Today we’d like to introduce you to David and Heather Collings.
David and Heather, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I (David) was a scholarship baseball player at Andrew College, and at the University of West Georgia. When my playing career was cut short due to an injury, I found myself spending my summers working baseball camps, as I had done throughout my college career. I was back at my old high school, South Forsyth HS, and was working a baseball camp when I shared my story with the father of a camper. I wish I could find that guy again, because what he said to me has guided the rest of my professional journey. He said, “Now, it is time to pass your knowledge on to the next generation of ball players.” That really hit home with what I wanted to do with my life, and so I began finding ways to make it happen.
I had one semester of school left at UWG when a facility opened up in Carrollton. A former teammate of mine let me know about it, and invited me out to meet the owners. Once the facility opened, I began giving lessons and working the front desk. I began working on my MBA, and at the same time was promoted to manager of the facility. I worked 4 jobs through grad school, managing the facility in Carrollton 6 days a week, working security at my best-friends bar/restaurant (37 Main in Buford), giving lessons 1 day a week at Chipper Jones’ 10th Inning Baseball Academy in Suwanee, and working a Graduate Assistant position for the Center for Student Involvement at UWG. This work ethic, along with the relationships I created along the way prepared me for what came next.
After 3 years of managing the facility in Carrollton, I had the opportunity to purchase an existing facility in Douglasville in May 2012. I was able to take over, and turn the business around, and quickly outgrow our facility. In November 2014, we moved out of our 6,500 sq. ft. facility into a larger, 10,000 sq. ft. unit in the same building. That next month, my wife Heather and I got married, and Heather left her job working in Financial Aid to come on full time with our business. As we continued to grow, so did the opportunities. In January 2016, we had the humbling experience of buying the facility in Carrollton where I had started in college. Heather and I had been hard at work running both facilities, when a chance meeting set us up for our next step.
I was meeting with the guys that run D-BAT Atlanta, at the time a 5 facility operation, to schedule some recruiting seminars at their locations. The talks quickly turned to how can we work together to help each other grow. As of January 2018, Heather and I converted our two locations to D-BAT franchise locations. The support and structure was a huge part of why we wanted to join with this group. Impact 2:52 is the management arm of D-BAT Atlanta, and while becoming a D-BAT franchise had its own advantages, the Impact 2:52 group was the main draw. They had been consistently operating several of the top D-BAT franchises in the world! We are excited for this next chapter, and look forward to continuing our growth with D-BAT.
Has it been a smooth road?
I don’t think very many small business owners can describe their journey as being a “smooth road,” but the high points by far outweigh the low points. It can be difficult when you are responsible for the livelihood of others, but we have always found a way. The growth we get to experience with our clients makes any of the tough day’s worth it! We do get to be around baseball every day!
So, as you know, we’re impressed with D-BAT Douglasville and D-BAT Carrollton – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
D-BAT is a full service Baseball and Softball training academy offering private instruction, pitching machines, batting cages, camps, clinics, birthday parties, a full proshop, and more! Our Carrollton location also has an indoor soccer field where we house TOCA Carrollton, our new soccer training program! The core of our business is the private instruction. The relationships we build with our clients is by far the most important thing we do. To be able to be positive influences on young men and women is far greater than any sport we could teach. We are fortunate that our medium to communicate with kids is baseball/softball! This is what sets us apart from other facilities.
Pricing:
- 1 Hour Private Lesson – $85 (Platinum Members save 30%)
- 1 Week Baseball/Softball Camp – $200 (Platinum Members save 40%)
- 1 Pitching Machine Credit (15 Pitches) – $2
Contact Info:
- Address: D-BAT Douglasville
1292 John Belt Drive, Suite 210
Douglasville, GA 30134D-BAT Carrollton
106 Somerset Place, Building B
Carrollton, GA 30116 - Website: www.dbatdouglasville.com www.dbatcarrollton.com www.dbatatlanta.com
- Phone: Douglasville: 678-715-1472 Carrollton: 678-664-1700
- Email: david@dbatatlanta.com heather@dbatatlanta.com
- Instagram: @dbatdville @dbatcarrollton
- Facebook: DBATDviile DBATCarrollton
- Twitter: @dbatdville @dbatcarrollton
Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
