Athletes HQ Systems

Every year, tens of thousands of young athletes and their families spend hundreds of millions of dollars searching for an edge — a structured, science-backed environment where raw talent gets sharpened into genuine competitive advantage. The problem is that most local training facilities are either underfunded, understaffed, or built around a single coach's reputation rather than a replicable system. Athletes HQ Systems was founded specifically to solve that problem at scale. The company traces its roots to the affiliate entity Athletes HQ, Inc., originally formed on March 9, 2018 as "Athletes First, Inc." before rebranding to Athletes HQ, Inc. on September 20, 2018 and commencing full operations in November 2018 at 1005 N Randall Road, Elgin, Illinois 60123. The franchising company, Athletes HQ Systems, Inc., was formally incorporated as an Illinois corporation on August 1, 2022, with its principal headquarters established at 500 Lake Cook Road, Suite 475, Deerfield, Illinois 60015. The brand was co-founded by Jordan Dean and Derek Shomon, the latter of whom simultaneously serves as the Head Major League Hitting Coach for the Chicago White Sox in Major League Baseball — a credential that confers immediate legitimacy and professional-level methodology to the training systems deployed across every franchise location. As of 2024, the system comprised 2 total units, including 1 franchised location and 1 company-owned location, with active facilities operating in Elgin, IL, Rockford, IL, and DuPage, IL. For franchise investors evaluating the Athletes HQ Systems franchise opportunity, the brand occupies a compelling niche at the intersection of youth sports, elite athletic development, and the rapidly expanding health and wellness franchise category. This analysis is produced independently by PeerSense and does not represent marketing material issued by the franchisor.

The industry backdrop for an Athletes HQ Systems franchise investment is defined by powerful secular growth forces that show no signs of reversing. The global Sports Franchise Market was valued at USD 580 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach USD 800 billion by 2033, reflecting a compound annual growth rate of 5.5% across the forecast period. That trajectory is driven by surging consumer interest in organized sports participation, expanded media rights valuations, growing youth athletic enrollment, and the demand from families for structured development pipelines that connect youth athletes to collegiate and professional opportunities. At the broader franchise market level, the global franchise industry was valued at USD 3,070 billion in 2025 and is projected to expand by USD 565.5 billion at a CAGR of 10% from 2025 to 2030, with North America alone accounting for approximately 40% of total global franchise market share. The health, fitness, and wellness franchise subcategory — the segment most directly adjacent to Athletes HQ Systems — is growing at an 18% global rate, making it one of the fastest-expanding segments within the broader franchise ecosystem. The business format franchise model, the classification under which Athletes HQ Systems operates, was valued at USD 281.4 billion in 2024 and represents 60% of total franchise market share globally, characterized by comprehensive brand standardization and deep franchisee support infrastructure. Within the sports performance training category specifically, the market remains highly fragmented, with the majority of competitors operating as independent, single-location businesses lacking the system-level infrastructure, proprietary curricula, and professional coaching credentials that a franchise model can deliver. That fragmentation creates a defined opportunity for a branded, replicable concept like the Athletes HQ Systems franchise to capture market share from unbranded independents as consumer expectations for quality and accountability continue to rise.

Understanding the full Athletes HQ Systems franchise cost requires breaking down both the upfront capital commitment and the ongoing fee structure that governs the franchisee relationship over the life of the agreement. The initial franchise fee is $25,000, paid upfront upon execution of the Franchise Agreement, which is competitive within the sports performance and fitness franchise category where fees commonly range from $20,000 to $50,000 depending on brand maturity and territorial value. The total initial investment range for an Athletes HQ Systems franchise spans from $178,650 on the low end to $330,200 at the high end, with the spread driven primarily by variation in facility build-out costs ($75,000 to $168,500) and leasehold improvements ($38,000 to $70,000), reflecting differences in local real estate markets, lease structures, and the square footage required to house a full-service athletic training environment. Additional startup cost components include a lease deposit of $5,000 to $10,000, computer systems of $6,000 to $7,000, signage and graphics of $1,000 to $2,500, insurance of $1,000 to $1,500, utility deposits of $1,500 to $3,000, travel expenses during training of $1,500 to $2,500, a Facility Opening Marketing Fee of $7,500, blueprints and permits of $5,000 to $7,000, furniture and miscellaneous equipment of $1,000 to $2,000, legal and professional fees of $3,000 to $8,000, an initial royalty payment of $3,600, a Team Players Fee of $0 to $2,100, and three months of additional operating funds estimated at $4,000 to $9,000. The ongoing royalty fee is structured as a flat weekly payment ranging from $300 to $500, which is a notably different architecture than the percentage-of-gross-sales royalty model used by most franchise systems — a flat weekly fee provides franchisees with cost predictability and creates increasing margin leverage as revenue scales above the breakeven threshold. A significant restraint identified in industry research is that average franchise fees make up nearly 25% of total setup expenditure across the franchise market broadly, and the Athletes HQ Systems franchise cost structure aligns with that benchmark, with the $25,000 franchise fee representing approximately 7.5% to 14% of the total investment range — sitting at the lower end of that ratio and suggesting the franchisor has weighted capital allocation toward facility infrastructure rather than upfront licensing fees.

