New baseball development center to shape Charlotte players on and off the field
A new baseball training facility in Charlotte is taking a different approach to youth sports by focusing not only on athletic performance but also on building character, discipline and life skills that extend far beyond the game.
The Training Camp HQ, a newly opened baseball development facility, officially opened its doors last week in Charlotte with a mission centered on developing the “whole athlete” physically, mentally and academically while creating a community-driven environment for athletes and their families.
Founded by couple Josh and Brittany Whitlock, both former Division I athletes, the facility was built from years of experience competing at high levels and recognizing gaps they saw in traditional youth sports training. Josh Whitlock, a former baseball player at the West Virginia who later played professionally in the Chicago Cubs organization, said their vision was always bigger than simply teaching baseball fundamentals.
“We’re not just training the physical side of it,” Whitlock said. “We’re trying to understand if you’re in a slump, what are you changing? How do you overcome the mental side of things? We want to help athletes in exactly the way they need help and take a different approach to development.”
Unlike traditional training facilities that focus primarily on mechanics and performance, The Training Camp HQ incorporates mentorship and education into its training model. The owners said every trainer on staff brings either collegiate or professional playing experience, creating an environment where young athletes can learn directly from people who understand the demands of high-level competition.
“Having that lived experience is really different,” Brittany Whitlock said. “We want kids to not only train for skills but understand the whole path of being an athlete, not just the talent side but what it takes.”
The facility serves athletes as young as five-years-old to high school, collegiate and also professional players. Beyond baseball instruction, the building includes a study hall clubhouse, team meeting rooms, strength and conditioning areas, and family-centered spaces designed to make the facility feel like a second home.
The owners said becoming parents themselves played a major role in shaping the facility’s mission. After watching their own children participate in youth sports programs, they recognized the need for a space that supports both athletes and families while teaching lessons young athletes often do not learn until later in life.
“We always say the road to the show starts here,” Brittany Whitlock said. “In baseball, ‘the show’ means making it to Major League Baseball, but for us, the show is really life. Even if these athletes don’t go on to college baseball or professional baseball, how can they become good humans and learn the life skills sports can teach them?”
Creating a family-centered environment also became a major priority for the founders, who wanted parents and siblings to feel just as connected to the space as the athletes training inside. The facility features a family zone mezzanine level complete with books, beanbag chairs and dedicated spaces where younger siblings and parents can feel comfortable while practices take place.
“We want families to feel like this is their second home,” Brittany Whitlock said. “We wanted to recreate that feeling of community where parents feel comfortable bringing siblings, athletes feel supported and everyone feels like they belong here.”
As youth sports continue to grow across the Charlotte area, The Training Camp HQ hopes to redefine what athletic development looks like by combining elite baseball training with mentorship, academics and life preparation.
For the founders, success is not measured solely by how many athletes make it to professional baseball but by the long-term impact they can make in helping young people succeed both on the field and long after the game is over.
