Everybody Trains Like a Division 1 Athlete at D1 Training in Scottsdale

Good news travels fast. Shortly after their doors opened in 2020, it didn’t take long for kids, adults, and even professional athletes from across the Valley to hear about the top-notch, customized training that was being offered at the new D1 Training facility in Scottsdale. Word quickly got around that if you had the desire to be coached and challenged like an elite, Division 1 athlete, it didn’t matter what your age, body type, or fitness ability was.

D1 Training in Scottsdale was designed for everybody, and everyone who signs up is immediately viewed as an athlete here.

As soon as the young athletes – and their parents – met with the coaching staff and saw what was going on at D1 after school, they were immediately hooked. Kids couldn’t wait to sign up and start wearing their awesome, new D1 t-shirts. They were excited to learn about important, fundamental movement mechanics and plyometric training like how to lift weights and run properly, how to work out with ropes, and how to jump up and down on boxes.

Training hard, trying new exercise techniques, and working up a sweat had never been so challenging and fun.

Owned by Scottsdale residents, Mike and Kristen Baker, D1 is a high-energy 7,000 square-foot space that provides kids, adults, and professional athletes individual and group training classes in a state-of-the-art facility, the likes of which are normally found at Division 1 and professional sports teams.

A former collegiate soccer player at Lambuth University in Tennessee, Mike knows the importance of a good training regimen. Kristen, who graduated from South Alabama with a sports medicine degree, has also been deeply involved with fitness. Together, they wanted to bring a new level of fitness training to the Valley and decided to bring the first D1 Training franchise location to Arizona.

“D1 is an amazing program, and my 9-year-old son absolutely loves it,” says Magen Graves of Phoenix. “The coaches work so well with the kids and challenge them. It’s so good for all ages.”

Founded in 2001 by former NFL player Will Bartholomew, D1 Training began franchising in 2017 and has long been one of the premier training facilities in the Midwest and southeast part of the United States. Franchisees include professional athletes Tim Tebow, Von Miller, Chris Paul, and Peyton Manning who has admitted, “I’m kind of envious of the kids today that have the opportunity to train at a place like this and see this kind of coaching – because it can make you quicker, stronger, faster and a better athlete.”

In addition to the Scottsdale location, there are several more D1 franchise locations scheduled to open across the state in 2023 and 2024.

“Our highly skilled coaches meet the athletes where they are and personally craft programs to meet their individual, specific needs,” said Mike. “It’s a level of customized training typically reserved for Division 1 athletes and that concept was enormously appealing to both of us.”

One of the company’s proud mottos that the Bakers firmly believe in is, “You pick the goal, we help you get there.”

Most of the training sessions are done in a small group or private setting, lasting roughly 54 minutes.

Coached by one of the gym’s top-certified coaches – all of whom have earned four-year degrees in exercise science – every workout includes: a dynamic warm-up, performance, strength, core-and- conditioning, and cool down.

The groups all vary by age. D1 caters to the “Rookie” (7-11), “Developmental” (12-14) and “Prep” (15-18). It also hosts boot camps and strength training groups for adults. Customized, one-on-one training is also available and some of the coaches are even able to provide sport-specific activities that can benefit athletes of all ages in any sport. The gym has already catered to as many as 50 professional athletes from a variety of different sports.

The facility itself is outfitted with several strength and cardio machines, as well as free weights, resistance bands and other equipment to fulfill a full body workout. There is also an area with artificial turf, allowing for performance training that works on speed, agility, and power that closely resembles the same surface most athletes train on during the season.

“Everyone who trains here works with our amazing, caring coaches who help guide them in the right direction to meet their personal fitness goals,” said Kristen. “Our coaches can tailor a fun, challenging workout to a 7-year-old and then turn it up a notch and work with an adult or any professional athlete…we’re really thrilled to be here for anyone who wants to train like a serious, D1 athlete.”

D1 Training is located at: 13402 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite B-150, Scottsdale, 85254.

For more information, call (480) 568-2772 or visit d1training.com/scottsdale; Instagram: d1_training_scottsdale; Facebook: d1_training_scottsdale

Photos courtesy of D1 Training