The Athletes HQ Systems franchise operates on an owner-operator model built around delivering specialized athletic training services that require a team of credentialed, experienced coaches across multiple disciplines. The corporate location in Elgin, Illinois provides a direct operational blueprint: the staffing model there includes owners functioning as active instructors, a Director of Infield Development, a Sports Performance and Strength Coach, a Recruiting Coordinator and Hitting Instructor, a Director of Catching, a Director of Pitching and Overhand Throwing, a Facility Manager doubling as a Hitting Instructor, and additional instructors covering fastpitch pitching and softball hitting disciplines. This staffing depth signals that franchisees should expect to recruit and manage a team of specialized coaches, rather than operating as a solo practitioner, which has meaningful implications for labor cost management and local talent acquisition. The format is a brick-and-mortar facility model requiring a full build-out of a dedicated indoor training environment with state-of-the-art equipment, rather than a kiosk, mobile, or home-based format. The initial training program runs 10 days in duration and is available to the franchisee and up to two additional team members, covering operations, bookkeeping, inventory management, and local marketing strategies across in-person sessions at the corporate headquarters in Elgin, Illinois, virtual training platforms, and on-site training at the franchisee's own facility. Franchisees are required to complete the initial training program no earlier than two months before opening and no later than one month before launch, creating a structured pre-opening window. Ongoing support includes access to science-backed training programs, specialized skill development curricula, strength and conditioning protocols, recovery service frameworks, and college recruiting support infrastructure that individual independent operators would struggle to replicate. On territory, Athletes HQ Systems grants defined territories but does not offer full exclusivity in the traditional sense — the franchisor retains the right to conduct direct sales via the internet, telemarketing, or catalog channels within a franchisee's territory without compensation obligation, though the franchisor has committed to not altering territorial boundaries without franchisee consent.

Item 19 financial performance data is not disclosed in the current Franchise Disclosure Document for Athletes HQ Systems. However, Athletes HQ Systems does provide an Average Revenue Per Unit figure sourced from its affiliate operating history: the average revenue per unit reported for 2021 was $670,785. Franchimp, a franchise database that independently evaluates earnings transparency, rates Athletes HQ's disclosure quality at 7 out of 10, which places it in the upper tier of small and emerging franchise systems on this dimension. Contextualizing the $670,785 AUV against the total investment range of $178,650 to $330,200 produces a revenue-to-investment multiple of approximately 2.0x to 3.7x, a range that compares favorably to the broader fitness and sports services franchise category where typical revenue-to-investment multiples for well-performing units fall between 1.5x and 3.0x. The flat weekly royalty structure of $300 to $500 translates to an annualized royalty obligation of $15,600 to $26,000, which at the $670,785 AUV level represents an effective royalty rate of approximately 2.3% to 3.9% of revenue — structurally lower than the 5% to 8% percentage-of-gross-sales royalties common in the fitness franchise sector, meaning franchisees retain more gross margin as their revenue grows beyond the average. For investors evaluating payback period, assuming a fully-loaded investment of $330,200 at the high end and applying reasonable operating margin assumptions consistent with staffed fitness service businesses (which typically run 15% to 25% EBITDA margins at maturity), a payback window of four to seven years is a plausible analytical framework, though individual results depend heavily on local market penetration, staffing costs, and lease economics. Prospective franchisees should request the full Franchise Disclosure Document and conduct independent financial modeling incorporating local labor rates and real estate costs before drawing conclusions about unit-level profitability.

