I have always had a question. Don’t get me wrong, I love my job and the folks I work with. But I have always had a question and was hoping to get feedback from the folks here …
If there were an Age Group Multisport Clinic/Workout Facility in your area, would you use it over the YMCA, Club Pool, Health Club. Would there be any advantage?
Facility would be fronted by a running/cycling/fitness retail entity, and all the amenities of a normal healthclub, including onsite coaching, nutrition, etc. My wife is a PT and a duathlete, so her practice would be on site as well. Probably massage too.
The idea would be to cater to all three sports independently along with multisport and a high concentration on a the whole approach to fitness - aerobic, strength, nutrition, etc. Very friendly to folks looking for permanent weight loss and a new lifestyle.
Would you join and participate? How big of an area would be required to make this happen and be a success? I have the business model already - the hours are horrible and the owner would probably have to live in the small apartment upstairs. Might be looking to pull the trigger in 5 years after a better assessment of the continued growth in multisport. Thoughts?
Sounds great! Just make sure to open it in Los Gatos, California - so I can join
More seriously, you’ll need an area with enough athletes (and incomes) to pay your bills. We have a few personal/circuit training facilities here that charge upwards of $500 a month for two sessions a week, if all else failed you could resort to what they do.
Steve, if you haven’t alreay checked out the USAT Training Facility in Clermont, do so. They built it, I’m not sure if they are coming or not. In terms of what I have in my area its an extraordinary facility. I think monthly fees were ridiculously low compared to the local market – $35/mo or so shortly after they opened.
i think it’s a great idea, you’ll just have to market to a broader audience. i worked at a hospital based wellness center in a large metropolitan city (houston) for two years and i always thought it was the perfect club for a multisport athlete, yet i was one of probably 3 or 4 triathletes that utilized the facility. we had a lap pool dedicated to lap swim only, spinning classes, and the workout floor was mainly cardio equipment so there was never a waiting list to get on the treadmills. and a more than adequate strength training area. if i were still working there i would have tried to develop a masters swim program in the aquatic center and i think that would have been integral to attracting more multisporters.
i think your idea of fronting the facility with a retail shop is also an excellent way to attract members.
you are right about one thing it will be very hard work, and you need a dedicated and, more importantly, passionate staff. I was at the wellness center every day when i was working there, but i enjoyed it. i just didn’t enjoy houston.
my significant other and I have often thought the same thing…but have gasped at the expense thought of it…recently considered a bed and breakfeast for people wanting training time in the mtns of western carolina…we live 2 miles from blue ridge parkway as well as the best trail running and mtn biking in the southeast…just pay for advertising and maybe they will come.
I thought about expanding my chiropractic office this way several years ago. The intent was a health club/rehab facility with chiro office and massage therapists, trainers, etc.
In the end I chickened out due the high financial cost and associated risk. But to answer your question I would definately join if such a facility was located near me, but I also think to really make it work you might have to go more broad interest than just triathlon orientated.
cvguy, care to move to a great training area in a few years? Most definitely have to go broad in appeal. Certainly not suited to specific multi-sport interests. But there are very few full service facilities that offer a team atmosphere. By full service, I mean backing up a chiropractic office, PT office, retail, with a health club facility. The most friendly and helpful folks on my road to fitness have been fellow athletes - ordinary folks who have been there before facing the same issues of family, work, etc. The fine point is the word of mouth that would follow success stories. Like, “That place has some folks who have been where I am and are really helping me work through some of the lifestyle issues. They’ve been there, so they know.”
Broad appeal for sure, just like any other health club facility. But a base crowd of runners, swimmers, cyclist, and multisport folks. Not just providing a facility for them to do their own thing, a “value-added” facility - now there’s a term from my current world.
the wellness center in which i worked, had chiropractic, a large physical therapy center, massage therapy. basically a high-end YMCA, but with YMCA comparable dues.
