Brooklyn Nets star Ben Simmons warms up before the game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells ... [+]
“This changes the game. We’re empowering the next generation of amateur sports coaches.”
That’s the view of Ben Simmons, the Australian basketball player, three-time NBA All-Star and, as of October 2022, the founder of a new sports platform called TrainingHub. After months of development and testing, Simmons’ free-to-download app recently launched on Android and iOS in a bid to bring the explosive power of the creator economy to sports.
Creator economy technologies have rolled through industry after industry over the last few years. Substack gave rise to a generation of writers no longer attached to major newspapers. Gamers have made millions of dollars streaming on Twitch. Tech platforms have empowered side hustles like never before, and yet, some would argue, sports is yet to have its creator economy moment. Could TrainingHub be it?
The app aims to be inclusive by design, and caters for everything from tennis backhands to working certain muscle groups. In a few moments, anyone can find what they’re looking for, inputting criteria such as location, which of more than 70 forms of exercise they want to focus on, ability level, budget, and even the specific skill they want to improve. Users then pick from a range of trainers who meet these requirements, and are then able to use TrainingHub to message them to arrange sessions, make payments directly, and leave reviews and ratings post-training, all without leaving the app.
The TrainingHub app
“It’s a two-sided platform,” Tahj Malone, the company’s CEO and Simmons’ co-founder, comments. “For the user, you can find amateur coaches in your local area with just a few swipes of a finger, have your session and pay. On the trainers’ side, we’re catering to the huge cohort of sports experts who are capable of coaching but have no way of finding clients and making money. TrainingHub is a network that connects these two groups together.”
It’s a bold call from Malone, himself an acclaimed athlete. Rounding off the founder team of four is COO Tucker Colton whose background is in finance, and John Middleton, the TV and film producer and Co-Owner of the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team. This varied skillset, alongside Simmons’ huge platform (over 6.5m followers on Instagram alone), certainly shows this is much more than just another app launch.
Geographically searching for coaches on TrainingHub
But there are certain hurdles to overcome. Surely it’s big tech, rather than other similar apps, which are the main competition to a product like this? When asked why people can’t use conventional social channels like Facebook and Instagram to find work the same way, Simmons questions the meritocracy of these platforms.
“Sports coaching is dominated by professionals and those with significant social media followings, and only a small bunch of people can find repeat business,” he comments. “We're hoping that with TrainingHub, anyone can get coaching and make money doing what they love. It's inclusive and accessible and in some cases, it could really level the playing field and change people's lives."
The need for solutions like this is timely. According to the CDC, less than a quarter of all Americans do sufficient aerobic and muscle-strengthening activity, while 41% of the population is obese. Often a high barrier to entry is what deters individuals from getting into shape - they’re not sure where to start and lack the motivation to properly integrate exercise into their daily routines. Add to that the fact the personal trainer industry was decimated by the Covid-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns, and it can feel harder than ever to get fit these days.
Perhaps TrainingHub is the solution. Only time, and downloads, will tell. But there’s no denying the app sits at the intersection of a number of exciting trends. When asked whether he thinks this could be the long-awaited moment for the creator economy in sports, Simmons is unequivocal.
“Absolutely. And we’re just getting started.” he says.
The conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.
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