Key Takeaways
- The Hockey Barn has joined NHL STREET as an official operator, adding street hockey programming to its Atlanta-area facility.
- The partnership gives kids a path into hockey without ice, skates, or the equipment investment typically required for the sport.
- Programming will include Intro to Hockey, Learn to Play, and organized league options for new and existing players.
- NHL STREET is funded through the NHL and NHLPA’s collectively bargained Industry Growth Fund and operates through partnerships with local NHL Clubs.
The Hockey Barn Adds NHL STREET Programming
The Hockey Barn, Inc., a membership-based hockey facility in Alpharetta, Georgia, has joined the NHL STREET operator network, according to a Business Wire release. The move adds dedicated street hockey programming to the facility’s existing indoor offerings, giving families in the Atlanta market a new entry point into the sport.
Jeff Scott, National Hockey League Group Vice President of Community Development and Industry Growth, said the league is looking to strengthen local pathways into hockey through the partnership. Kyle Kinzie, Founder and President of The Hockey Barn, said the goal is to introduce hockey to a broader audience while continuing to serve players already in the sport.
Lowering the Barrier to Entry
NHL STREET programming does not require skates, ice time, or extensive protective equipment, which the release describes as a lower barrier to entry for families exploring the sport for the first time. New players will have access to Intro to Hockey, Learn to Play, and organized league opportunities, where they can develop fundamentals such as stickhandling, passing, shooting, positioning, and teamwork.
For kids already playing on the ice, the release notes that street hockey skills such as puck handling, movement, and hockey awareness translate directly between the two formats, making NHL STREET a complementary training environment rather than a replacement for ice-based development.
Backed by the NHL and NHLPA’s Industry Growth Fund
NHL STREET operates as a joint initiative of the NHL and the National Hockey League Players’ Association, funded through the collectively bargained Industry Growth Fund. The program works through school and community partnerships, equipment support, and local events, with participating NHL Clubs helping bring the programming to their markets.
The Hockey Barn’s addition extends that model into Atlanta, a market without an NHL franchise but with a growing youth hockey base. Several current NHL players, including Jack Hughes, Dylan Larkin, and Matthew Tkachuk, have credited street hockey as part of their early development, a connection the league has leaned on in promoting the initiative.
A New Point of Entry for Atlanta Families
The Hockey Barn describes itself as a community built around three principles: train, compete, belong. Its NHL STREET designation adds a formal on-ramp for families who may not have previously considered hockey a realistic option, while giving current players another competitive outlet.
Program schedules and registration details have not yet been announced. The Hockey Barn said further information will be released directly through its own channels.
Source: Business Wire, August 11, 2026, https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260811285662/en/The-Hockey-Barn-Joins-NHL-STREET-as-Official-Operator-to-Expand-Hockey-Access-Across-Atlanta
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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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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.
