I. Executive Summary

As adaptive sports and training are becoming increasingly popular around the world, we

were intrigued to join the movement and create a state of the art adaptive training center of our

own. Without many options conveniently located for adaptive athletes, they usually have to

travel very far to remain active or don’t join anything at all. We want to give more people access

to the benefits of adaptive training and ability to create connections to encourage more

passionate future endeavors. Paired with our ability to bring in highly experienced and qualified

trainers, we know we will be able to see tremendous progress in all members during their time at

our facility. Following a thorough market and competition analysis, we found that Central New

York has an ideal market for an adaptive training center, and identified Ithaca, New York, at the

tip of Cayuga Lake, to be the best location for the Cayuga Lake Adaptive Training Center.

II. Market & Competition Analysis

Adaptive training facilities are usually located near hospitals that specialize in physical

disabilities and rehabilitation. However, all over the country, people with disabilities are trying to

get stronger every day and do not all have the necessary resources to do so. Those with new

disabilities conclude their rehabilitation and do not know where to go from there. Cayuga Lake

Adaptive Training Center bridges the gap between rehabilitation centers and every day-exercise.

It can be difficult to become or get back to being physically fit, which is why we offer adaptive

equipment for our clients to better themselves mentally and physically. Because of our location

in Central New York, we can market to the many nearby high schools and colleges and make our

gym appealing and accessible for young athletes with disabilities. In addition, by having these

colleges nearby, we will be able to hire college students with related majors and interested in the

field to intern with us and help run and market our facility. Our business will continue growing

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each year as we gain more exposure and could grow to be the largest adaptive training center in

the Northeast. However, our greatest strength of having these nearby schools, is also our biggest

threat because colleges like Ithaca College, Cornell University, and SUNY Cortland have their

own accessible fitness and recreational facilities included in their student tuition.

Ithaca College, while completely accessible and ADA compliant, does not have any type

of adaptive sport programs offered for their students with disabilities. They are encouraged to try

to workout at the school’s gym and other facilities but does not have any specialized programs or

facilities for them. Cornell University's main gym is accessible for students with disabilities who

strive to be physically fit, however, working along abled-bodied classmates can be intimidating

and discouraging. All the equipment is placed far enough for wheelchair users but doesn’t have

the technology used to help transfer students from their wheelchairs to the equipment. Their gym

is ADA compliant but goes no further to provide extra accommodations for students with

disabilities trying to stay in shape. Even though, Cornell offers classes that students with

disabilities can take, such as wheelchair dance and wheelchair basketball, they don’t provide the

correct equipment for those specific activities. Cornell is currently trying to find athletic chairs

that are narrower, which makes it easier for students to express themselves through dance (Choo,

2016). The city of Ithaca offers adult programs through its Recreation Support Services to help

those with disabilities achieve happiness and well-being (Recreation, 2018). Some activities

offered are bowling, board games, chorus, hiking, swimming, walking, yoga, and biking. These

are all low intensity activities that could be considered pastime activities, not training.

At Cayuga Lake Adaptive Training Center, we accommodate students with disabilities

with the correct equipment and training. Parents will feel comfortable sending students to our

facility knowing they won't struggle while working out and fitting in. Our gym is for those who

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like sports more intense than pastime activities and want to stay in shape and learn to live with

their new or existing disability. We have personal trainers who have experience working with

athletes with disabilities and love waking up every morning to do their job. Personal trainers are

available for $18.00 per hour session or clients can purchase multipacks for $99.00 (six sessions)

or $208.00 (twelve sessions). These prices are relatively low compared to personal trainers in

other gyms, usually around $25.00 per session for a college student or $30.00-$35.00 per session

for an adult. Workout plans made with personal trainers are made to accommodate each client

and their discussed disability, which is a feature no one else in the area can offer this market. We

will also provide equipment that is easy to use and athletic wheelchairs for wheelchair basketball

and wheelchair tennis on our multi-purpose court, provided by Move Along. These recreational

sports, and others, like goalball, sit volleyball, bocce, are offered on scheduled days to create a

social environment for members.

