Key Takeaways
- Ground broke Monday on a 331,000-square-foot, $50 million facility at 330 Maple Road in Amherst, featuring two 137,500-square-foot air-supported domes.
- Phase one includes a competition-grade turf dome, a 57,800-square-foot entertainment center, and six flex courts that can host 24 pickleball games at once.
- KemperSports will manage operations, with ASATI manufacturing the domes and ARC’s Frank Ciminelli II serving as development partner.
- A second dome with a 200-meter indoor track and field event space begins construction in spring 2027, alongside a planned hotel.
Construction is officially underway on the 716 Sports Complex, a $50 million, 331,000-square-foot multi-use sports and entertainment destination at 330 Maple Road in Amherst, New York, according to the project announcement. The complex will feature two 137,500-square-foot air-supported dome structures connected by a two-story entertainment center, with orthopedic surgeons Dr. Brian McGrath and Dr. Marc Fineberg leading the project.
What Phase One Includes
The first phase, which broke ground Monday, pairs a national competition-grade turf dome with a 57,800-square-foot entertainment center, per the announcement. The turf space is built to flex across soccer, lacrosse, flag football, rugby, and baseball training.
Alongside the turf, six flex sport courts will support basketball, volleyball, pickleball, wrestling, and cheerleading. Capacity is a selling point for tournament operators: the courts can host as many as six basketball games or 24 pickleball games simultaneously, according to the project plans.
The entertainment center is designed to keep families on site beyond game time, with locker rooms, retail and restaurant space, duckpin bowling, an arcade, and golf, darts, and pickleball simulators. Phase one also includes a Sports Performance Academy offering personalized training, nutrition and wellness counseling, and recovery services.
A Physician-Led Project With a National Operator
McGrath and Fineberg are both orthopedic surgeons, and the facility’s programming reflects that background. “Our team is committed to creating one of the safest and most innovative places in the U.S. for athletes to practice and play sports, while focusing on advancing the health and wellness of our community,” McGrath said in the announcement.
Fineberg, who grew up in the area and has served as a team physician for Buffalo’s professional sports teams, framed the project around local access. “This project began with the belief that athletes in Western New York deserve access to exceptional facilities close to home,” he said.
The development team brings established operators to the table. LaBella Associates is leading design, ASATI will manufacture the air-supported domes, and KemperSports, a national facility management firm, will run operations, per the announcement. Advancing Revolutionary Construction will serve as construction manager, with ARC President and CEO Frank Ciminelli II also serving as development partner. Ciminelli noted the project follows the completion of the new Highmark Stadium, calling it a continued investment in the future of sports in Western New York.
Phase Two Adds a 200-Meter Track and a Hotel
The second dome begins construction in spring 2027 and will house a 200-meter indoor track with expanded infield space for long jump, shot put, and other throwing events, according to the announcement. A hotel is planned near the complex on the same timeline, a signal the developers expect regional tournament traffic that stays overnight.
Two Domes, One Operator, and a Spring 2027 Clock
The 716 Sports Complex enters a market where indoor capacity, not demand, is typically the constraint on youth sports programming in northern climates. Phase one delivers tournament-scale turf and court space under a proven national operator in KemperSports. Phase two, if it holds to its spring 2027 start, adds one of the region’s few 200-meter indoor tracks plus the hotel infrastructure to monetize out-of-town teams. The developers have not yet announced a completion date for phase one, making that the next milestone to watch.
Source: 716 Sports Complex press release, August 31, 2026
Source: WGRZ, Kim DeGeorge, August 31, 2026, https://www.wgrz.com/article/news/local/716-sports-complex-in-amherst/71-c3b87fe0-4731-41a2-a448-fb015e6ae78f
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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.
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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.
