The St. James
The St. James operates 450,000 sq ft sports, wellness, and entertainment complexes in the DC Metro area, offering memberships, youth sports programs, a Performance Academy, recovery services, dining, and corporate wellness to active families, athletes, and adults.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersSpringfield, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The St. James does
The St. James is a privately held sports, wellness, and entertainment operator headquartered in Springfield, Virginia, with a 450,000 square foot flagship complex and a secondary 50,000 square foot Performance Club in Bethesda, Maryland. The company is structured as SJS&W Washington Property LLC and is co-led by Co-Founder and Co-CEO Kendrick Ashton Jr. alongside co-founder Craig Dixon, operating within the affluent DC Metro area market across Northern Virginia and suburban Maryland.
The company's core product is a membership-based Performance Club (subscriptions starting at $185/month in Bethesda and $205/month in Springfield) that bundles group fitness, personal training, an Olympic-size pool, ice rinks, squash courts, golf simulators, and a Recovery Suite featuring cryotherapy, cold plunge, infrared sauna, and IV infusions. Adjacent revenue streams include the Performance Academy (a college-prep academic-athletic program), sports programs and leagues across 20+ disciplines, summer camps, birthday parties, an indoor waterpark and entertainment center (Super Awesome & Amazing), the Vim & Victor restaurant, the Courted Spa, the Strivers retail store, and a Corporate Wellness program sold through a dedicated enterprise sales team. The company has built its sports vertical through acquisitions of MC Elite Lacrosse (2023), the Washington Little Caps hockey program (2025), and FC Virginia United (2025), and has secured flagship commercial partnerships including a four-year Nike/BSN Sports deal.
The business model combines recurring subscription revenue (memberships, Academy tuition, corporate wellness contracts) with transaction-based revenue (camps, events, dining, recovery services, retail) and event-based revenue (tournaments, venue rentals, birthday parties). Customer segments span active families with children, youth athletes seeking elite training and college recruiting pathways, adult fitness enthusiasts, corporate/organizational accounts, and Academy student-athletes. Distribution is primarily direct-to-consumer via the two owned facilities, the company website, and a mobile app, supplemented by field sales for corporate wellness and tournament hosting that draws external teams and spectators. Technology infrastructure relies on third-party integrations including Zenoti and LeagueApps for registration, Toast Tab for restaurant ordering, OpenTable for reservations, Stripe for payments, InBody for body-composition assessment, and Apple Health for fitness data capture.
The St. James firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The St. James
- Legal name
- SJS&W Washington Property LLC
- Website
- https://thestjames.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- The St. James operates 450,000 sq ft sports, wellness, and entertainment complexes in the DC Metro area, offering memberships, youth sports programs, a Performance Academy, recovery services, dining, and corporate wellness to active families, athletes, and adults.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The St. James industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sports, Wellness and Entertainment Complex
- NAICS
- Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940), Amusement Parks and Arcades (7131), Other Amusement and Recreation Industries (7139)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Multi-Sport Complexes & Community Sports Parks (MPAKAEAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Arenas & Indoor Sports Centers (MPAKAEAB), Campus Recreation Centers & Fitness Facilities Operations (EDALAIAD)
Keywords
Where The St. James is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Springfield
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
The St. James business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Performance Club Memberships: Monthly and annual membership fees providing access to fitness facilities, group classes, pool, recovery services, and member discounts. Starting at $185/month for Bethesda and $205/month for Springfield locations.
