You know what’s growing fast?
The demand for private athletic training.
It’s no longer just for elite athletes — today, youth athletes and health-conscious adults are embracing this targeted training.
Let’s Dive In 👇
Market Size
I believe it’s important to first examine the overall market…
Sports Training Market Overview:
- Private Training Costs: Average hourly rate in the U.S. is ~$65.
- Youth Athletes: 54% of youth aged 6–18 participate in organized sports.
- Adult Engagement: 10% of individuals over age 55 work with personal trainers.
- Athletic training is among the fastest-growing professions in health care. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 17% job growth over the next 10 years.
A few macro-trends can be attributed to this growth:
- Potential for NIL + scholarship money at the HS and college level.
- More health-conscious adults seeking guidance for longevity and wellness.
- Wearable technology and data-driven insights leading to an increased reliance on trainers who can interpret and plan around this data effectively.
- Lower costs of home gym equipment and the pandemic led to more private training sessions from individual homes.
Private training is appealing due to flexible scheduling and the personalization of the programs. We’re even seeing more sports academies launch to support this.
Shifting To The Masses
And while private sports training was once thought to be a one-on-one experience…
We’re starting to see franchises and group training facilities sweep the country.
Some examples of franchises that offer private training:
*Sidenote: doing the market map above made me realize just how many gyms exist (those are just franchises…think of all the mom-and-pop shops).
I want to quickly highlight one of the fastest-growing that I was lucky enough to have on the podcast this week…
D1 Training Is Scaling Fast
Founded in 2001 by former NFL player Will Bartholomew…
D1 Training is a fitness enrichment concept utilizing Division I style training to help people of all ages achieve their sport and fitness goals.
D1 Training began franchising in 2017:
- have over 115 open locations
- with over 250 in development
- sold 59 new territories this year
- Initial franchise fee is $59,500 (net worth of $500k+ required) + 7% royalty fees
Last year, they served about 25,000 athletes across the country.
D1 Training is starting to add additional revenue streams — including a nationwide partnership with beverage brand Prime.
They’ve also begun adding athlete partners to their franchises, including NBA great Chris Paul and former NFL quarterbacks Peyton Manning & Tim Tebow.
Side Effects
One of the beautiful things about the growth of private training is that it’s creating a larger market size for products/services in the industry.
- Recovery Tools — cryotherapy, hyperbaric chambers, red light therapy, compression gear.
- Performance Tracking Technology — wearable devices, mobile apps, etc
- Nutrition and Supplementation — custom meal plans, sports supplements
- Therapy and Rehabilitation Services — physical therapy, chiropractic care, IVs, massage therapy
- Apparel and Equipment — athletic gear, specialized equipment
- Software for Training Facilities — custom B2B solutions
And we’re now starting to see the physical training space drip over into the Mental Performance training industry — mindfulness, mental resilience, stress management, and meditation programs.
Don’t forget that the global wellness industry is estimated to be $6.32 trillion!
Here’s the core business model of Planet Fitness:
What’s cool is this…
As the private athletic training space gains momentum — a whole ecosystem of supporting products and services will continue to grow around it.
Looking Ahead
The sports/fitness industry is buzzing!
You know this is true, as seen by the increased attention to sports training in the United States (from youth athletes up to seniors).
I expect to see it keep growing — especially as NIL deals make getting to college more attractive and older adults become more health-conscious.
Keep in mind that ~1.8 billion adults still don’t exercise enough…
A big market opportunity (that is getting bigger by the day)!
The next evolution will be companies aiming to make it a holistic experience that blends physical fitness with mental health, nutrition, and recovery services — a one-stop-shop experience.
