Acceleration
Acceleration Sports Performance is a privately held, Illinois-based athletic training company operating facilities in Naperville/Aurora and Yorkville that delivers individualized speed, power, plyometric, weight, and sport-specific training programs primarily to youth and high school athletes pursuing collegiate and professional athletic careers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersNaperville, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Acceleration does
Acceleration Sports Performance (legally Acceleration Inc.) is a privately held athletic performance training company headquartered in Naperville, Illinois, operating two physical training facilities in Aurora (575 Exchange Ct) and Yorkville (9231 Galena Rd). The company serves athletes of all ages, sports, and skill levels, with a primary customer segment of youth and high school athletes pursuing college scholarships and recruitment outcomes, and secondary segments comprising collegiate and professional athletes. The product offering is a unified suite of five individualized session types: Speed Sessions (delivered on a Super High-Speed Treadmill designed to activate fast-twitch muscle fibers and teach sprint mechanics), Plyometric Sessions (multi-directional explosiveness, agility, and vertical jump work), Power Sessions (functional resistance training), Weight Training Sessions (sport-specific strength development), and Specialized Sport Training Sessions (season-based, position-specific, and combine prep programming). All programs are built on a proprietary 'Teach, Train, Test' methodology refined over 20+ years and supported by 15+ years of research-driven protocols, with the company claiming over $150,000 invested in specialized equipment.
The business model combines in-person service revenue from more than 40 private and semi-private sessions delivered weekly across the two facilities, digital training program sales through the TrainHeroic online marketplace, and direct-to-consumer gear and equipment sales via a Fourthwall e-commerce storefront. Session booking is managed through MindBody Online. The company does not publicly disclose pricing; offers a free trial assessment as a freemium entry point; and monetizes primarily through recurring monthly training subscriptions. Marketing is community-led, anchored by an alumni network that includes professional athletes across the NFL, MLB, NBA, and US Women's National Soccer Team, who collectively have reportedly earned over $200 million in college scholarships.
Acceleration is founder-owned and bootstrapped, with no disclosed venture capital, private equity, debt financing, or institutional funding rounds. The leadership team is concentrated among the Niklos family and long-tenured coaches, with J.R. Niklos as Founder & Head Coach and Mike Niklos as Director of Athletic Development. The company has no subsidiaries, no parent company, and no international operating footprint beyond digital marketplace presence. The business is best characterized as a mature, multi-location, service-led sports training operator with a strong local brand and a thin layer of digital diversification.
Acceleration firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Acceleration
- Legal name
- Acceleration Inc.
- Website
- https://accelerationpro.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Acceleration Sports Performance is a privately held, Illinois-based athletic training company operating facilities in Naperville/Aurora and Yorkville that delivers individualized speed, power, plyometric, weight, and sport-specific training programs primarily to youth and high school athletes pursuing collegiate and professional athletic careers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Acceleration industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sports Performance Training
- NAICS
- Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Strength & Conditioning / Performance Training (EDALAIAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Speed, Agility & Quickness (SAQ) Training (HSADAEAC), Online/Remote Personal Training & Programming (HSADAAAM)
Keywords
Where Acceleration is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Naperville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Acceleration business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- In-Person Training Sessions: Offers more than 40 private and semi-private training sessions weekly. Athletes book sessions through MindBody online platform. Training programs include Speed Sessions, Plyometric Sessions, Power Sessions, Weight Training Sessions, and Specialized Sport Training.
- Online Training Marketplace: Sells training programs through TrainHeroic marketplace platform, providing digital/online training options.
- Gear and Equipment Sales: Sells sports performance gear and equipment through their Fourthwall e-commerce storefront.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free Trial Assessment |
| Subscription | Monthly | Private and Semi-Private Training Sessions |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels9 records
Acceleration product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Acceleration provides individualized, in-person sports performance training programs—including Speed Sessions (delivered on a Super High-Speed Treadmill), Plyometric, Power, Weight Training, and Specialized Sport Training sessions—delivered at two Illinois facilities (Aurora and Yorkville) and through an online training marketplace on TrainHeroic. Programming is built on a 'Teach, Train, Test' methodology, supplemented by a free trial assessment and ancillary gear/equipment sales via a Fourthwall e-commerce store.
