Our Story
Swish House Co-Founders Jonathon Dues and Dave Holtzmuller grew up playing basketball in each other’s back yards in the small town of Eaton, OH. After starring together in high school, both went on to play at the collegiate level, and as most college athletes do, they both “went pro” in something other than basketball…
In their mid-30s with families and demanding careers, both were finding it difficult to continue to play reliable, convenient and high quality basketball. Their hoops skills were diminished because of it, and worse, their health was declining by the day because while there are countless great workouts, none of them are as fun as basketball. They wanted to get into basketball shape, and they knew that millions of people who love hoops want to connect with the game as long as possible and as much as possible…
Following the booming trends of boutique fitness concepts, the solution was to bring the convenience and health benefits of a group fitness class to the basketball community. So, in 2016, they assembled a foundational leadership team of like-minded former pro/collegiate athletes, entrepreneurs and coaches - Brad Rainko, Tai Duncan, Tim Doyle, Kristin Heidloff, David Gardner, and Erica Prosser who all agreed that working out is more fun with a ball in your hands…
In 2017, 13-year overseas pro and Kent State’s all time leading scorer, Trevor Huffman, moved back to the U.S. unsure about his next step in life and serendipitously reconnected with Dues - who he’d played against in college. After hearing the details of the Swish House vision, Trevor joined the team and led the development of the world’s first basketball fitness class - 60 minutes of fun, hoops-based cardio drills, HIIT stations and team shooting contests designed for anyone who loves the game!
It started with 25 founding members in an old school gym in Chicago and before long, more high level athletes, entrepreneurs and a top NBA Director of Sports Performance invested in Swish House and put their stamp on the workout. Jonathon, Dave, Trevor and the rest of the founders have truly LIVED the Swish House brand and utilized their programming to get back in basketball shape in their 40s! The word has spread, and with full-scale operations in Chicago and NYC led by superstar General Managers Caitlin Ackerman and Paul Vitelli - overall membership has grown from 700 in 2021 to over 2100 in 2022. Swish House is a movement that’s growing every day…
The mission is simple - to help MILLIONS of people across THOUSANDS of locations to get healthier and happier through basketball - the game we all love.