| News & Know How | First Person
CBI Spends 10 Minutes on the Line with
Bill Parisi
A
merican Sports Data, Inc., reports that interest in
youth sports teams remains strong. What’s driving this
interest? Meanwhile, intense competition threat-
ens the morale, character development, and safety
of many children. What does it take to develop a
high-quality, safe youth fitness program that will
appeal to parents and kids alike?
Bill Parisi is founder 17,000 to 30,000 square feet, and two have Parisi
and CEO of the Parisi t in youth fitness. For one, these days, Speed Schools. All together, they have a total of
Speed School and many parents don’t allow their children to engage 8,000 members. However, in 2005, I decided to
creator of the Parisi in unorganized play anymore. Kids can’t be left to begin selling my majority ownership in the health
licensing and business ride their bikes or play in the park unsupervised clubs and, by August 2010, the rebranding of
platform. He’s a com- for fear of what may happen to them. So, parents those clubs will be complete.
petitive athlete with
“
I believe that several trends are driving the
interes
are looking more toward team sports. Right now,
a passion for working about 70% of all kids under the age of 14 play at
I began to license the Parisi Speed School system,
with children to improve least one organized sport.
believing that licensing was the best way to reach
their physical fitness
the largest number of kids. As of August, we
and self-esteem.
Concurrently, as a result of technology and the
had sold 45 licenses to larger clubs, including
decline of physical education in schools, kids
Cedardale Health & Fitness in Haverhill, Massa-
are not as physically fit as they once were, so
chusetts, The Atlantic Club in Manasquan and
they’re not succeeding in these sports.
Red Bank, New Jersey, and three MVP clubs
in Michigan. We’re licensing our curriculum,
It’s important to remember that parents are often
marketing, business systems, and online educa-
not the main influence in their kids’ lives; rather,
tion platform, which I’ve developed over 15 years.
the teachers and coaches are. It’s the parents’ job
We continue to perfect this model as we receive
to help lead the child to the right coaches and
regular feedback from our licensees.
teachers. That’s where we come into the picture.
When I founded the Parisi Speed School in 1991, I
We’ve created an opportunity for kids seven to 18,
had been a Division I All-American track athlete
which is a great way to drive family member-
in college, and had gone to Finland in 1989 to see
ships. Because there are so many offerings for
how the best athletes in the world trained. While
kids today, you have to be cognizant of their time,
I had studied finance in college and interned on
and understand that the child is the consumer
Wall Street, I had been an undersized athlete
and the parent is the customer. you have to
myself, and I decided that what I wanted to do
develop your marketing, scheduling, and pricing
most was to empower kids. I wanted to share my
systems accordingly. We have a membership
knowledge with athletes as young as seven.
that allows kids to enter our program at an
appealing price. But then there is semi-private
Then, I met the head strength coach of the New and private training. you have to understand how
york Giants, Johnny Parker, who asked me to to offer these options.
work with quarterback Phil Simms. I knew then
that I had expertise in an area that not many
you must also have a mission and hire the right
people did.
people to drive that mission, which includes doing
.com
community outreach, free clinics, and seminars.
Over the years, I built the Parisi Speed School, as If you help their children improve their self-con-
To learn more about
well as four Parisi Fitness Centers, in northern fidence, then parents will do everything they can
Bill Parisi log on to
www.parisispeedschool.com
New Jersey. The centers range in size from to help you grow your business.
”
—|
www.ihrsa.org | DECEMBER 2009 | Club Business International
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