Key Takeaways
- ETS Performance acquires Denver-based Kula Sports Performance, combining operations across approximately 80 locations nationwide
- The combined platform now serves more than 50,000 athletes through structured, science-based training programs
- KSP will continue operating under its existing brand with founder Brian Kula remaining as Managing Partner
- Both organizations share faith-based cultures and long-term athlete development philosophies
- KSP’s alumni include Christian McCaffrey, Josh Morrissey and heptathlon World Champion Anna Hall
Two Training Brands, One National Platform
ETS Performance, the Woodbury, Minnesota-based youth athlete training organization, has acquired Kula Sports Performance (KSP), a Denver-based athlete development company founded by longtime speed and performance coach Brian Kula.
The deal brings together two organizations that have built their reputations on structured, science-based training methods focused on speed, strength, agility and movement mechanics. Together, they now operate across roughly 80 locations and serve more than 50,000 athletes.
ETS was founded in 2010 by Ryan and Heidi Englebert and ranked No. 88 on the 2024 Inc. Midwest Regional List. KSP has operated for more than three decades under Brian Kula, whose client roster spans youth athletes to professional and Olympic competitors.
How the Combined Operation Will Work
KSP will retain its brand identity within the ETS platform. Brian Kula stays on as Founder and Managing Partner, and KSP’s Denver headquarters and leadership team remain in place. The operational model gives KSP access to ETS’s national infrastructure, executive leadership and growth systems while preserving the coaching relationships and programming KSP has built over 30-plus years.
“Partnering with Brian and the Kula Sports Performance team is an important milestone for ETS,” said Ryan Englebert, Founder of ETS Performance. “By combining our expertise and resources, we’re raising the bar for athlete development and helping more young athletes across the country reach their full potential.”
Professional Pedigree Behind Both Brands
While both organizations focus primarily on youth development, their training systems have produced results at the professional level. ETS counts retired Pro Bowl receiver Adam Thielen, NHL forward Jake Guentzel and Stanley Cup Champion Ryan Carter among its athlete partners. KSP has trained NFL running back Christian McCaffrey, NHL defenseman Josh Morrissey and reigning heptathlon World Champion Anna Hall.
What This Deal Means for the Youth Training Market
The acquisition accelerates ETS’s buildout as a multi-location youth training platform at a time when investor and operator interest in structured youth athlete development continues to grow. The deal adds KSP’s specialized speed training expertise and coaching education programming to ETS’s existing scale, giving the combined organization a broader geographic and programmatic footprint.
Jed Schmidt, CEO of ETS Performance, framed the move in operational terms: “Bringing Kula Sports Performance into the ETS system strengthens our ability to deliver best-in-class speed and performance training to athletes nationwide.”
Source: ETS Performance Press Release, March 30, 2026
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