The Parisi Story

Bill Parisi graduated from Ridgefield Park High School in New Jersey as a standout football player and javelin thrower. He pursues his passion for the javelin throw by attending Iona College in New Rochelle, N.Y., to train under world-class javelin coach Tony Naclerio.

Bill becomes a two-time NCAA Division I All-American in the javelin throw and qualifies for the Olympic trials.

Bill travels to Finland and trains with some of the world's top athletes and coaches. He meets 1988 Olympic gold medal winner in the javelin, Tapio Korjus, from Finland.

Bill attends dozens of strength and conditioning clinics around the U.S. as an undergraduate student. There, he meets Johnny Parker, head strength coach for the NY Giants. Coach Parker asks Bill to work with the Giants’ starting quarterback, Phil Simms, on his arm strength in the off-season.

Immediately after graduating college with a degree in finance and completing his internship on Wall Street, Bill packs his bags and drives from New Jersey to Gainesville, Fla., with only $200 in his pocket

Bill lands a position as a Graduate Assistant with the University of Florida Gators Strength and Conditioning Department. It is at this time that Bill realizes he wants to pursue a career in Performance Training to help athletes of all ages reach their goals.

At the age of 24 and after one year at the University of Florida, Bill returns to New Jersey and begins his career as an in-home personal trainer, operating out of a home office in his parent's house. It is here that Bill comes up with the idea to create Parisi Speed School.

Two years out of college, Bill reconnects with NY Giants Strength Coach Johnny Parker and is hired to assist him with the off-season conditioning program. Bill begins his second stint working with Phil Simms.

Bill purchases a $500 van and begins driving to local high schools and youth recreation departments to give free clinics and seminars on speed training and motivation. His first client, T.J. Fay, increases his 40-yard dash from 4.67 to 4.45 seconds and the story is featured in the local paper.

Bill opens his first facility, a 3,000-square-foot personal training studio in Wyckoff, N.J., specializing in youth sports performance speed development.

Former Ramapo High School quarterback Chris Simms, who began training with Parisi as an eighth grader, becomes the highest profile high school athlete involved with Parisi Speed School.

Garfield (N.J.) High School’s Wayne Chrebet trains with Parisi before trying out with the NY Jets. He would go on to have an 11-year career with the team. He set an NFL record for most catches in a receiver’s first two seasons (150) and is second in Jets’ history in receptions (580).

Bill Parisi is hired by NY Giants Head Coach Jim Fassel and Strength Coach John Dunn to work with the team and all-time receiver leaders Amani Toomer (1st All-Time) and Chris Calloway (7th All-Time).

Bill opens a second facility, a 16,000-square-foot full service Parisi Sports Club, with the Parisi Speed School occupying 2,500 square feet.

Bill Parisi hires Martin Rooney to take over as chief operating officer and to oversee all training and programming curricula.

Bill opens a third company-owned, full-service health club facility. The 32,000-square-foot building’s space is divided equally between a Parisi Sports Club and a Parisi Speed School. This facility becomes the flagship of all Parisi Speed Schools.

Phil Simms becomes national spokesperson for Parisi Speed School.

Bryan Thomas, at 268 pounds and a sleeper in the 2002 NFL draft, increases his speed from 4.65 to 4.42 seconds, surprising scouts at the NFL combine. The NY Jets draft him in the first round and he later signs a five-year contract worth more than $9 million with incentives.

Parisi begins to build a national brand with results from the NFL Combine and other world-class athletes. The company also starts its 10-part DVD series that focuses on improving athletes’ game speed.

Parisi opens a fourth company owned facility — a 29,000-square-foot operation shared by a 20,000-square-foot health club and a 9,000-square-foot Parisi Speed School.

Parisi begins to sell franchises of its business systems and training methods, and signs a partnership agreement with global fitness equipment manufacturer FreeMotion Fitness. Six units are sold in five states around the country in the second half of the year.

Fabian Washington runs the fastest 40-yard dash at the 2005 NFL Combine (4.25 seconds), and is drafted in the first round to the Oakland Raiders.

Matt Jones, a 6’6” 240-pound quarterback from the University of Arkansas, shocks the NFL and runs an amazing 4.37 second 40-yard dash. The Jacksonville Jaguars draft him in the first round.

Parisi-trained athletes Valerie Fleming and Shauna Rohbock win Olympic Silver Medals in the two-woman Bobsled event.

