Falls Church Sports Performance Center Takes Skills To Next Level

FALLS CHURCH, VA — When Graham Kelley was a high school offensive lineman a decade ago, he made the decision to put in extra time training at a performance center designed to offer athletes the opportunity to hone their skills differently than was being offered at their respective high schools.

The results, Kelley says now, were game-changing, which led to the chance to play at Lafayette College. Yet, when Kelley looked at the number of Division I college athletes that come from Northern Virginia each year across a number of sports from lacrosse to soccer to football and basketball, he saw an opportunity to put his entrepreneurial skills to work.

He and his business partners recently opened the Capital City Sports Academy, which he said is a premier sports performance facility that will offer athletes top-tier training and skill development to take their game to the next level. With the ratio of training facilities to the number of college-bound athletes not being equal, Kelley jumped at the chance to give athletes of all levels another option.

“The exposure to new training styles, new speed development and the exposure to different athletes in the area helps from a competitive standpoint,” Kelley told Patch on Thursday. “It puts you in a position to continue to compete against new faces as opposed to working out with the same teammates day in, day out — not that that’s detrimental, but it gives you the chance to compete with top-tier athletes in your area on a daily basis. That really makes you difference.

“It gives you to the chance or not compete and more times than not, you see kids step up to the challenge and develop in that kind of environment.”

The facility is run by Kelley and former teammates Malik Golden (Penn State) and Ross Scheuerman (Lafayette, Canadian Football League), both of whom spent a brief time with NFL teams. Chad Ward, who is a Northern Virginia native who has previous experience training high-level athletes, serves as the center’s head coach, and will oversee the speed, agility, strength, and power training. The facility will also offer adult boot camp classes and individualized personal training.

The performance center, which is located at 3431 Carlin Springs Rd., will also provide a football-specific, position-based training academy that will feature skill development drills and other training designed for area players to succeed in their roles.

But the focus, Kelley said, will remain on helping young athletes train differently than they may be accustomed. As the summer begins and with coronavirus pandemic restrictions starting to be lifted, Kelley said parents are looking for a way for their children to remain active, which Capital City will provide, he said.

"We want to build something special to help kids shine," Ward, the head coach and general manager said. "Our program is built to get athletes faster and stronger and prepare them to face and conquer elite D.C. competition."

But where the 4,500-square foot facility will really affect athletes is by allowing them to zero in on areas of improvement they want to make individually. While Kelley isn’t taking anything away from the training that takes place at the high school or club level, he said the new performance center will take a different approach than other skill development opportunities.

“I think what athletes are looking for is a chance to see how they stack up against other athletes in the area,” Kelley said.

He added: “We want to be the go-to training facility for anyone looking to improve themselves.”