Key Takeaways
- Capacity Sports Group now owns the 78-acre LakePoint property containing the Baseball Village and Publix Fields, and holds a lease to operate the 170,000-square-foot Champions Center.
- Prep Baseball, part of Capacity, has run tournaments at LakePoint since 2019, including the National Program Invitational, National Championships and Future Games.
- The Champions Center accommodates 12 basketball courts or 24 volleyball courts, and the three outdoor turf fields can convert to 12 flag football fields, CEO Ken Kocher told YSBR.
- The deal follows five acquisitions since Capacity launched in January 2026 through the merger of Prep Baseball and Bullpen Ventures.
Capacity Sports Group has expanded its role at LakePoint Sports, one of the most recognizable youth sports destinations in the country. Through the transaction announced October 14, 2026, the company now owns the 78-acre property in Emerson, Georgia that includes the Baseball Village and Publix Fields, and holds a lease to operate the 170,000-square-foot Champions Center Indoor Pavilion, the company said.
What Capacity Now Controls at LakePoint Sports
LakePoint, located just outside Atlanta, welcomes millions of guests annually and is anchored by three signature venues, according to the announcement. The Baseball Village features eight major league-sized synthetic turf fields. The Champions Center Indoor Pavilion holds 12 basketball courts or 24 volleyball courts. Publix Fields adds three multiuse turf fields for soccer, lacrosse and football.
Those specs matter because Capacity’s portfolio extends well beyond baseball. The company’s stated focus spans baseball, softball, soccer, lacrosse, volleyball and flag football, and it already runs basketball tournaments at facilities like LakePoint through its Ryze Hoops brand.
Why the Prep Baseball Relationship Set Up the Deal
YSBR sat down with Capacity CEO Ken Kocher, who said years of operating at the complex gave the company confidence to take on ownership. Prep Baseball has staged events at LakePoint since 2019.
“We’ve seen the level of competition, the teams that come back and how much those events mean to the athletes,” Kocher told YSBR. “The timing comes back to where we’re going as a company. We wanted to secure our long-term baseball presence at LakePoint and create the opportunity to grow our other sports there.”
Kocher pointed to specific capacity already on the ground: the three multiuse fields can accommodate 12 flag football fields for the company’s Flag Football Life tournament business, while the Champions Center opens room to expand volleyball and basketball. He was equally clear about how Capacity plans to run a multisport campus: “The soccer people need to lead soccer, and the volleyball people need to lead volleyball to do it exceptionally well.”
How Does LakePoint Fit Capacity’s Acquisition Strategy?
Capacity Sports Group was introduced in January 2026 following the merger of Prep Baseball and Bullpen Ventures, building on a relationship between the two leadership teams that dates to 2010. Since launch, the company has added Play9 Sports in March, then United Sports, YSC Sports, Sideline Soccer Solutions and Flag Football Life in April, per Kocher. Those deals extended its reach across Midwest baseball and softball tournaments, Philadelphia-area multisport facilities, soccer events and flag football competitions.
Kocher told YSBR the acquisition filter starts with people, not properties: experienced operators who have built successful businesses in their sports. LakePoint pairs that operating experience with facilities where several of those businesses can grow at once.
For families and event partners, Kocher said the existing team and events are the starting point, with Capacity’s job being to support them. “Families will judge us on whether the event runs well, the facilities are spectacular and we are there to help when they need it.”
From Eight Turf Diamonds to a Six-Sport Calendar in Emerson
Kocher described LakePoint’s future as a dual role: a national hub where signature events like the Future Games give teams something to work toward, balanced with regional competition that brings Southeast athletes to the campus more regularly. Owning the venue and the programming also lets Capacity explore extending Prep Baseball’s scouting, athlete profiles, video and media capabilities into other sports, he said.
More deals appear likely. Kocher told YSBR the company will continue adding tournament businesses, operating expertise and venues, and is open to different arrangements, including operating partnerships and leases: “The fit matters more than the structure.”
Source: Capacity Sports Group, October 14, 2026, capacitysportsgroup.com
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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.
