RAJ Sports Unveils Landmark Kaiser Permanente Performance Center

First-of-its-kind dual-sport training facility serves as the home of the Portland Thorns and Portland Fire, redefining athlete performance and innovation

Photos and Broll Footage of the Kaiser Permanente Performance Center can be found HERE

PORTLAND, OR – Today, RAJ Sports officially unveiled the Kaiser Permanente Performance Center, a first-of-its-kind dual-sport performance center purpose-built for professional women athletes and the new training home of the NWSL’s Portland Thorns and WNBA’s Portland Fire.

The opening of the Kaiser Permanente Performance Center marks a defining moment not only for the Thorns and Fire, but for the continued growth of women’s professional sports. The facility sets a new benchmark for athlete-centered performance environments, bringing together elite training, holistic health, sports science and cutting-edge innovation in a shared home for both teams.

More than a training facility, the Kaiser Permanente Performance Center reflects RAJ Sports’ commitment to creating an environment where athletes have every resource needed to perform at the highest level, recover more effectively and build long, healthy careers. From integrated healthcare and performance nutrition to recovery, family spaces and collaborative team environments, every aspect of the facility was intentionally designed to holistically support its athletes.

“Our vision for the Kaiser Permanente Performance Center was always centered on our athletes and creating the best possible environment for them to perform and thrive,” said RAJ Sports Co-Owner and Portland Fire and Portland Thorns Governor Lisa Bhathal Merage. “This facility reflects our long-term investment in our players, their performance, recovery and overall wellbeing, and represents the kind of infrastructure we believe will help define the next era of women’s sports.”

“The Kaiser Permanente Performance Center represents the kind of long-term investment we believe is essential to building a world-class sports organization,” added RAJ Sports Co-Owner Alex Bhathal. “We had an opportunity to think beyond what exists today and build for where professional sports is going, creating an enduring home for our athletes, teams and the Portland community that we believe can serve as a blueprint for the next generation of performance facilities.”

Located in Hillsboro, Oregon, the 100,000-square-foot facility provides the Thorns and the Fire with world-class resources tailored to their unique performance needs. The space features an elite training ecosystem that integrates advanced strength and conditioning, sports science, sports medicine, recovery, nutrition and wellness into one seamless athlete experience.

Among the Kaiser Permanente Performance Center’s notable features are:

Two full-sized soccer pitches and an outdoor training zone
A 17,000-square-foot practice gym featuring two full-sized basketball courts
A 5,000-square-foot strength and performance center with industry-leading equipment, outdoor turf training space and dedicated yoga and Pilates studio, outfitted with the latest Nike Strength and Lifetime Fitness equipment
A full-service dining room led by a full-time chef and nutritionist, featuring performance-focused meals and fueling stations throughout the facility
An integrated elite training program combining strength and conditioning, sports science and sports medicine, including semi-recessed hydrotherapy pools plus an underwater treadmill.
Dedicated family spaces designed to support players and their loved ones
Team meeting spaces and content creation studios
Private player entrance and secured parking for each team to ensure convenience and privacy

As the official team physicians and health care provider for the Thorns and Fire, Kaiser Permanente will utilize the new facility to deliver a fully-integrated health care model for both teams, providing comprehensive sports medicine, injury prevention, rehabilitation, mental health services, and long-term athlete care. This integrated partner and design approach reflects the growing understanding that women’s athletes benefit from care informed by research, experience and innovation specific to their unique needs, supporting athletes throughout every phase of their playing careers and beyond.

“This groundbreaking facility sets a new standard for how we invest in, support and care for women athletes. We’re excited to bring the same clinical expertise and integrated care our members count on every day to the Thorns and Fire,” said Wendy Watson, President of Kaiser Permanente Northwest. “We’re incredibly proud to be part of a partnership that is helping shape the future of women’s sports. The impact extends far beyond the field and court – from the beginning, it’s been about inspiring healthier communities, creating opportunities for women and girls, and making a lasting difference across our region”.

Nuna, a premier global baby gear brand, was named the Official Baby Gear Partner of the Thorns and Fire earlier this year. As part of the partnership, Nuna is behind the two Nuna Mother’s Rooms in the facility, a new parenting space for players from both teams to ensure all needs of working mothers are exceeded.

Lashify, the Fire’s official eyelash partner, is behind the team’s player lounge, Lashify Lounge, providing a unique space where Fire players can relax throughout the day, preparing or recovering from practice, and training.

The Kaiser Permanente Performance Center was designed by Populous, leveraging the global design firm’s expertise in elite sports environments to create a facility that empowers athletes to perform at their highest level while supporting their health and well-being. Portland-based Hoffman Construction served the facility’s general contract and builder.

The opening falls during RAJ Sports’ second annual Epicenter of Women’s Sports celebration. The weeklong event convenes the industry’s best in Portland – from owners and investors to athletes and league leaders – for a leadership summit at Nike’s Philip H. Knight Campus, live Portland Thorns and Portland Fire games, and other community events across the city. Other tentpole moments from this year include the refurbishment of the basketball court at Harriet Tubman Middle School, presented by Kaiser Permanente, as well as a new newly announced partnership with RAJ Sports and Nike.

The Kaiser Permanente Performance Center is the latest example of RAJ Sports’ continued investment in advancing women’s sports through innovation, world-class resources and an athlete-first philosophy. As the Fire and Thorns begin this new chapter, the facility establishes a new benchmark across professional teams and reinforces Portland’s place as the epicenter of women’s sports.

About RAJ Sports

Led by siblings Alex Bhathal and Lisa Bhathal Merage, RAJ Sports is redefining the future of women’s professional sports. Among the only professional sports ownership groups actively led by a brother-sister partnership, RAJ Sports has cemented Portland as the Epicenter of Women’s Sports through its ownership of the Portland Thorns (NWSL) and the Portland Fire (WNBA). Central to that vision is its more than $150 million investment in the first-of-its-kind Kaiser Permanente Performance Center, a shared training home purpose-built for both clubs that underscores a commitment to building world-class organizations. Backed by the Bhathal family’s extensive experience in professional sports, including ownership interests in the Sacramento Kings (NBA), Sacramento River Cats (MiLB) and Stockton Kings (NBA G League), RAJ Sports combines innovative sports operations, community investment and sports-anchored real estate development to build organizations that strengthen the communities it serves and redefine what professional sports can achieve.

About Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 12.6 million members in 8 states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists, and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery, and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education, and the support of community health.

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