Our facility bridges the gap from rehabilitation to working out daily, so it is directed

towards people struggling with new disabilities. However, it is open to all people in Central New

York with disabilities. We believe Cayuga Lake Adaptive Training Center will be successful

simply because there is no other adaptive facility like it in the region. Our services are unique to

each client and our equipment is designed specifically for their needs. These factors, and others,

make members feel comfortable and successful working out with a staff they can trust.

III. Company Description

The Cayuga Lake Adaptive Training Center is a nonprofit organization that donates all

proceeds towards the Challenged Athletes Foundation. Our advantageous location at the tip of

Cayuga Lake in Ithaca, New York, allows access to adaptive training for a majority of Central

New York’s population that did not have access in the past. We use resources from both Ithaca

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College and Cornell University to maintain our adaptive training center that helps to train and

rehabilitate athletes with physical disabilities. By allowing members to join CLATC at the age of

16, we encourage constant commitment and loyalty to our program to create strong relationships

and see member’s progress through to the next steps in their lives. Whether those steps be

joining an adaptive sports program/team, moving to train at the Paralympic level, or continuing

to live their daily lives with ease, we want to be there the whole time. We have had the ability to

bring in many highly experienced and qualified trainers and give members the option to train one

on one with them or work by themselves. We also offer specific rehabilitation programs, created

upon request, and never turn away a member regardless of the severity of their disability.

Since the gym we are purchasing used to be a CrossFit, we intend to maintain the set up

and openness of the facility, with a few modifications and additions. First, we will be splitting

the gym into three sections, using the first section to create a multipurpose court, measuring 15

meters by 28 meters, for the use of wheelchair basketball, bocce, goalball, sit volleyball, and

other recreational sports. Our main section will contain things like adaptive bikes, arm cycles,

treadmills, rowers, leg presses, and other stationary equipment options, but also strap weights,

resistance bands, benches, free weights, barbells, etc. Lastly, towards the front of the facility we

will have the front desk, men’s, women’s, and inclusive locker room areas, personal assessment

rooms, a trainer’s office, and first aid room. The facility is a ground floor building with

automatic sliding double doors at the entrance and every other door measures 36 inches and has

automatic door opener buttons. Our facility is equipped with all necessary medical equipment for

members and all our staff is exceptionally trained and CPR, AED, and first aid certified. Most of

our employees are Ithaca College and Cornell University students studying in related fields and

are required to go through an 8-hour training session and 2-week shadowing period.

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A. About Us

Hi, we are Stephanie Mayer and Brianna DeMeo, two individuals with a passion

for using sport to change the world. As two SUNY Cortland graduates with degrees in

Sport Management, we truly believe in the power of teamwork, dedication, and resilience

to become successful. These characteristics are traits we instill in all our members to help

them achieve their goals and strive for continuous progress. We are excited to be creating

more programs and partnerships every day to expand the Cayuga Lake Adaptive Training

Center to benefit even more people.

IV. Financial Analysis

A. Expense Sources

Cayuga Lake Adaptive Training Center Expense Projections

Expense Category Year 1 Year 2 Year 3

Rent $14,000.00 $14,000.00 $14,000.00

Equipment $15,000.00 $5,500.00 $1,750.00

Marketing Expenses

Social Media $1,000.00 $750.00 $275.00

Flyers $8.00 $8.00 $8.00

Sale Expenses

T-shirts $2,396.00 $2,396.00 $2,396.00

Water $1,618.60 $1,618.60 $0.00

Salaries

Personal Trainers $90,000.00 $135,000.00 $225,000.00

Facility Staff $46,200.00 $46,200.00 $46,200.00

Miscellaneous $300.00 $175.00 $250.00

Total Expenses $170,522.60 $205,647.60 $289,879.00

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As you can see above, personal trainers are and will always be, our biggest expense. This

expensive will continue to grow with the success and expansion of our facility and the hiring of

the best adaptive personal trainers. When we open the facility on September 1, 2018, we will be

starting with two experienced trainers who will receive a yearly salary of $45,00.00, in year two

we hope to have at least three full time trainers and in year three, five. Following that we have to

cover the salaries of our three full-time employees who work the front desk and throughout the

facility for $11.00 an hour, or $15,400.00 per year, coming to a total of $46,200.00. Our next

biggest expense is equipment fees. This is shown very high in the first year and less in the future

years because we have to purchase all the equipment for the facility and multipurpose court. We

estimate it all to cost about $15,000.00, once all the equipment is purchased there will only be

some smaller purchases and equipment maintenance.