Product overview
Acceleration Sports Performance is a sports performance training company offering a unified suite of individualized training programs. The core offering consists of five session types — Speed Sessions (featuring a Super High-Speed Treadmill), Plyometric Sessions, Power Sessions, Weight Training Sessions, and Specialized Sport Training Sessions — all built on a 'Teach, Train, Test' methodology. Training is delivered through private and semi-private sessions at two Illinois facilities (Naperville/Aurora and Yorkville), supplemented by a Free Trial Assessment for new athletes and an online marketplace via TrainHeroic. Programs are customized per athlete based on sport, age, skill level, and season.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Speed Sessions
- Plyometric Sessions
- Power Sessions
- Weight Training Sessions
- Specialized Sport Training Sessions
- Free Trial Assessment
- Online Training Programs (TrainHeroic)
- Sports Performance Gear and Equipment
Quantifiable outcome
- 2-4 tenths faster in the 40 Yard Dash
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Acceleration
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Acceleration technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature3 records
Acceleration partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Acceleration competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- EXOS (formerly Athletes' Performance): Established sports performance training provider with professional athlete, college, and youth programs. Offers broader integrated performance services (nutrition, physical therapy) and operates at significantly greater scale.
- IMG Academy: Multi-sport training and education institution that combines athletic performance training with academic programs for aspiring college and professional athletes. Much larger and broader scope, but addresses overlapping customer needs.
Direct peers
- Michael Johnson Performance: Athletic performance training facility focused on speed development and elite athlete preparation. Directly comparable methodology and equipment profile.
- D1 Training: National franchise of athletic performance training facilities serving youth, high school, and adult athletes. Closely comparable in methodology, target market, and facility-based delivery model, with a much larger geographic footprint.
- DeFranco's Gym: Sports performance facility emphasizing speed, strength, and athletic development for athletes. Direct competitor in athlete-focused training with similar coaching-led methodology.
- XPE Sports: Elite athletic performance training business serving professional and draft-prep athletes. Comparable in methodology emphasis on speed and combine prep.
- Reach Speed Training: Athletic performance facility specializing in speed development using specialized equipment (high-speed treadmills). Closely comparable in equipment investment and SAQ focus.
- Parisi Speed School: Speed and agility training franchise with a similar youth-athlete focus and SAQ curriculum. Competes head-to-head in the same customer segment with comparable protocols and equivalent equipment.
Emerging players
- F45 Training: Functional training franchise with athletic performance adjacent programming. Less athlete-specific than Acceleration but comparable fitness studio franchise model and brand-driven community.
Others
- STACK Sports: Digital training content and athletic development platform serving high school and youth athletes. Adjacent ecosystem participant that competes for digital training attention but not physical facilities.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Acceleration social profiles
Digital presenceAcceleration financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Acceleration leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Acceleration funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Acceleration M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Acceleration
What does Acceleration do?
Acceleration provides individualized, in-person sports performance training programs—including Speed Sessions (delivered on a Super High-Speed Treadmill), Plyometric, Power, Weight Training, and Specialized Sport Training sessions—delivered at two Illinois facilities (Aurora and Yorkville) and through an online training marketplace on TrainHeroic. Programming is built on a 'Teach, Train, Test' methodology, supplemented by a free trial assessment and ancillary gear/equipment sales via a Fourthwall e-commerce store.
Is Acceleration a public or private company?
Acceleration is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Acceleration founded?
Acceleration was founded in 2008. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Acceleration based?
Acceleration is headquartered in Naperville, United States, in the North America region.
How does Acceleration make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. In-Person Training Sessions are the primary driver. The others are online Training Marketplace and gear and Equipment Sales.
Who are Acceleration's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are EXOS (formerly Athletes' Performance) and IMG Academy. Direct peers are Michael Johnson Performance, D1 Training, DeFranco's Gym, XPE Sports, Reach Speed Training and Parisi Speed School. F45 Training is listed as an emerging player. STACK Sports is listed as an others.
Does Acceleration have an API?
No public API is recorded for Acceleration.
What industry is Acceleration in?
Acceleration's product category is Sports Performance Training. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDALAIAI, Strength & Conditioning / Performance Training, with a secondary code of HSADAEAC, Speed, Agility & Quickness (SAQ) Training. Its NAICS code is 61162 and its SIC code is 8200.