful new facility and reasonable rates for classes.

I was looking for an alternative to martial arts for my son, and learned about Hot Ground. I’m extremely impressed by what they do. In addition to challenging parkour, which he loves, they teach practical life skills that go beyond anything I’ve seen elsewhere (except possibly the Boy Scouts). My son has been learning first aid and other life-saving skills, survival techniques, and more — and I’m seeing a big improvement in both his physical confidence and emotional maturity. The coaches are great with kids, striking a nice balance between good-humored and no-nonsense, which the kids definitely respond to! The facilities are very well-maintained, and I like the fact that they take the kids outside when the weather’s good. I’ve decided to try a week of the summer camp this year as well, and we’ll see how that goes. Hot Ground isn’t inexpensive, but the price (especially for the camp) is in keeping with most other after-school activities.

Hot Ground Gym provides an awesome physical workout, builds character and teaches teamwork! My 8yo son has really looked up to the instructors and my 4yo daughter wants to follow in his footsteps. From classes, to leadership camp, to birthday parties, I highly recommend!

We moved here nearly a year ago, and started our son shortly after the move. Since then, he has grown in confidence, independence, compassion, trust, and respect. He has the diagnoses of ADHD, oppositional defiance disorder, intermittent explosive disorder, and anxiety. He hasn’t had a single tantrum since his third week with Sam at Hot Ground. He is kinder, more respectful, and genuinely wants to have better and more meaningful relationships with peers. The teamwork and relationship model offered here is unique in that the kids depend on any random group as the class days vary. The outward focus seems to be physical development, but the true focus is mental, social-emotional, and community growth. Sam absolutely loves the kids as they are, wherever they are, and is building up each person as that individual needs to be built up. He is a true gem, and my son looks forward to each class, excited about each one.