Our sale expenses include items for sale at the front desk and the free t-shirts members

get when they sign up at our gym. We found it best to bulk purchase all these items and get 1,872

waters each year for $1,618.60 and 200 t-shirts each year for $2,396.70. Our miscellaneous costs

will cover the events that we host on our multipurpose court, intern expenses, employee/staff

parties, and giveaways at the facility. Lastly, our marketing expenses will be for promoting our

facility through social media and handouts. We will pay for $1,000.00 of social media marketing

the first year, and less in years to come as we expand our brand.

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B. Revenue Sources

Cayuga Lake Adaptive Training Center Revenue Projections

Revenue Category Year 1 Year 2 Year 3

Registration $800.00 $650.00 $900.00

Membership $48,000.00 $87,000.00 $141,000.00

Personal Training $84,240.00 $126,360.00 $196,560.00

Sale Revenues

T-shirts $300.00 $500.00 $700.00

Water $1,200.00 $1,400.00 $1,500.00

Sponsorship $15,000.00 $42,000.00 $56,000.00

Total Revenue $149,540.00 $257,910.00 $396,660.00

Our biggest source of revenue every year will registration and membership fees. We will

be charging new members $10.00 for registration and $50.00 per month to maintain their

membership after that, therefore, charging $60.00 the first month. We expect to bring in at least

80 members within the first year, which would be around $48,000.00 in revenue. We also offer a

personal training option (prices displayed in appendix C) that we estimated 30 people would

enroll in their first year. By using the single session price of $18.00 and by estimating that people

would set up three personal training sessions a week, we concluded that we would make about

$84,240.00 in personal training revenues. We also calculated our profit from front desk sales to

be $1,500.00 with the sale of water bottles for $2.00 each and additional t-shirts for $20.00 each

and extra-large t-shirts for $22.00.

V. Sources of Capital

At the Cayuga Lake Adaptive Training Center, we feel “efficient capital spending leads

to growth and success for a sport business” (Fried, 1965). Our first capital asset we will be using

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to start our adaptive fitness facility will be from sponsors. We are looking to start with

organizations like Disabled Sports USA, Greek Peak Mountain Resort, Move Along, Cliff Bar,

Gatorade, and Under Armour as the main sponsors of our facility and we will have a tiered

offering for values of $15,000.00, $9,500.00, and $2,000.00 for them. In our partnership with

Greek Peak, they agreed to hang up our flyers in their lodge and use word of mouth marketing to

their adaptive skiers. We also made similar deals in our partnerships with Ithaca College, Cornell

University, and SUNY Cortland who agreed to do the same, in addition to providing us with

interns. Next, we know we can leave a lot from Move Along, an organization that supports

adaptive sport and recreation opportunities for people with disabilities in Central New York.

They agreed to donate three athletic wheelchairs, four goal balls, a volleyball net, and some other

equipment to make our multipurpose court successful.

Other capital assets we plan to use are New York Disability Grants. The first grant we

applied for is from the Northeast Americans with Disabilities Act Center for $15,000. This grant

serves citizens with disabilities in New York State for accessibility equipment or other

modifications (New, 2018). Our plan is to use this grant toward more accessible equipment for

the facility and use the excess money for rent. The other grant we applied for is the New York

State Division of Veteran Affairs for $10,000. This grant is to support disabled veterans who

became disabled while on active duty (New, 2018). We hope to use this money to pay part of our

personal trainer’s salaries.

With the help of these capital funds, we project we will be making a profit our second

year in business with around $14,017.40, including our personal starting capital of $10,000. This

profit will be used to hire additional personal trainers to accommodate the increasing number of

members and purchase new and maintain existing equipment at the facility. By year three we

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hope to attract more sponsors and make a profit of around $66,376.80, which will be donated to

the Challenged Athletes Foundation.