The Athletes HQ Systems franchise has been building its growth infrastructure since 2022, when the franchising entity was formally incorporated and began offering franchise agreements. The system reached 2 total units by 2024, comprising 1 company-owned location that serves as the operational flagship and proof-of-concept, and 1 franchised unit, indicating the brand is in the early-stage expansion phase of its franchise lifecycle. Early-stage franchise systems with fewer than 10 units carry a distinct risk-and-opportunity profile: investors entering now accept the inherent uncertainty of an unproven expansion network but also gain access to premium territory selection, direct founder relationships, and the potential for significant territorial appreciation as the system scales. A critical competitive moat for Athletes HQ Systems is the professional credentialing of its founders — Derek Shomon's active role as Head Major League Hitting Coach for the Chicago White Sox provides ongoing, real-time access to MLB-level coaching methodology and technology, a pipeline of professional-grade training innovations that filters directly into franchise system curricula in a way that no independent local training facility can replicate. The January 31, 2025 incorporation of the Athletes HQ Foundation as an Illinois non-profit organization with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status — co-founded by Derek Shomon and Meagan Biebel — represents a meaningful brand extension that positions Athletes HQ within community development and youth access conversations, enhancing brand visibility and local goodwill in the markets where franchisees operate. The foundation's programming includes skill development clinics, mentorship workshops, health fairs, sports camps, and academic enrichment programs, all of which generate ancillary brand awareness that benefits commercial franchise locations in the same geographic markets. The Athletes HQ trademarks are owned by the affiliate entity Athletes HQ, Inc. and licensed to Athletes HQ Systems, Inc. for franchising purposes, a structure that is standard in franchise development but one that prospective investors should review carefully in the FDD to understand the full scope of trademark protection and any contingencies tied to the affiliate relationship.

The ideal Athletes HQ Systems franchisee is not a passive investor seeking an absentee-managed asset — the operational complexity of staffing, managing, and programming a multi-discipline athletic training facility requires an owner who is either deeply embedded in the local sports community, has a personal background in athletic training or sports performance, or possesses strong general management experience combined with a high commitment to hands-on learning during the 10-day initial training program. Given the franchise's primary focus on baseball and softball athletes in the 10-to-18-year age range alongside college prospects, professional athletes, and performance-focused adults, franchisees with existing relationships in local travel baseball organizations, high school athletic programs, or collegiate coaching networks hold a structural advantage in customer acquisition. The Athletes HQ Systems franchise serves athletes committed to improvements in strength, speed, agility, and mental performance, meaning the franchisee must be capable of hiring and retaining coaches with credentialed competitive backgrounds — a talent acquisition challenge that varies significantly by geography. Current active franchise markets are concentrated in Illinois, including Elgin, Rockford, and DuPage, with the system's Midwestern footprint suggesting that adjacent markets in the upper Midwest represent the most mature expansion territory in the near term. The franchise agreement timeline requires training completion one to two months prior to facility opening, so prospective franchisees should plan for a pre-opening period that incorporates site selection, lease negotiation, build-out, hiring, and training on a coordinated six-to-twelve-month runway from signing to launch. Multi-unit development is a natural evolution path for franchisees who build strong local market penetration, as the facility model scales efficiently within a defined regional sports market.

The Athletes HQ Systems franchise opportunity presents a distinctive investment thesis grounded in three compounding advantages: professional-level coaching credentials embedded directly in the franchise system through the founders' MLB affiliation, a structurally attractive fee model with flat weekly royalties that create margin leverage at scale, and a large and growing addressable market in youth and performance-focused athletic training where independent competitors lack the brand infrastructure to match a credentialed franchise system. The average revenue per unit of $670,785 reported for 2021, evaluated against a total investment range of $178,650 to $330,200, suggests favorable capital efficiency for investors who can successfully execute the staffing and local marketing requirements of the model. The global sports franchise market growing at a 5.5% CAGR toward USD 800 billion by 2033, combined with an 18% growth rate in health and wellness franchises, creates a macro tailwind that benefits sports performance training concepts disproportionately as consumer spending on youth athletic development continues to expand. PeerSense provides exclusive due diligence data including SBA lending history, FPI score, location maps with Google ratings, FDD financial data, and side-by-side comparison tools that allow investors to benchmark the Athletes HQ Systems franchise against comparable concepts across the sports, fitness, and performance training categories. Independent franchise analysis of this caliber is essential before committing capital in the $178,650 to $330,200 range, and the depth of operational, financial, and competitive intelligence available through PeerSense gives investors the factual foundation required to make a fully informed decision. Explore the complete Athletes HQ Systems franchise profile on PeerSense to access the full suite of independent franchise intelligence data.