- January 8, 2026
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Inside of 407Sports LLC’s walls, the sounds of basketballs bouncing on the freshly polished hardwood, echoes of volleyballs bouncing on state-of-the-art courts and the hum of strength training equipment fill the facility on any afternoon.
As the youth sports organization prepares for its first full year of operation in 2026, founders Ryan Trimbee and Nik Winkleman are focused not only on opening doors but also redefining what athlete development can look like in Central Florida.
The 71,000-square-foot facility already feels alive. The energy the facility creates represents the completion of a big picture that’s been years in the making.
After nearly two decades in education and eight years in a corporate leadership role, Trimbee walked away from stability to chase a vision that began in 2018 as Windermere Basketball Academy. What started as a part-time training program a few days per week has evolved into 407Basketball, a full-scale athlete development hub designed to serve basketball, volleyball and beyond.
“It was hard, but it feels like I’m fulfilling a purpose in my life,” he said.
Looking back, it’s been incredible for him to see the evolution of their small basketball academy over the years and now, eight years later, start the new year with partnership with a volleyball club. Both are centered around the same goals.
“Conditioning, strength training are all focused around (athletes’) goals,” Trimbee said. “The kids need to have something to strive for, something to do, something to work for and so the purpose is to challenge them, help them become the best version of themselves.”
That programming will begin with a holistic approach to development. Young athletes will train on the court, in the weight room and learn how to recover.
In the center of the facility, separating the volleyball and basketball courts, cold plunges, saunas and Hyperice recovery equipment are integrated into daily routines. It reflects the philosophy that athletes must recover as hard as they train.
“When we train as hard as we do, we have to recover the same way,” Trimbee said. “That’s how athletes can do it again and again and again.”
The result is a system designed to build what Trimbee calls the “total athlete.” They will be mentally, physically and emotionally prepared to compete at the highest level. Trimbee said the facility expects to host athletes for strength training from all sports, rather than only volleyball and basketball.
“Athletes that want to train and compete at a high level,” he said. “We’re looking for 407Sports to become that hub.”
Strength training is applicable to any sport. It’s a key element to grow athletes’ strength, which in turn translates to their on-court or on-field performance through higher verticals and faster reaction times. The application across the board is what will allow the youth sports facility to expand its arms to those sports that might not have a physical court inside of the building and even open its doors to professional athletes residing in the area.
The training field encompasses brand new, top-of-the-line equipment ranging from squat racks to indoor rowing machines, free weights, stationary bikes and a turf area. All of the machinery is in place to develop the athletes into high level competitors and it is all kicking off in the 2026 year.
One of the initiatives 407Basketball is launching a new daytime academic and basketball training program, approved by the Florida Department of Education as a Step Up scholarship provider.
The program is designed for homeschool and Florida Virtual School students, and it will allow families to use state education funds to combine academics with structured athletic training during the day. Students grades six through 12 will arrive at 9 a.m. and remain at the facility until 3 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays.
During their school hours, they will rotate through coursework, strength training and basketball development. The program’s priority will focus on the “student” in student athlete first.
“Most of these kids are playing for the next level,” he said. “They’re playing for college opportunities, scholarships and whatnot, they will be in school,” he said. “So academics have to be there. Training is there but we’ve combined them both.”
An on-site education administrator will help the student-athletes with their studies. A trainer also will take students through their strength training programs and basketball practices.
The academy’s model reflects the changing landscape of education in Florida, where school choice and virtual learning are becoming increasingly common, Trimbee said. Rather than waiting for evening practices that typically stretch late into the night after a long school day, student-athletes can complete their training during traditional school hours and leave the evening free for family time and recovery.
“Not only will they get a scholarship, but then they can enroll their child into homeschool, and then they can find a place for them to train,” Trimbee said.
The facility already has created an entire curriculum built around the program. Students will come in and conduct their morning stretches, warm ups and a small lift. Then they will head to the desks and start their school work before closing the laptops and doing work on the court.
