New basketball tech-focused skills gym has all the balls and whistles

By Jamie Council for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

A national franchise that combines state-of-the-art, data-driven shot analytics for the serious hooper with skills and game stations for ballers of all skill levels has opened in Richland.

Shoot 360 Tri-Cities debuted its new 10,000-square-foot space at 2541 Logan St. in Richland on June 30. It becomes the fourth franchise in the state alongside Spokane, Kirkland and Vancouver.

“It’s the most advanced basketball training system in the world. It’s the same technology the college and NBA teams are using,” said Ryan Burck, franchise co-owner with his wife, Robin.

If the Burcks had any doubts about whether the Tri-Cities would be responsive to the skills-focused gym, they were quickly driven away as nearly 200 people had signed up for a free workout prior to opening.

Robin, originally from Quincy, works full time at Central Washington University, while Ryan, originally from Ephrata, will be the general manager of dayto-day operations.

It all started when Ryan was looking into building a court at his house and reached out to a friend who is a project manager for Shoot 360.

“It snowballed into a meeting with Craig, the owner,” Ryan said. “The next thing you know, we’re here. This is our baby.”

The couple financed their business loan through Chase Bank. Shoot 360 offerings

Shoot 360 combines cutting-edge technology with a training staff. The technology is also app-based so players can track their progress and practice skills on the road. Although it’s a gym to develop skills, Ryan stressed the environment is also fun and welcoming.

“When they come in here, we want to create a culture of encouragement and fun with music playing. We’re here to have a good time and have athletes leave feeling two inches taller,” he said.

They offer shooting analytics with instant feedback on why a player missed or made a shot. The technology measures the ball’s arc, distance and alignment so shooters can perfect their shot with objective, real-time data.

“It’s an objective tool that helps you build muscle memory faster,” said Ryan of their Noah shooting system. “You get up to 300 reps in half an hour. It not only shows you how many you are making, but also why you are making them and why you are missing them.”

The high-tech passing skill court develops decision-making, precision, reaction time, speed and accuracy. It also has more than 10 games to appeal to the younger players that include education-based games and drills. Within the shooting and skill courts, a camera helps track ball handling to fine-tune passing and shooting skills.

These skill stations also include competitions where members can compete with other Shoot 360 gyms. In addition, the skills range from beginner to advanced to accommodate those just learning the game to NBA-level players.

“We really have something for everybody,” Robin said.

How membership works

Before athletes can sign up to be a member, they must participate in a free hourlong training session with a skills coach to understand the process and technology. Any participant under 18 is required to have a parent or guardian accompany them through the membership process.

Once a member, athletes can book training sessions through the app that include a 30-minute shooting and a 30-minute skill session per day. On-site trainers can assist athletes 5-10 minutes per day, if the athlete chooses.

Each athlete will have a personalized PIN to sign into their training session once they are an active member.

“It’s about building that connection and confidence with a kid,” Ryan said. “Sometimes on a team, only the best player gets to shoot. Here, you are the team. It’s up to you how much you want to put into it is how much you get out of it.”

Membership is a monthly fee dependent on the length of contract.

It’s $125 per month annually, $135 for six months, $145 for three months or $155 for month-to-month.

Drop-ins are available based on available court openings. Pricing is $30 for 30 minutes and $50 for 60 minutes.

Personal training is available for an additional fee.

Shoot 360 Tri-Cities aims to build its membership through a founding member campaign. The first 100 people to sign up will receive a T-shirt, waived registration fee and exclusive access to events and training sessions. In addition, their name will be on a plaque on the wall in the gym.

“You will be a part of this business as long as we are here,” Ryan said.

A few months down the road, Shoot 360 Tri-Cities wants to offer member camps, free clinics, group training, kids parties and corporate events using the 26-by-15 conference room.

Finding their Richland home

The road to finding the Shoot 360 gym wasn’t a straight path and echoed many business owners’ struggles when it comes to commercial real estate.

The Burcks first had their sights set on a building in Pasco, but the deal fell through a few months into the process.

“They fired their contractor and took it off the market,” Ryan said. “We spent four to five months working on this, so we had to start over from ground zero. Commercial real estate is hard to find.”

The stars aligned when they found Calvin Matson of Matson Holdings. He’s the owner and developer of their current space.

Shoot 360 entered part way through construction of its speculative building. Matson was able to redesign a few things to accommodate the new business.

“We got in pretty early, so we had our project manager come in so we could tailor it to fit our needs,” Robin said.

Offices were converted to a conference room. Plumbing was moved to create an open floor plan for one tenant rather than the original plan of a multitenant space.

Matson remodeled the entryway and the interior, installed the electronics and painted.

“We were able to work with the Shoot 360 design team and come up with a plan,” Matson said.

The Burcks agreed on the lease in January 2023 and took over the space June 1. Rent is $9,000 per month for a five-year lease, with a 4% annual increase and the option to extend for another five-year lease.

“Everything has been on or ahead of schedule despite some permitting setbacks,” Ryan said. “I don’t know how he took care of everything, but he did.”

Matson to the rescue

Most new and small businesses aren’t in a place to develop land, which puts them at the mercy of commercial real estate availability, Matson said.

“Real estate is a big piece,” he said. “Starting up, it’s almost impossible for a small business to go out and borrow $2 to $3 million dollars, source a piece of ground, hire an architect, and that whole process takes two to three years to do. Now they can walk into a building and be up and running in three to six months.”

The company’s willingness to work with tenants stems from a time when Double J Excavating of Richland outgrew its leased space. Matson is a principal at Double J.

“We could not find a spot to lease,” he said. “That’s when I bought a piece of property and did it myself to make it work. It’s fun to be able to go and do that and provide that opportunity for other small businesses. It’s pretty cool I can do my part to help them.”

That’s when Matson Holdings was born. It leases a 5,200-square-foot building on a 1-acre lot to Double J Excavating, which is visible from Shoot 360.

Matson Holdings now owns 2.5 acres on five different lots and currently is developing three lots with 12,000 square feet of industrial flex space. The current design is for five tenants, with spaces ranging from 1,700 square feet to 3,600 square feet.

“We’re going to build it with the expectation that someone is going to come and lease it, but we are workable and flexible,” he said.

Matson said he’s rooting for Shoot 360’s success.

“I’ve always been an entrepreneur and a small business owner, so when Ryan and Robin came to us, it was exciting, the excitement they had, and the business plan they had put together. I don’t know anything about basketball, but it’s really exciting to see it come together and see them realizing their dream.”

Search Shoot 360 Tri-Cities: 2541 Logan St., Richland; 509-793-8493; shoot360. com/tri-cities; Facebook and Instagram @shoot360tricities.