Sports are a great way to have fun while improving your health and fitness. They promote physical fitness, reduce stress, and provide social opportunities. Other than playing sports improves cardiovascular health, weight loss, and reduced risk of chronic diseases. PickUp USA Fitness, led by Jordan Meinster, is promoting health and fitness by providing a safe, competitive place for adult and youth hoopers to play organized pickup basketball.
Journey from being a Player to Leader
Pickup basketball was Jordan’s favorite hobby throughout his high school, collegiate years, and even into his thirties. Playing was fun, but he hated how unorganized it was. He started thinking of ways to improve upon the existing PickUp basketball model by instituting referees, uniforms and scorekeeping.
Jordan Meinster, noticed that playing pickup basketball can be a huge hassle. Players fight over calls, who’s keeping track of scores, which team gets to play next, etc. There was too much arguing and not enough playing. This thought motivated him to create a safe and competitive place where players can play pickup basketball with all the facilities they need. He quit his job in the finance industry and in 2012, he first opened PickUp USA Fitness in a warehouse in Irwindale, CA.
PickUp USA has awarded 56 franchise agreements across the country and has 20 clubs that are either open or under construction. There are 30+ million people in the U.S. who played basketball within the last 12 months, and there aren’t many basketball facilities available. Unless you’re a part of a basketball program, it’s difficult to find a place to enjoy the game of basketball. Parks are an option unless you’re in an area with extreme weather conditions. Hoopers can also try rec centers, but availability may be limited. PickUp USA Fitness guarantees its members a premier basketball experience at all times.
Distinctive Services
PickUp USA Fitness started with a single service: pickup basketball with referees for adults. Later, they realized that people often need multiple memberships for basketball and fitness training, so they provided a solution by expanding their services. Today, PickUp USA is the nation’s only basketball-focused fitness club. Each facility has a state-of-the-art fitness room with Stairmasters, cardio equipment, and weights, as well as a functional training area.
Training program at PickUp USA is widely regarded as one of the best in the fitness industry. They provide extensive remote training, as well as in-person training at their headquarters and at franchisees’ locations.
Their operating experience spans ten years, and their training modules ensure that this knowledge is successfully transferred to the franchise owners and their teams. This is a major reason for their success,
In addition, members can benefit from various basketball-focused services and equipment. They have specialized services for adult and youth hoopers. Adult members can enjoy pickup basketball with referees, basketball tournaments, one-on-one basketball training, weights, and cardio, and the Dr. Dish shooting machine. Their youth members can take advantage of Youth Development Leagues, one-on-one basketball training as well as group basketball training, rec games, Dr. Dish shooting machine, vertimax training, and performance training.
Passionate Team Prioritizing the Members Satisfaction
PickUp Usa don’t believe in micromanaging. Everyone on the team understands their role, and they are all committed to achieving their set goals.
They don’t see failure through a negative lens, rather, they see it as an opportunity to improve. This encourages their team to be creative, innovate, and try new ideas to enhance their systems.
“Disagreements and criticism are inevitable. We address these issues by actively listening to each other and working together as a team to find a resolution. It’s important to remember we all share the same vision, and we all want what’s best for our franchise owners.”
PickUp USA Fitness provides surveys so they can get feedback from their members. Their team is always looking for ways to improve their systems and service offerings. They aren’t afraid to change their systems based on what’s working or what isn’t. Their number one priority is to make sure that the members are enjoying a premier basketball experience at their facilities.
PickUp USA Fitness Manager’s Thoughts
During the Interview with Grace Ronquillo (PickUp USA Fitness’s Manager), she mentioned that she was a part-time referee at PickUp USA Fitness, then quickly became a manager before joining the corporate team.
She says, “I had my eyes set on working in healthcare until I became a part of the PickUp USA team. What I love most about this job is being able to promote health and wellness through the game of basketball.”
She further expresses, “There’s a huge demand for our facilities. Communities are eager to have a PickUp USA in their area. I’m a part of the Development Team, and I work with our VP of Development, Gary Mazakian, to find promising partners to award territory to. We have a highly selective process. We are looking for hard-working, diligent partners who believe in our vision. For that reason, only a few out of a hundred inquiries are awarded territory.”
Advice for Aspiring Businesspeople
Being a business owner is a great opportunity for you to be your own boss and enjoy a career you’re passionate about. It’s not an easy journey, but having the right attitude, mindset, and work ethic, can help you accomplish anything you put your mind to.
