Former 76ers guard Ben Simmons and Phillies' part-owner John Powers Middleton are part of a group launching a new sports training app out of Philadelphia.
Middleton and Simmons, along with Simmons' longtime friend Tahj Malone and Tucker Colton, are the founders of TrainingHub, which emerged from stealth mode to launch nationally on Monday. Malone, a Drexel University alum, is the company's CEO and Tucker is the COO.
The app being privately funded, and about $600,000 has been invested into the venture so far.
Simmons, Malone, Colton and Middleton had the idea about four years ago, and began developing the app two years ago.
The four friends saw a void in the personal training industry and they hope TrainingHub is a way for amateur and professional trainers to gain exposure and monetize their coaching. The app is free to download and allows trainers to set their own rates for sessions. Users can book one-on-one or group sessions of up to four across more than 70 sports.
Malone likened the app to Uber, as it connects people with a service and allows them to be their own bosses and set their own hours.
"The app itself will act as a hub for trainers to monetize their passion. All we're doing is giving them tools to do what they want to do, make a job out of their passion," Malone said in an interview. He used the example of an ex-basketball player from Drexel or Temple University using the app to coach younger athletes in their spare time.
Simmons said the app was created when the team realized there were "no welcoming, easily accessible platforms for people who want to book coaching sessions or to become a coach."
"We’re helping people to be their best selves, whether that’s becoming stronger and faster, or getting better at their favorite sport, while also making it easier for coaches to profit from doing what they love most," said Simmons in a statement. The Australian-born NBA All-Star played for the Sixers for four seasons before a falling out with the team led to Simmons being traded to the Brooklyn Nets for a package that included James Harden.
With an NBA veteran and part-owner of an MLB team, TrainingHub has more connections than the normal startup and Malone hopes the team's deep network in the sports world can help TrainingHub grow rapidly. He looks at partnerships with universities and sports brands like Nike and Adidas as potential opportunities to expand the app's reach. Simmons recently signed a contract extension on his shoe deal with Nike.
Malone also envisions the company partnering with colleges to allow trainers to book time at their facilities.
"The idea behind the app is something that our network can tap into because it's in the same field, the same industry," Malone said. "We do plan to use that as time goes by, but in the right way."
Malone said he hopes to add customer service, marketing and IT teams as the company grows. He also wants to bring on a consulting firm to help the business scale properly.
The app, developed by Poland-based Maquido, will offer access to trainers in as many as 80 different sports. Malone couldn't put a number on how many users he hopes the app will have but said he expects it to fluctuate by region. For example, Colorado may have a larger market for winter sports while a state like Texas may have a lot of football trainers. He said the underlying goal is to "create a community."
"It's more about just building this little village where people can go to it as the place for sports training and fitness," Malone said.
In terms of local impact, Malone said one of the main goals with TrainingHub is to create jobs in a similar way that Uber does. The four met during Simmons' time as a 76er in Philadelphia and it felt like the natural place to headquarter their venture.
"Philadelphia being a sports city, I think it's a perfect place to be based," Malone said.
