Mitch Thomas started with a dream: To create a baseball and softball training facility that not only taught skills but taught athletes to love the game. From that dream, The Hitting Zone was born. Starting with just four teams in 2017, Thomas worked tirelessly to cultivate a small-town feel and family environment where everyone knew one another.
Since then, the facility has grown in both size and numbers. The space now includes a multisport complex, with more than 50 teams using the facility each year. And through every step, SportsEngine has supported Thomas as he grows his dream.
“We got to know everyone who joined from the beginning,” Thomas beams. “Instead of just being about the dollars. We get to know our families and athletes on a personal level.” And to do that, Thomas knew he needed a single source for communication, website, registration, and more.
“Basically, I needed a one-stop-shop for all my team’s and athlete’s needs. That made SportsEngine the easy choice.”
With so many teams and athletes coming through the facility, Thomas appreciates all the scheduling and communication features he has access to through SportsEngine. “I can easily get the information I need to all my coaches, and then they can communicate to all their teams,” he says.
And since he’s always moving between training sessions and practices, Thomas uses the on-the-go functionality of the app almost daily. “We use the app for communicating everything from game time changes and weather updates to uploading pictures,” he notes. “It’s so easy to share pictures on social media and keep people updated.”
In the competitive world of athlete training and elite sports, that additional social media exposure helps get his program in front of both current and potential athletes. All those additional eyeballs on the program’s success helps get The Hitting Zone in front of more potential families and athletes, allowing Thomas to grow his business—and his dream—even further.