Parisi produces three of the top six fastest athletes at the 2006 NFL Combine — an unprecedented result compared to any other training facility in the country.

Parisi’s national brand expands after being featured in Sporting News and on ESPN for NFL Combine training and Olympic athlete results.

Parisi Speed School franchise network grows from 16 to 31 locations. Parisi NFL Combine program produces 15 more draft picks, bringing the all-time number of Parisi-trained athletes drafted to 103.

Parisi is hired by the Cincinnati Bengals and NY Jets for specialized training.

Parisi is the official trainer for the 2007 International Fight League World Team Champions— the NY Pitbulls.

Parisi franchise network grows to 40 locations across the U.S.

The Parisi NFL Combine Program sees 14 of its athletes selected in 2008, bringing the program’s all-time total to 117 draft picks since 2001. The class includes the Number 2 overall draft pick Chris Long, who is selected by the St. Louis Rams.

Bill Parisi launches the NFL Youth Summit in Canton, Ohio.

Parisi Franchise Network grows to more than 50 locations in the United States.

Parisi signs on with a newly formed nutritional supplement company, Inner Armour, to help formulate a banned-substance-free nutrition line specifically designed for athletes.

Rick Caro joins the Parisi franchise board of directors.

Parisi signs a partnership agreement with Perform Better.

Men’s Health Magazine’s panel of fitness advisors names Parisi Speed School as one of the 10 best gyms in the nation. The panel’s criteria include operations that feature top-quality equipment and trainers versed in the latest exercise science.

The Parisi NFL Combine program produces 10 more draft picks to bring the all-time total of players drafted to the NFL to 127.

Martin Rooney presents the Parisi Training System to the United Kingdom Strength and Conditioning Association in London and the Finnish Coaches Association in Helsinki, Finland.

Parisi's is named to Entrepreneur Magazine's Franchise 500

Parisi is named as one of the Franchise Times Fast 55

Parisi's is listed as one of Entrepreneur Magazine's Top 50 New Franchises

The Parisi franchise network grows to more than 70 locations.

Bill Parisi is honored at the 2011 NFL Strength and Conditioning Coach’s dinner with the Professional Achievement Award. Thirty-two NFL head strength and conditioning coaches were the judges for the award.

Parisi launches Gamespeed.com, a customized online coach’s assistant training platform, to help drive team-training sales for the franchise network.

Parisi Speed School celebrates its 20th anniversary.

Greatist names Parisi Speed School 1 of 2012's 21 Most Innovative US Gyms.

Parisi Speed School signs with Atlantic Health Hospital to become part of the facility’s sports health program, which includes the NY Jets and NJ Devils. The program operates inside the state-of-the-art Atlantic Sports Health Performance Testing and Training location in Morristown, N.J.

Parisi initiates the launch of a new non-profit NFL Flag Football League. The American Instructional Football League (AIFL) kicked off its pilot flag football season in North Jersey and was met with great success. AIFL/NFL Flag Football is now offered to all locations in the network to help engage more children and parents with Parisi-backed programs.

The Parisi corporate office expands to offer more support and performance training innovation to the network. New positions added include strategic development director and manager of education, designed to bring the Parisi network to new heights of success.

Parisi grows to more than 85 locations in 31 states

AIFL registers over 400 Flag Football participants in its first full year of operation, proving to be a huge success

PM4 is launched throughout the U.S. as a systematic approach to the 4 Parisi Methods to training sports teams of all levels

Parisi Franchise is named as one of the Top 500 and Personal Service Franchises by Entrepreneur Magazine

Entrepreneur Magazine names Parisi to it's list of Top 500 Franchises

The Active Times names Parisi Speed Schools #1 in America on their Top 31 Gyms in the Country list. Parisi Franchises MVP and Results U are names #3 and #5, respectively.

Parisi enters a partnership with Box Command to create a new Training Management System and App

The Active Dynamic Warm-Up Method 2.0 and Building Ultimate Strength to Deliver Ultimate Speed: 6 Deadlifts That Hold The Keys DVDs are released

Entrepreneur Magazine Names the Parisi Speed School to the list of Hottest Franchsie Categories of the Year

Bill Parisi is given the "Key to the City" by William D. Sessoms, Jr., Mayor of Virginia Beach, VA

Bill Parisi and Dr. Rob Bell release their book, Don't Should On Your Kids: Build Their Mental Toughness

Parisi and Box Command release the Parisi App

FranchiseRankings.com names Parisi Speed School as one of the Best Fitness Franchises

