D1 Training : How Will Bartholomew Founded D1 Training

This video tells the origin story of D1 Training through its founder and CEO, Will Bartholomew. He explains that D1 was built around a division-one style training program, so that walking into any D1 means great workouts, coaching, and a motivating environment aimed at helping members reach their goals. Bartholomew shares his own path: playing division-one football at the University of Tennessee, a brief stint with the Denver Broncos, and a knee injury that sent him home to Nashville. Searching for a place to train with the same fired-up coaches and energy he had known and unable to find one, he decided to build it himself, founding the business in 2002 training young athletes in a park. He recounts the gritty early days of leasing a 2,600-square-foot space, buying turf from a home improvement store, spraying his own yard lines, and screwing the racks together, all while the high-energy atmosphere kept members coming back. The video also touches on the range of programs from youth to adults and pros, and the twelve character words on every D1 wall, framing the company as a mission-based business that serves communities through coaching.