Athletic Republic Capitol Region is a sports performance training center notable for producing top collegiate recruits and professional athletes, but it's much more than a gym. It’s also a community resource and a destination for events that draw athletes from all over the country and, even, the world. It’s the result of the vision of its three owners--Carl Williams, Mark McCain, and Russell Thomas--who saw opportunity in the combination of a troubled stretch of real estate, a proven sports performance training system, and their far-reaching vision for their community.
According to Charlie Graves, Athletic Republic’s CEO, “Carl, Mark, and Russ are a powerful trio; for while they all bring different skills and professional backgrounds to their partnership, they share a common vision and goals. All have kids, saw the need, wanted to bring this resource to their area.”
The facility in District Heights, Maryland is located 10 miles due east of our nation’s Capitol in a neighborhood in dire need of revitalization. The partners are aligned with St. Paul’s Baptist Church, which purchased a shopping plaza that had lost most of its tenants--including a basketball center, a grocery store, and various smaller businesses. The plan focused on making the retail center a gathering place for the community, so in addition to turning the basketball facility into an Athletic Republic franchise, the former grocery store became a community church led by Williams’ father and brother.
The Athletic Republic facility is the largest in the world, boasting not only a sports performance training center, but 8 basketball courts, a 700-meter running track, two turf fields, an MMA ring, three studio rooms, 200-seat cafeteria, hot yoga studio, and a tutoring center. In normal times the center is always buzzing with activity, between local athletes and teams training or competing, athletes from the greater metropolitan area who are making the commute to AR, drawn by the results its athletes are achieving, and large basketball and volleyball tournaments that attract participants from all over the world.
“We joined Athletic Republic because the brand reflected the same core values we each lived and wanted to teach our athletes; we share a passion for transforming our community one athlete at a time”, said McCain, who serves as the General Manager.
The ownership team has built the reputation of Athletic Republic as a premier destination for athletes, aided in no small degree by the considerable accomplishments of the partner’s sons, all of whom trained with the Athletic Republic system. Readers may recognize the most decorated of the group: Caleb Williams, a highly sought-after 5-star QB recruit who recently enrolled at the University of Oklahoma. AR Capitol Region’s success is also aided by the sheer breadth of its offerings; beyond the sports performance training, they offer sports academies, skills clinics and evaluation systems, sponsored league teams, facility rentals, virtual training, and most recently, a streaming video service that allows parents, players and coaches to tune in to practices and tournaments.
“The story of AR Capitol Region is one that continually inspires us here at AR HQ,” says Graves. “They chose to not to listen to popular opinion, but brought the power of sport to a struggling neighborhood, to help local kids improve their lives, either through a pathway to college, or just by giving them the tools to succeed in any endeavor they set their minds to. They personify Athletic Republic’s mission of transforming potential into performance.”
This article originally appeared in the February 2021 issue of Franchise Journal
Visit the Athletic Republic Capitol Region website here: https://capitolregion.athleticrepublic.com/
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