Entrepreneur Magazine names Parisi one of the Top 500 Franchises

FranchiseRankings.com names the Parisi Speed School to the list of Top 100 Best Franchise Opportunities

The Parisi Speed School is named to Entrepreneur's StartUp list of 218 Hottest Businesses

The Parisi Speed School enters a strategic alliance partnership with NCSA Athletic Recruiting

Parisi's is named as one of Entrepreneur Magazine's Top Personal Service Franchises

American Registry names the Parisi Speed School as one of America's Most Honored Businesses

Parisi Partners with Zybek Sports

Parisi, in partnership with NCSA, Zybek Sports and BoxCommand launch the first three, "Centers for Standardized Athletic Testing."

Parisi begins providing training content for USA Football

Parisi Rises in 2017's Entrepreneur Franchise 500. After coming in at #439 in 2016, Parisi rose 48 spots in 2017 to #391.

Parisi Speed School partners with the 2017 Rivals Camp Series, sponsored by Adidas. Parisi staff will be on the field during each event guiding athletes through our signature Active Dynamic Warm-Up, as well giving athletes the latest information on speed, agility and strength development.

Parisi's is one of Entrepreneur Startups Top 100 Franchises

American Registry lists Parisi's as one of America's Most Honored Businesses (1%)

The American Registry and Entrepreneur Magazine recognize the Parisi Speed School as Global Forces: Top 200 Franchises Operating Around The Globe.

Bill Parisi presents for numerous Youth Sport Coaches in Beijing and Guangzhou, China

Parisi is named one of Entrepreneur Magazine's Trendiest Franchises in December, 2017

Parisi Speed School expands internationally to China, with its first location in Beijing. Two more locations will be added in the coming years.

Parisi is again named to Entrepreneur Magazine's Franchise 500 in January, 2018

Parisi is asked to help manage and organize the NFL Strength Coaches as an Association in 2010, and becomes the Founder of the Professional Football Strength & Conditioning Coaches Association (PFSCCA). Parisi Speed School becomes the official Sports Performance Partner of the PFSCCA. The PFSCCA is an organization that brings together the Head Strength Coaches of the NFL and their assistants, with the world’s top sports scientists and researchers along with most advanced equipment companies and sports performance service providers. The collaboration of these three groups working together results in the most advanced injury resiliency and sports performance training educational programs available.

Bill Parisi launches Parisi Prep Academy, a small, private supplemental educational enrichment program that provides students with the opportunity for academic growth as well as personal and physical development prior to entering high school.

Parisi featured in the October issue of Club Business International magazine.

Each year at the NFL Combine, while fans learn about the future stars of the NFL, Strength & Conditioning Coaches learn the latest research in training and performance from Parisi Speed School Founder, Bill Parisi.

Parisi also presented to the group his personal research, which is the topic of the new book, “Fascia Training: A Whole System Approach” by Bill Parisi and Johnathon Allen. In it, Parisi talks about the latest scientific findings, along with new training and diagnostic tools for increasing speed, power, and injury resilience using a three-dimensional, whole-system training approach.

Check out Bill Parisi on The Today Show at Parisi Speed School – Fair Lawn talking about the cutting-edge Sparta Science platform and how we’re using this data to help our athletes stay injury free.

Bill Parisi launches Fascia Training Academy, an educational resource for Performance Coaches to learn how to train the body’s newly discovered fascia system.

To address the adult fitness market, Parisi partners with Escape Fitness, a worldwide fitness equipment and education company based out of England.

Parisi is named to Franchise Business Review's Top Innovative Franchises in October 2019.

American Registry names the Parisi Speed School as one of America's Most Honored Businesses in November 2019.

Franchise Business Review names the Parisi Speed School as one of the Top Franchises for Veterans.

Parisi is named Best Overall Franchise.

Entrepreneur Magazine names Parisi one of the Top 500 Franchises in January 2020.

Entrepreneur's Startup names Parisi one of the Top Low Cost Franchises in March 2020.

Parisi Speed School launches the Parisi Mentorship program, an exclusive mentorship experience for sports performance coaches, team coaches and personal trainers looking to strengthen their speed and sports performance training knowledge and skills.

In January 2021, Parisi Speed School becomes an official sport partner with the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

Bill Parisi authors his latest book, Anatomy of Speed, published by Human Kinetics. A chronological explanation of speed training research over the past 30 years and practical applications on how to improve speed for all field and court sport athletes.