Dallas Fort Worth International (DFW) Airport in Texas has become the first airport in the USA to open a sports training complex as part of its commercial portfolio.
Founded by former professional basketball star Jermaine O’Neal, Drive Nation is located on 16.2 acres of land and features more than 90,000ft² of indoor space, including basketball and volleyball courts, player lounges, a 10,000ft² weight room, performance training area and a 50-yard all-purpose indoor turf area. The US$10.4m facility will also be home to O’Neal’s Drive Nation Skills Academy for young athletes.
“Drive Nation’s vision of providing total student-athlete performance training, skills development and emotional wellness, and leadership and character programs is now open to amateur athletes throughout the Dallas Fort Worth area,” said O’Neal.
“The ultimate goal is to develop kids for college. We are excited to be right at the airport where we can easily reach thousands of student-athletes every year and connect them to world-class coaches in one of the most advanced facilities for training.”
Khaled Naja, executive vice president of infrastructure and development for DFW Airport, said, “We’re thrilled to welcome Jermaine and Drive Nation to DFW, knowing that his team and the DFW team have a vision for serving people through personal relationships and leading-edge technology. Drive Nation will be a great asset for our region, bringing in teams and families throughout the year.”
Six time NBA All-Star O’Neal, a resident of Southlake, Texas, will serve on the Drive Nation Skills Academy coaching staff, bringing with him more than two decades of professional experience. The new facility will be managed by Sports Facilities Management, an outsourced management firm.
