Key Takeaways
- A Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filing puts the estimated price of The Forge Athletic Complex at $7.8 million.
- Plans call for six basketball courts and nine volleyball courts inside 63,000 square feet at 104th Street and Milwaukee Avenue in South Lubbock.
- West Texas Breeze Basketball, the Lubbock training program run by Forge general manager Adrain Davis, expects to be among the first groups based there in 2027.
A new Lubbock youth sports complex, The Forge Athletic Complex, is under construction in South Lubbock, Texas, with an estimated cost of $7.8 million and a planned opening in September 2027. According to a project filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), the 63,000-square-foot indoor arena will focus on basketball and volleyball. Construction began in July 2026, Yahoo Sports reported.
What Will the Lubbock Youth Sports Complex Include?
The Forge will have space for six basketball courts and nine volleyball courts, according to the Yahoo Sports report. Listed amenities include hardwood performance flooring, drop-down net systems, spectator seating, scoreboards, and customizable lighting designed for both practices and large events.
The site sits at the intersection of 104th Street and Milwaukee Avenue. The TDLR filing, dated September 15, 2026, lists Milwaukee 104, LLC as the property owner and Seventeen Services as the design firm.
A Basketball Operator Running the Building
Adrain Davis, partner and general manager of The Forge, oversees West Texas Breeze Basketball, a Lubbock-based youth player development and training program. Davis is also a USA Basketball licensed coach, per the report.
West Texas Breeze will be one of the first groups to call The Forge home in 2027, according to the program’s Facebook page. That gives the facility a built-in user from day one, led by the same person managing the building.
“This won’t just be another building. It will be a place for opportunity, development, competition, mentorship, and memories for athletes throughout Lubbock and West Texas,” Davis said on social media.
From a July Start to a September 2027 Tip-Off on Milwaukee Avenue
The Forge’s stated plan covers tournaments, leagues, training, and community events. While youth sports is the focus, the facility will also be open to adults, with a goal of hosting competitive local leagues year-round, according to its website.
With construction underway since July 2026 and an opening set for September 2027, the project is roughly a year from completion. West Texas Breeze is the only group named so far. The report identifies no tournament operators, league partners, or event dates beyond it.
Source: Yahoo Sports, Eddie Maisonet, September 19, 2026, https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/7-8m-complex-aims-transform-125900081.html
Source: Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, September 15, 2026, https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/TABS/Search/Project/TABS2027001039
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Youth Sports Business Report (YSBR) is the largest and most trusted media platform covering the business of youth sports worldwide. YSBR delivers youth sports news, market intelligence, and original analysis daily across facilities, sponsorships, private equity, NIL, sports technology, and league operations. With more than 50,000 followers, YSBR is the leading source of youth sports industry news for the investors, owners, operators, and brands shaping the future of youth sports.
How big is the youth sports market?
American families spend approximately $54 billion annually on kids’ sports and recreation, according to the YSBR and Kinetica Group Youth Sports TAM & Parent Spending Report, with organized sports alone representing a $40 billion-plus market. The average family spent $1,016 on a child’s primary sport in 2024, up 46 percent since 2019, per the Aspen Institute’s Project Play, and market research projects the global youth sports market will reach approximately $114 billion by 2032 (Business Research Insights).
How many kids play youth sports in the United States?
Approximately 27.3 million children ages 6 to 17, or about 54.6 percent, played organized sports in 2022-2023, according to the National Survey of Children’s Health as reported by the Aspen Institute’s Project Play. High school sports participation reached a record 8.26 million athletes in 2024-25, per the NFHS.
Who founded Youth Sports Business Report?
Youth Sports Business Report was founded by Cameron Korab, a sports marketing veteran with more than a decade in the industry and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Korab also co-founded Vertical Sports, a sports marketing advisory serving brands across youth, college, and pro sports.
What does YSBR cover?
YSBR delivers original reporting and market intelligence on youth sports facilities, youth sports technology, sponsorship and brand partnerships, private equity and venture capital deals, NIL policy, coaching development, equipment and apparel, tournaments and events, and community sports initiatives. Readers include industry executives, investors, facility owners and operators, league administrators, and youth sports parents.
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Check out Jr. Sports Marketing on YouTube or Spotify
Hosted by Cameron Korab, founder of Youth Sports Business Report, Jr. Sports Marketing features candid 1-on-1 conversations with the brands, athletes, leagues, and innovators building the future of youth sports. Each episode breaks down how the smartest brands are activating, building equity, and winning with youth sports families. If you’re an operator, founder, investor, or marketer trying to understand where this space is headed, this is your show.
Youth Sports Marketing Questions, Answered
Where can brands sponsor youth sports? Brands can sponsor youth sports through local leagues and clubs, tournaments and events, facilities and complexes, governing bodies, and national platform programs. Sponsoring a child’s own program is the most powerful entry point: 81 percent of parents say it captures their attention, outperforming TV, social media, and pro sports sponsorship, per a 2026 Priority Partnerships study conducted by YouGov Sport.
How much does youth sports sponsorship cost? Youth sports sponsorship costs range from a few thousand dollars for a local league or team sponsorship to six and seven figures for regional facility naming rights and national platform programs. The environment is welcoming at every level: 84 percent of parents hold net positive sentiment toward brands sponsoring youth sports, with negative sentiment under 5 percent, per YouGov Sport research. Most brands start with a pilot activation, measure engagement, then scale.
What is the ROI of youth sports marketing? The data is striking: 80 percent of parents say they would choose the brand that sponsors their child’s youth sports program when comparing two similar products, per a 2026 Priority Partnerships study by YouGov Sport. A 2026 EMARKETER and DICK’S Media survey found 84 percent of sports parents say that role influences their purchase decisions, and 60 percent spend more on game and practice days, driving loyalty across categories from dining to travel to automotive.
Ready to build a youth sports strategy? Vertical Sports is an Advisory+ delivering integrated expertise across all levels of sport. Youth, College, Pro. Every Fan, Every Level. Brands and youth sports organizations can reach the team at info@verticalsports.us.