- Sports Programs and Camps: Revenue from youth sports leagues, individual sport instruction, team tryouts, summer camps, and clinics across 20+ sports
- STJ Academy Tuition: Tuition-based academic-athletic program combining college preparatory academics with structured athletic training for student-athletes
- Event Hosting and Venue Rentals: Corporate events, birthday parties, team building events, tournaments, and facility rentals generating one-time and recurring event revenue
- Dining - Vim & Victor Restaurant: On-site restaurant and cafe serving balanced meals to members and visitors
- Corporate Wellness Partnerships: Customized corporate membership packages, team building events, and curated experiences for business organizations
- Recovery and Spa Services: Courted Spa offering cryotherapy, cold plunge, massage, assisted stretching, and other recovery services
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Bethesda Signature Membership |
| Subscription | Monthly | Bethesda Performance Membership |
| Subscription | Monthly | Bethesda Recovery Suite Membership |
| Subscription | Monthly | Springfield Performance Club Membership |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Birthday Party Packages |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Guest Passes |
| Subscription | Annual | Corporate Wellness Program |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
The St. James product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The St. James operates a multi-sport athletic, wellness, and entertainment complex anchored by a 450,000 sq ft Springfield, VA flagship and a 50,000 sq ft Bethesda, MD Performance Club. It sells recurring Performance Club memberships, sports instruction and leagues across 20+ sports, summer camps, an integrated academic-athletic Performance Academy, recovery and spa services, on-site dining and retail, birthday party and event hosting, and corporate wellness packages to active families, youth athletes, and adult fitness members in the DC Metro area.
Product overview
The St. James operates as a multi-faceted sports, wellness, and entertainment platform offering a unified ecosystem of products and services. The core Performance Club membership provides athletic-inspired fitness training with facilities in Springfield (450,000 sq ft flagship) and Bethesda. The Performance Academy combines rigorous academics with elite sports training for student-athletes. Supporting offerings include Summer Camps, Birthday Parties, the Super Awesome & Amazing waterpark and entertainment center, Vim & Victor restaurant, Courted Spa & Recovery services, a Corporate Wellness Program, Strivers retail store, and sports programs across 20+ disciplines. The products work together to provide comprehensive sports, fitness, recovery, and family entertainment services under one roof.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Vim & Victor: On-site restaurant at The St. James featuring balanced, well-crafted meals in a warm, welcoming atmosphere.
- Courted
- Super, Awesome & Amazing
- Strivers
Products and services
- Performance Club Membership
Quantifiable outcome
- 30+ D1 athletes and multiple NFL players produced by coaching staff
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use The St. James
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The St. James technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration8 records
Feature3 records
The St. James partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.
- Ajinomoto Foods North AmericacoreStrategic partnership to integrate well-being into athletic performance at The St. James facilities. Ajinomoto Foods will engage youth athletes and families through on-site activations, athlete fueling moments, and support of sports programs including the MLK Classic, She Got Game, and Winter Lacrosse League. Their well-being products will be featured at Vim & Victor restaurant.
- Atletiko MediaminorMedia partnership with Atletiko Media to elevate youth soccer coverage, delivering engaging content, increased visibility, and stronger storytelling around player development.
- FC Virginia UnitedcoreAcquisition of FC Virginia United and launch of new soccer academy, expanding player development pathways and creating enhanced opportunities for athletes in the DMV region.
- Washington Little CapscoreAcquisition of the Washington Little Caps, a prominent youth hockey program, to enhance sports offerings and athlete development programs. Aims to improve training, facilities, and resources for WLC athletes supporting progression to higher competition levels.
- Nike & BSN Sportsflagship4-year partnership with Nike and BSN Sports for The St. James Football Club. The partnership enhances performance, training, and athlete experience across youth soccer programs with equipment and apparel support.
- DCXI Football ClubminorStrategic partnership between The St. James Football Club and DCXI Football Club to enhance player development, expand opportunities, and strengthen pathways for aspiring athletes.
- National Sports Medicine InstitutecorePartnership with NSMI to enhance athlete care, performance, and injury prevention through expert medical support for The St. James soccer and sports programs.
- Inova-GoHealth Urgent CarecoreHealthcare partnership providing community health services and urgent care access for The St. James members and visitors at the Springfield location.