To foster the ideal study area for the youth, 407Basketball has built an area with tables and chairs to lay the groundwork for academic success.
It’s expected to become a highly successful program for 407Sports, Trimbee said.
Parents already have expressed their strong interest, and a waitlist has formed prior to the program’s Tuesday, Jan. 13, launch. Starting the program is a large growth area for the facility and they hope to have a successful first-year running it, which will foster the ability to sustain it for years to come and offer it throughout the West Orange community.
With the Florida Virtual School platform, high school students already have begun to graduate at a higher rate than public schools, Trimbee said. The program will emphasize continuing the accelerated rates and prepare the athletes for the college level when they will have to balance constant training with the higher level of academics.
It will be 407Basketball’s biggest program the facility will offer to the community, but the “sports” aspect of their title won’t be forgotten. Following the morning programs, the facility will transition into its evening training groups.
The evening will consist of group and individual training sessions for children at the middle school to high school levels, Trimbee said. Basketball remains at the core of 407Basketball’s identity for its future endeavors, and the programming planned for 2026 is extensive.
Evening training sessions will serve more than 100 athletes across age groups and there are options for group skills training, private instruction and team-based development. The facility also will host holiday camps, a three-week summer camp for young children and adult men’s and women’s leagues.
Outside of hosting training sessions, 407Basketball will focus on developing AAU basketball leagues. On the boys’ side, it will have teams from 10U through varsity age groups, and for the girls, the facility will start from the ground and build up, creating a 12U and 13U team.
“As a girl dad, I feel this deeply,” Trimbee said. “There’s a gap in opportunities for female athletes and I want to help fill it.”
It’s important to him to close the gap and become a place that fosters the growth of all youth athletes. The AAU leagues will begin in March and practice in the afternoons once the other programs clear the facility.
The ultimate goal is not only to compete but also prepare young athletes by granting them the training space and exposure they need to make middle school, high school and, down the road, college rosters.
From a parent’s perspective, Trimbee understands the challenges with paving the way for their children to make it to the collegiate level. His daughter is a high level softball player at Windermere High and already has begun the recruitment process for the next level. It’s caused the family to travel across the country for exposure and showcases.
The time, travel and cost that has gone into recruitment has been immense, but now he realizes even deeper how a college showcase facility can impact locals to Central Florida. For families, it means they will have to book fewer flights, fewer hotels and, overall, have easier access.
Parents’ experiences with recruitment has shaped one of 407Basketball’s most important goals in its inaugural year: becoming a regional hub for college exposure camps. Trimbee said the camps will range in exposure to Division I, Division II, Division III and junior colleges, and any coaches are welcome.
Trimbee envisions the showcases as full-day events that will bring college coaches and scouts directly to Central Florida. Athletes would be evaluated using measurable metrics — their vertical jump, speed, strength and shooting efficiency — while also participating in on-court drills and live play.
“We have the space,” Trimbee said. “We have the equipment. We can give coaches a real look at these athletes.”
The facility was built with the intention of shaping young athletes, meaning it will not serve as a large-scale host for national tournaments. Down the road, Trimbee said the organization might decide to host smaller tournaments, but it won’t be decided upon in the near future.
The focus is to test the waters in their first year and develop the school program, AAU leagues and camps to a level with which they are happy. If those internal programs do well, then possibly they will open the facility to rental opportunities or tournaments, but for now, they are sticking with the plan of developing athletes.
It’s a mission that has given Trimbee a new sense of life.
“If I could help one kid at least feel good about it and just have that (college) chance, there’s a lot of pressure that comes with it,” Trimbee said. “You have to train, you have to perform. You have all these things that you have to do but if that’s the dream, let’s get the dream accomplished.”
After a long three years in the making, the facility now is up and running. The process to get to the point where they are at now has been a psychological battle, requiring them to channel their deepest needs. But it’s an exciting step.
“The perseverance me and Nik have gone through, it’s unmatched and we want everybody to experience what we’ve been able to experience,” he said.
