Putting Athletes on Track to Run the World
The Co-Founders of One Track Mind, Camille Driscoll and Ginny Nelson, presented their business for feedback at the 1MC Cherokee this morning. Today’s gathering was sponsored by Reinhardt University with Tim Norton as lead organizer, VP of Marketing and Advancement, and Matthew Thomas, Canton’s Economic Development Manager, served as the emcee.
The One Track Mind running and sports destination came to be out of a moment of conflict; a local group of middle school track and field athletes were no longer allowed to train with the high school teams, leaving coaches Driscoll and Nelson to deal with a shortage of track space. The pair created a junior league that grew in popularity over the years but the increase in willing participants did not equate to more practice space. “With that challenge we kept thinking that it would be so cool to have a facility of our own so we wouldn’t have to drive out of the county for clinics,” said Driscoll.
The idea for the multi-purpose, public facility came after a long period of research in which Nelson discovered that Georgia does not have an indoor track to accommodate athletes looking to train. The One Track Mind destination will encompass indoor, outdoor, and cross country track and field events and will be open to the public for summer camps during the off season.
“The number one question we get asked all the time is ‘why Cherokee County?’ We are totally on board with the new ‘Cherokee By Choice’ campaign. Within 30-50 miles, there is a huge number of colleges, high schools, and clubs. Bringing in sporting events, such as track and field, could have an enormous economic impact on Cherokee County.”
During the Q&A portion, the audience had a lively discussion about the pros and cons of opening the facility in phases, membership prices and spectator fees, potential partnerships with other businesses and nonprofits, and the importance of securing land to ensure key investors are willing to invest.
We are now 275 cups into our 1 Million Cups of coffee.
Make plans to join us for a cup of coffee and supportive community next time at The Circuit on May 2nd as we feature Alex Bryant, co-founder of SARCRAFT. SARCRAFT is a wilderness skills school and outfitter based in Waleska, GA. Their mission is to empower individuals with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to PREVAIL in the face of whatever circumstances they may find themselves in, come what may.
Free, bi-weekly program developed by the Kauffman Foundation
helps build startup communities nationwide.
To learn more about 1MC or if you are interested in being a presenter, please visit the website to be directed to the application.
If you missed the event this morning, you can still access all the fun! All of the 1MC Cherokee events will be live streamed and recorded. So, pour yourself a cup of coffee and check out the presentation here: https://www.1millioncups.com/cherokee
1MC Cherokee will meet at The Circuit on May 2nd from 9-10:00 am.