Sports facility testing its way to prosperity

A cornerstone of the rebranding project at IMG Academies is officially underway.

The Bradenton-based sports-training complex, which restructured its executive management team in early 2009, has long sought a way to reach out to the fitness industry with something to test more than a person's athletic ability. Its answer is Combine360, a body of tests that probe an athlete's nutrition habits, mental skills and character development, in addition to what he or she does on the field or court. (See Business Review, Aug. 13, 2010)

Sam Zussman, managing director of the Academies, has likened Combine360 to the athletic equivalent of the SATs. Brian Griffin, the director of the program, adds that IMG believes “the combine is the one true test of an athlete's potential.”

From a business model standpoint, Combine 360 also represents one of the first tests of IMG's newfound emphasis on partnerships to drive enrollment, both for the year-round school and summer camps. Indeed, Combine360 is a combination of forces from Baltimore-based athletic apparel firm Under Armour and IMG.

The plan is to first train athletic and fitness trainers worldwide on how to do the tests with clients, to grow brand awareness, Griffin tells Coffee Talk. To that end, IMG hosted its first Global Training Symposium Oct. 3-7, which sold out of its 100 spots at $1,000 apiece. Griffin says larger sessions are in the works for 2011.

In addition to working with trainers in gyms, IMG plans to take the Combine360 program on the road, to high schools, colleges and other sports-focused facilities. “I feel like this could build a community and build a movement,” Griffin says.

The partnership with Under Armour represents one of the largest examples of IMG reaching out to the sports business world to grow. Under Armour is an $865 million publicly traded firm.

A senior executive with Under Armour, Griffin recently moved from Baltimore to Manatee County to run Combine360 for both entities. “We are not about selling basketballs or jump ropes,” says Griffin. “We want to build athletes.”