Amazing experiences are just the beginning.

For over 20 years, Headfirst has been creating camps, events and experiences that inspire the next generation to discover new passions and leverage their individual talents to become the absolute best version of their future selves.

  
History

Our History

The Headfirst Companies were founded in 1996 by Brendan Sullivan, a native of Washington, D.C. In the fall of 1996, Brendan returned to D.C. after the first of five professional baseball seasons. His journey had taken him from the District to Stanford University and then into the San Diego Padres minor league system via the Major League Baseball draft. Brendan arrived home with a handful of one-page flyers highlighting his rookie baseball card and advertising private instruction. With a single baseball lesson that September on the fields of St. Albans School, his alma mater, The Headfirst Companies were born. With the first pitch, his mission was simple. It remains the same today: Inspire the personal best in high potential young people. And we’ve dedicated every year since to that mission, with passion, enthusiasm and a focus to improve every day. Today, The Headfirst Companies have flourished into a national organization that operates four divisions: Headfirst Summer Camps, Headfirst Showcases (Honor Roll Camps & Top96), Headfirst Professional Sports Camps and KI Concerts. At our Headquarters in the Woodley Park neighborhood of Washington, D.C. and Colorado Springs, CO, our 50 full-time employees further Brendan’s vision – to elevate our experiences as a platform to teach the young and young-at-heart about life and create opportunities for their future.

  
Divisions

Our Experiences

The Headfirst Companies will host over 20,000 participants this year across our various business lines. Headfirst Summer Camps are award-winning STEM, STEAM, Sports, and Overnight camps for children ages 3 to 14 in the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Northern Virginia metro areas. Headfirst Summer Camps create immersive, hands-on learning environments which utilize the power of play to entertain, challenge and inspire. At the heart of our programming is our dedication to building a child-centered community where a consistent emphasis on emotional, social and physical wellness meets daily opportunities for exploration, learning and developmental growth.

Headfirst Showcases (Honor Roll & Top96) are two-day baseball and softball showcase events. Honor Roll Camps events operate throughout the United States, from New York to Florida to California, and connect coaches from the nation’s most academically competitive colleges and universities with high performing high school student-athletes from across the country. Top96 Baseball Camps deliver unparalleled regional efficiency and opportunity in the recruiting process, while also providing players and college coaches with in-depth, advanced data and analytics that the top college programs use and represent both the present and future of the game.

Headfirst Professional Sports Camps are youth soccer, flag football, baseball, and softball programs operated in conjunction with the Atlanta FalconsBoston Red SoxChicago Cubs, D.C. United, New York Yankees & Washington Nationals. Based in each team’s home market, Headfirst Professional Sports Camps tap into the unique magic of these legendary professional sports teams by combining behind-the-scenes stadium access and player meet-and-greets with rich curriculum and instruction to spark passion, build skills and create Big League experiences for boys and girls ages 5 to 13.

KI Concerts provides the opportunity for fine choirs, bands, orchestras, marching bands and dance groups to explore and perform in extraordinary venues around the world. Our custom tours feature performances in cities as well as smaller towns offering exchanges, cultural immersion, warm audiences and workshops/clinics/outreach activities as requested. Likewise, KI’s choral and instrumental festivals are led by some of the true greats who conduct the combined festival ensembles and provide inspirational musical leadership.

  
Mission

Our Mission

Our mission is simple: to inspire the personal best in high potential young people. We believe everyone, with the right support and encouragement, is high potential and capable of amazing things. Our job is to place opportunities in front of them so they can continue to cultivate the greatness inside of themselves. When we say we inspire every individual’s personal best, we’re not playing around. Well, actually we are. We believe the power of play is one of the most effective ways to bring out each and every personal best. Every camper is unique and every “best” is, too. For us, summer is a time for exploration. Our experience shows that guided exploration leads to the realization of untapped passion and talent. And when that happens during the most memorable time in a person’s life? Well, we believe the possibilities for the future are limitless. For over 20 years, we’ve been creating programs that inspire children, young people and adults to courageously engage with the world, celebrate the challenges that come with trying hard things, and meet every opportunity and every setback with persistence, patience and a positive attitude. We do this work because we believe in the profound value of social and emotional learning to equip our participants with the power to spark inspiration and unlock potential. We have developed a set of tools that we call the Headfirst Super Six to teach these valuable lessons. They aren’t just any tools; they’re character building social skills that are highly correlated to success and leadership. The Headfirst Super Six are Resiliency, Hope & Goal Setting, Optimism, Emotional Mastery, Grit & Determination and Self-Efficacy. Whether it’s a STEM lesson in Summer Camp, performing at the Vatican or objective measurements in Honor Roll Camps, we build these tools into each and every curriculum. And, we hope that in partnership with families, we are playing a small, but valuable role in helping our members achieve success so they can be the absolute best version of their future selves.

  

Awards

Over the years we have been honored to receive recognition for the great work of our staff and the quality of our camps. Most recently The Headfirst Companies was named one of Washington Business Journal’s Best Places to Work for 2022!

KI is simply the best in the business. We have used KIconcerts consistently every two years to take our wind ensemble and symphonic band on unforgettable, life-changing tours of the world... They get my absolute highest, unflinchingly positive rating for the discerning musical artist who wishes to have a stellar experience in every way. Jason Noble, Scarsdale High School
camper