Key Takeaways
- The new Commack facility spans 10,238 square feet, employs 12 people and houses six specialized training courts, per Long Island Business News.
- Commack joins two Hoop Lab locations in Roslyn and one in Syosset, with affiliates operating in Wayne, New Jersey and Waltham, Massachusetts.
- Founder Richie Perna started the company in 2022 after driving to Harlem four days a week to find experienced coaching for his three sons.
- A year-round membership model pairs AI-powered player assessments with small-group instruction built to complement school, recreational and travel basketball.
Hoop Lab, a semi-private youth basketball training company founded in 2022, has opened its fourth Long Island location, a 10,238-square-foot facility at 4 Henry St. in Commack, New York, Long Island Business News reported. The new center employs 12 people and celebrated its grand opening on Thursday, October 15 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a complimentary introductory training program for attendees.
Inside the 10,238-Square-Foot Commack Facility
The Commack academy, located behind the RH Outlet, features six specialized basketball training courts with full-court capability, dedicated areas for speed, agility and strength development, and Dr. Dish shooting systems, according to the company. Training covers shooting, ball handling, finishing at the basket, passing, footwork, defense, decision-making and athletic conditioning.
Jason Sobel and Brian Ripka of RIPCO Real Estate represented Hoop Lab in the lease transaction, while Stephani D’Amato of Cosentino Realty Group represented the landlord, Cosentino Realty Commack PJ LLC, per Long Island Business News.
The opening gives Hoop Lab four locations across Long Island: two in Roslyn, one in Syosset and now Commack. Affiliates also operate under the brand in Wayne, New Jersey and Waltham, Massachusetts.
How Does AI Fit Into Hoop Lab’s Youth Basketball Training Model?
Hoop Lab instructors follow a structured curriculum supported by AI-powered assessments that identify each athlete’s strengths and development needs, according to a company statement. Coaches use those assessments to tailor sessions and measure progress over time, giving families documented development rather than open-gym repetition.
The business runs on a flexible, year-round membership model designed to serve both beginners and experienced athletes. The company says the format is built to complement school, recreational and travel basketball programs rather than replace them, filling the skills-development gap between team practices and games.
A Business Built From a Four-Day-a-Week Harlem Commute
Perna, a Long Island entrepreneur with a background in technology and business, created Hoop Lab after he could not find experienced skills coaching near home for his three basketball-playing sons.
“I was driving into Harlem four days a week because I couldn’t find the experienced coaching and structured development my children needed closer to home,” Perna said in the company statement. “With my background in technology and business, I decided to build the basketball training program I wished existed for my own kids.”
That founding problem has since produced four Long Island facilities in four years, plus the two out-of-state affiliate locations.
Six Courts in Commack, Affiliates in Two More States
The Commack opening extends a run that has taken Hoop Lab from a single academy in 2022 to a six-site footprint across three states, counting affiliates. The format is consistent: leased suburban space, small-group instruction, membership revenue and an AI assessment layer that turns training into trackable data. The measurable output of this expansion is concrete: six new courts, 12 new jobs and a fourth Long Island address in four years.
Source: Long Island Business News, David Winzelberg, October 22, 2026, https://libn.com/2026/10/22/hoop-lab-expands-fourth-long-island-location-commack/
image: Hoop Lab
YSBR provides this content on an “as is” basis without any warranties, express or implied. We do not assume responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, legality, reliability, or use of the information, including any images, videos, or licenses associated with this article. For any concerns, including copyright issues or complaints, please contact YSBR directly.
About Youth Sports Business Report
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.
Youth Sports Business Report resources
- Newsletter: Subscribe to Youth Sports HQ, the most-read newsletter on the business of youth sports, delivering curated youth sports industry news and analysis to thousands of industry leaders every week.
- Research: Read the Youth Sports TAM & Parent Spending Report, an exclusive YSBR and Kinetica Group analysis of market size, parent spending, and marketplace opportunities.
- Jobs: Browse the YSBR Youth Sports Job Board, the most comprehensive destination for careers in youth sports, with hundreds of active listings across facility management, league operations, coaching, sports technology, and marketing.
- Services: Find vetted partners and solutions for your organization in the YSBR Services Hub, connecting youth sports operators, brands, and investors with verified providers across the industry.
- About: Learn more about Youth Sports Business Report and our editorial standards.
Follow Youth Sports Business Report (YSBR): LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | X | Substack
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.
