Dallas Fort Worth opens huge top-tier athlete training facility

CUTTING THE RIBBON: NBA All-Star Jermaine O’Neal’s Drive Nation open for tournaments and training at DFW International Airport (PRNewsfoto/DFW International Airport)

Dallas Fort Worth International Airport became the first in the USA to open a state-of-the-art sports centre right on its grounds last week.

 Six-time NBA All-Star Jermaine O’Neal founded Drive Nation with a vision to train athletes from across the country and around the world, and DFW provided the ideal location and infrastructure.

“Drive Nation’s vision of providing total student-athlete performance training, skills development and emotional wellness, 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.”

Located on 16.2 acres of land near the south entrance DFW Airport, the state-of-the-art, $10.4 million facility is the first of its kind at an airport and will be home to O’Neal’s Drive Nation Skills Academy for boys and girls in third through 12th grades.  It features more than 90,000 ft2 of indoor space, including basketball and volleyball courts, player lounges, a 10,000 ft2 weight room, performance training area and a 50-yard all-purpose indoor turf area.  

“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,” said Khaled Naja, executive vice president of Infrastructure and Development for DFW Airport. “Drive Nation will be a great asset for our region, bringing in teams and families throughout the year.”

O’Neal, a resident of Southlake, Texas, is focused on giving back to the community through sports. He will serve on the coaching staff and brings more than two decades of professional experience to the Drive Nation Skills Academy. The vision for the Drive Nation Sports Complex and the Drive Nation Skills Academy is to create well-rounded, dynamic players through physical training, skills development and elite-level coaching.

While building the complex at DFW Airport, the Academy temporarily operated from Southlake Carroll Senior High School in Southlake since March 2017. The new facility will be managed by Sports Facilities Management, an outsourced management firm. The Academy now is accepting registrations for boys and girls from 3rd through 12th grades.