D1 Training officially opened its doors on June 1, becoming a new gym that offers the opportunity to train athletes and develop Hattiesburg’s youth sports community.
However, according to owners Michael and Amy Rozier, D1 Training was originally intended to be just a baseball and softball facility in Starkville called D-BAT.
According to Michael, the demographics for athletes in the Hattiesburg area made the decision to move the business to the Hub City.
“It started with D-BAT,” Michael said. “We were originally going to put one in Starkville, but the demographics just didn’t work. We thought the concept was great, but we decided to look at Hattiesburg where I live, and the demographics were off the charts, so it made sense that we were committed to it.”
From there, the Roziers leased the former Gatti Town building, which closed in January 2019. But the larger space created a new problem for the Roziers as it had more square footage than was needed for just a baseball and softball facility.
“I found the Gatti Town building, which had way more square footage than we needed for the D-BAT side,” Michael said. “I don’t know why I didn’t think of it sooner, but the lightbulb went off. I know the founder of D1 Training, and he looked at the demographics and said absolutely. That’s how we came about with D1 and D-BAT side by side. It’s the only one in the country like it.”
The extra space led to the facility becoming two businesses, D1 Training and D-BAT.
The two franchises are two separate businesses that the Roziers own under one roof.
According to Michael, that’s what makes his facility stand out compared to other gyms.
“The fact that you have that all under one roof is something that has never been done before as far as those two franchises go,” Michael said. “D1 Training is athlete-specific. It does not matter if they (play) baseball, basketball, soccer, tennis, golf, or whatever. The workouts are geared towards athletes.”
As of now, D1 Training has four coaches that each played college athletics.
“Marcellus Campbell played football at Towson University and worked on the strength and conditioning for Oklahoma State, Florida and (Southern Miss),” Michael said. “Chris Buckhalter played at USM in the 1990s and had a brief stint with the Eagles. He came over from PCS as their strength and conditioning coach. Steve Gandy played high school football at Wayne County and played college football at Auburn University. Constance Quinn was a two-sport athlete at LSU in which she played softball and basketball.”
For the Roziers, helping develop youth sports is a significant inspiration and goal for the business. According to manager Kevin Weldon, the gym’s goal is not just to develop fitness but also to instill work ethic and character into the facilities’ athletes.
“We worked really hard on training these athletes with the experience that they are going to receive from a D-1 college,” Weldon said. “They are always led by one of our coaches and always led to improve upon a goal that you set. On top of that, we are building character. We have 12-character words that we build off, and we try to instill that and build that in and around everyone we work with. We are not just trying to build your athleticism but also helping build character such as determination and respect.”
The facility also offers a study room for high school athletes.
“We have a room in the facility that if a kid has a workout time of say 5 p.m., but mom or dad has to drop them off at 4 p.m. or can’t pick them up until 6:30, and they have a gap,” Michael said. “We have a study hall room which is quiet for the kids to do their homework either before or after their training program.”
The facility offers training to high school and college athletes as well as adults looking to reach fitness goals.
“Adult training is $49 a week, which gives you six opportunities to train which can be paid month-to-month or yearly,” Weldon said. “We are doing an offer starting on June 6 where you can get 10 days for $10 and come try us out and see how much of a difference we make in your fitness goals and then decide if you want a membership with us.”
This Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. D1 Training will have a Friends and Family Day in which the facility will be open to the public. Visitors can receive free workouts or pitching and batting lessons as well as meet the training staff.
“The passion behind this is youth sports,” Michael said. “We want to develop the passion and character, but we want this to be an integral part of our community. This can be that place where kids get that extra reassurance that they are doing a good job.”
