When Jessica Hayes was ready to seek out new opportunities following her time as a stay-at-home mom, she and husband Nathan did some research and discovered D1 Training, a fitness enrichment concept that matched the family’s values.
“When we learned more about it and the culture of the company, what they do, we were just blown away,” Jessica Hayes said.
Founded in 2001 by former NFL player Will Bartholomew, D1 Training began franchising in 2017. Today, it has more than 100 performance centers already open and more than 100 in various stages of development.
Hayes, who had taught fifth grade students for about nine years, saw this as an ideal chance to work with children again and to help them achieve their fitness goals. It was an easy decision.
So, on Dec. 2, they opened their facility at 10860 U.S. 1, Unit 202, in Ponte Vedra.
D1 Training offers four age-based programs: rookie, for ages 7-11; developmental, for ages 12-14; prep, for ages 15-18; and adult. Each program is based on five tenets: dynamic warm-up, performance, strength program, core and conditioning and cool down.
In addition to these programs, D1 Training offers team training, where athletes come in to work on specific skills; and small group training, designed around the athletes’ individual goals.
“It’s very personalized,” Hayes said. “We say, ‘You pick your goal, and we’ll help you get there.’”
The facility also offers personal training, for those wanting that service. In addition, it offers D1 on Campus, where D1 coaches go out to work with teams on their own campuses. These may be high school teams, recreational leagues or something else.
For parents, who want to work out alongside their children, D1 has an adult class scheduled to run concurrently with a rookie class, each with its own coach.
“I think that is something really unique,” said Hayes. “Parents and their kids can work our side-by-side, coached differently.”
In addition to fitness, D1 coaches conduct a lot of character building, and they place a special emphasis on working as a team. They talk with the children on topics, such as “respect” or “responsibility.”
Hayes believes what keeps people coming back is the sense of community created by the D1 culture.
“What’s really important to me is building that community,” she said. “You might come in here not knowing anybody, but you’ll meet someone here and you’ll feel like you’re part of a team.”
“Jessica and Nathan are the ideal candidates to bring the D1 Training experience to Ponte Vedra,” said the brand’s chief operating officer, Dan Murphy. “We’re thrilled to welcome them to the D1 family and are confident in their ability to show the Ponte Vedra area what they’ve been missing out on. D1 is a unique fitness experience built around the individual to help people meet their athletic goals. Our strong network of franchisees embodies our core values to bring the D1 Training vision to life, and we know Jessica and Nathan will do just that in Ponte Vedra and the surrounding communities.”
Getting started is easy. Rookies can come in for a trial class. For others, there is a one-on-one assessment with the head coach or the general manager.
“We do movement screenings to see where they are and where they want to be,” said Hayes. “Then, we make some recommendations about what program would suit them best.”
Call 904-747-9344 or go to d1training.com/ponte-vedra for information. The facility’s Instagram page is updated daily. The scheduled times for each age group can be found on the D1 Training app.