VI. Organizational Goals

The Cayuga Lake Adaptive Training Center is a nonprofit organization whose revenue

will come from registration fees and sponsorship deals. We are reaching out to organizations like

Move Along and Disabled Sports USA to sponsor our facility because we embody the same

organizational goals and missions. Our unique facility has equipment that is made specifically

for our clients but what makes us truly stand apart is our staff. Our personal trainers are highly

qualified and experienced in working with people with a wide range of disabilities. They cater to

the needs of each client and create necessary modifications for all workouts. Our goal is to bring

in David Vobora, a former NFL player who runs an adaptive gym similar to the CLATC, called

Performance Vault. Although it used to be primarily for elite athletes, he eventually changed it

into an adaptive gym (Clemmons, 2016). We offered him a position to be the lead personal

trainer here and with his experience in training disabled veterans, we feel he would have the

drive to push our members to their limits. Vobora could also create publicity for our facility by

announcing his move and having meet and greet events. Along with Vobora, we plan to hire

Devon Palermo from DPI Adaptive Fitness Center in Vestal, New York. Palermo has over 15

years of experience in areas of both fitness and rehabilitation and can be the go to resource for

members looking to maximize the benefits of adaptive exercise to improve strength, balance,

function and abilities (Adaptive, 2018). With Palermo’s previous success in helping clients

recovering from stroke, spinal cord injury, amputation, and other injuries, Palermo would be an

asset to our team. We know members will feel comfortable under his direction and confident

enough to continue on their own after Palermo’s help. Our third ideal personal trainer would be

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Pablo Hernandez, also from DPI Adaptive Fitness Center. Even though we feel Hernandez will

be a good fit for our gym, we plan to bring him in during our second year of business when we

have more members. Hernandez has worked in rehabilitation for six years as a therapist

technician and by having that experience, he can help us slowly bridge the gap between

rehabilitation and every day work outs (Adaptive Trainers, 2018).

Alongside our leading trainers, we will have student interns from surrounding colleges who

can receive college credit for their work with us. This would benefit both parties because we can

save some money while students gain practical experience in their field of interest. Students will

be able to learn firsthand from personal trainers, management, and facility staff in fields of sport

management, physical therapy, and kinesiology.

VII. Funding Request

To initiate our nonprofit business, we are requesting a loan in the amount of $10,000. We

will use the money to pay for the rent of the adaptive training facility for the first year. The loan

will help us get ahead and allow us to use other sources of capital for equipment and salaries.

The business will profit after the first year from memberships and sponsorships. The $10,000

loan will be paid back to the bank all at once. If by any chance we fail to make the payment, the

bank has the right to seize our business and take any profit we make at that point.

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VIII. Appendix

A. Location: 624 W. Green Street Ithaca, New York 14850 (Previously CrossFit of

Ithaca)

B. Free t-shirt for members when they sign up

C. Personal Training Price Packaging

Personal Training Prices

One Session $18.00

Six Sessions $99.00

Twelve Sessions $208.00

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D. Flyer announcing our grand opening

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References

Adaptive Trainers. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.dpiadaptivefitness.co/adaptive-trainers.html

Choo, C., Musto, D., & Yan, S. (2016, September 14). Cornell Introduces Wheelchair Ballroom

Dance Course, Aims to Make Disability Work Social. Retrieved from

http://cornellsun.com/2016/09/13/cornell-introduces-wheelchair-ballroom-dance-course-

aims-to-make-disability-work-social/

Clemmons, A. K. (2016, November 11). A former NFL player trains war vets back from the

brink. Retrieved from

http://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/page/veteranvobora/former-nfl-player-david-

vobora-trains-war-veterans-back-brink

Fried, G., DeSchriver, T. D., & Mondello, M. (2013). Sport finance. Champaign, IL: Human

Kinetics.

Mission and History. (2018). Retrieved from

http://www.challengedathletes.org/mission-and-history/

New York Disability Grants. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.themobilityresource.com/financing-handicap-accessible-vehicles/state-

grants/new-york-disability-grants

Recreation Support Services. (2018). Retrieved from

https://www.cityofithaca.org/244/Recreation-Support-Services

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