- Kaiser PermanentecoreHealth partnership where Kaiser Permanente supports The St. James youth sports events, teams, and activities promoting sports and wellness among youth in the region. Kaiser physicians contribute educational content on nutrition and health topics.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The St. James competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Life Time Group Holdings: Public operator of 170+ large-format, premium multi-sport athletic country clubs with pools, group fitness, recovery, family programming, and youth sports. Closest publicly comparable to The St. James given shared full-facility family fitness + sport + recovery model.
- IMG Academy: Premier youth athletic + academic boarding school with elite coaching and college placement across multiple sports. Most comparable on the Performance Academy concept combining college-prep academics with elite sport-specific training.
- Sky Zone: Largest indoor trampoline and active entertainment franchise with birthday parties, group events, and youth programming. Closest analog to STJ's 'Super, Awesome & Amazing' indoor active-entertainment and birthday-party business.
- Parisi Speed School: Youth athletic performance training franchise specializing in speed, strength, and conditioning with a 100+ location network. Comparable on the youth sports performance/coaching model and franchise-driven growth playbook.
- Main Event Entertainment: Family entertainment centers combining bowling, laser tag, gravity ropes, and food/beverage for group outings and birthday parties. Comparable on multi-attraction family entertainment and event-based revenue model.
- SPORTIME Clubs: Multi-sport tennis and athletic clubs offering junior sports programming, performance training, and group fitness. Comparable on the multi-sport premium club format serving youth athletes and adult members.
Emerging players
- Goldfish Swim School: Franchise of year-round indoor swim schools focused on youth lessons with strong parent engagement. Partial overlap with STJ's Olympic-pool youth swim programming and family-focused recurring lesson model.
Broad incumbents
- LA Fitness (now Esporta Fitness): Large national big-box fitness chain with broad programming including pools and group classes. Competes for adult fitness membership wallet share across the DC Metro.
- Equinox: Luxury urban fitness club brand with premium pricing, recovery, and group fitness. Closest pricing-tier competitor for the Bethesda Performance Club's adult premium positioning.
- Xponential Fitness: Public franchisor of boutique fitness brands (Club Pilates, CycleBar, Rumble Boxing, etc.). Adjacent on premium-priced recurring fitness memberships and franchise expansion strategy.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The St. James social profiles
Digital presenceThe St. James financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The St. James leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles17 records
The St. James subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries6 records
The St. James funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The St. James M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A2 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The St. James
What does The St. James do?
The St. James operates a multi-sport athletic, wellness, and entertainment complex anchored by a 450,000 sq ft Springfield, VA flagship and a 50,000 sq ft Bethesda, MD Performance Club. It sells recurring Performance Club memberships, sports instruction and leagues across 20+ sports, summer camps, an integrated academic-athletic Performance Academy, recovery and spa services, on-site dining and retail, birthday party and event hosting, and corporate wellness packages to active families, youth athletes, and adult fitness members in the DC Metro area.
Is The St. James a public or private company?
The St. James is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The St. James founded?
The St. James was founded in 2017. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is The St. James based?
The St. James is headquartered in Springfield, United States, in the North America region.
How does The St. James make money?
Seven revenue lines are on record. Performance Club Memberships are the primary driver. The others are sports Programs and Camps, STJ Academy Tuition, event Hosting and Venue Rentals, dining - Vim & Victor Restaurant, corporate Wellness Partnerships and recovery and Spa Services.
Who are The St. James's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Life Time Group Holdings, IMG Academy, Sky Zone, Parisi Speed School, Main Event Entertainment and SPORTIME Clubs. Goldfish Swim School is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are LA Fitness (now Esporta Fitness), Equinox and Xponential Fitness.
Does The St. James have an API?
No public API is recorded for The St. James.
What industry is The St. James in?
The St. James's product category is Sports, Wellness and Entertainment Complex. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAKAEAH, Multi-Sport Complexes & Community Sports Parks, with a secondary code of MPAKAEAB, Arenas & Indoor Sports Centers. Its NAICS code is 713940 and its SIC code is 7997.