Skyhawks Awards Its First Missouri Territory in Columbia

We are excited to announce that the first Skyhawks & SuperTots franchise territories have been awarded in the state of Missouri! 

Join us in welcoming new franchise owner Ross Whelan, in Columbia, MO to the Skyhawks & SuperTots family! 

About Ross Whelan

Ross Whelan is a man that is able to let his passion for influencing youth guide him through life. Growing up, he learned to play a wide array of sports - he was a legendary backyard football player, playground basketball hero, and street hockey competitor. Through this passion for sports, he grew to help lead his high school basketball team to 2 Missouri state basketball championships.  

During his career as a high school athlete, Ross found himself gravitating toward helping children play the game he loves. Through these athletic tutorials, he realized assisting kids was something that was growing into his passion. This passion led him to the other side of the world as he taught children in China. It seemed as though each of his classes had a unique and meaningful relationship with their “big teacher.”  And it was through these relationships that he significantly and positively influenced their lives.

During his time in China, Ross and his wife, Liz, welcomed their daughter into the world. Both decided that they wanted to raise her in the United States. The couple decided to move their young family to Columbia, Missouri, the place home to the Missouri Tigers, the team he cheered as a young boy.

After moving to Columbia, Ross continues his passion for influencing youth by teaching life skills through sports with Skyhawks & SuperTots.

"I chose Skyhawks because I believe that the organization and I share the same coaching philosophy; that teaching life skills through sports to our youth can have a higher effect on their lives than just teaching them how to play the sport" said Whelan. "We both believe that every player, no matter their skill level, should have an opportunity to learn and play the sport they love. As a new franchisee, I have seen that shared passion and philosophy through the work done alongside the Skyhawks team over the past few months. Although I am just getting started, I know that the team is there to help support me, which gives me confidence in my ability to succeed."

You can find programs in Columbia by visiting skyhawks.com/columbiaMO. 

If you're interested in learning more about franchise opportunities in your city, visit skyhawks.com/franchise. 

Skyhawks Sports Academy Boosts Golf Programming through Partnership with Payne Stewart Golf Experiences

The nation’s leading youth sports camp franchise, Skyhawks Sports Academy powered by Stack Sports, is excited to continue building its impressive sports programming by becoming the Official Youth Sports & Camp Partner of Payne Stewart Golf Experiences.

This five-year partnership establishes Skyhawks Beginning Golf, advancing the Spokane-based brand’s commitment to providing accessible, enjoyable, and positive golf instruction to young kids no matter their proximity to a golf course.

“Payne Stewart Kids Golf Experiences adds significant value to our Skyhawks Golf Camps through their programming and game-based curriculum developed specifically for younger kids,” said Jason Frazier, COO and President of Skyhawks. “The PSGE team has significant PGA experience and hopes to alleviate issues of accessibility, cost, and exclusivity by creating a new pathway for kids learning golf away from the golf course.”  

Skyhawks Beginning Golf is powered by Payne Stewart Golf Experiences, the recommended entry-level golf program for PGA Junior Golf Camps. By improving curriculum and training for coaches, more kids will be able to build their confidence by learning golf both inside and outside.

“They have a well-established recreational sports footprint where we can add our Payne Stewart Kids Golf Experiences program and have an instant impact in getting more kids exposed to the fun side of golf,” said Kelly McCammon, Founder and CEO of the Payne Stewart Kids Golf Foundation. “Younger kids, especially from the age of four and up, have to first get exposed to golf in recreational settings away from the golf course and in local neighborhoods.  Our partnership will bring golf to the kids where they are.”

The unique, games-based play program and modified learning equipment make it easier for kids to hit the ball and experience early success. Putting, chipping, pitching, and full swing, are all taught through games, simple repetitive motions, and learning rhymes that make it easy for young kids to remember and repeat. Specially designed, age-appropriate golf equipment is provided.

This instruction and Skyhawks Beginning Golf programming will soon be implemented in locations throughout the United States. Local camp operators are currently preparing for the summer camp season, which experienced record nationwide participation in 2021.

About the Payne Stewart Kids Golf Foundation

The Payne Stewart Kids Golf Foundation, established in 2020, is the fundraising entity behind the Payne Stewart Golf Camps & Clinics. These unique programs provide a complete golf learning experience for kids ages 4-9 years old. Using unconventional spaces to bring golf to the masses, the camps and clinics make any gymnasium or soccer field a golf learning center to teach children the fundamentals of both golf and life. For more information about the Payne Stewart Kids Golf Foundation please visit www.paynestewart.org.

About Stack Sports

With nearly 50 million users in 35 countries, Stack Sports is a global technology leader in SaaS platform offerings for the sports industry. The company provides world-class software and services to support national governing bodies, youth sports associations, leagues, clubs, parents, coaches, and athletes. Some of the largest and most prominent sports organizations including the U.S. Soccer Federation, Little League Baseball and Softball, and Pop Warner Little Scholars rely on Stack Sports technology to run and manage their organizations. Stack Sports is headquartered in Dallas and is leading the industry one team at a time focusing on four key pillars — Grassroots Engagement, Participation Growth, Recruiting Pathways, and Elite Player Development. To learn more about how Stack Sports is transforming the sports experience, please visit www.stacksports.com.

Join Skyhawks in celebrating National Girls and Women in Sports Day and the value women bring to the sports industry. Fresh off a successful 2021 that saw record participation from coast to coast, we are highlighting the part-time jobs, internships, and permanent roles that are currently available for women to gain work experience and spark their career in sports.

“There are so many benefits to working with Skyhawks, even beyond the fun of being able to teach and play the sports you love,” said Tori Makela, owner of Skyhawks Sports Academy in Colorado. “For those interested in teaching, sports management or sports education, our coaching positions give them an opportunity to work with kids and get outside and active. They could also do internships to gain experience in the business side of sports, from marketing to finance and operations. There are so many ways to get your foot in the door, no matter which path or position you choose.”

This year, February 2nd marks National Girls and Women in Sports Day as the industry recognizes the accomplishments of female athletes and sports professionals. While honoring the progress women have made in so many areas of the sports industry, Skyhawks Sports Academy is proud to provide a unique blueprint for the industry’s next generation.

Whether working with one of the many nationwide franchise locations or for the brand’s corporate staff around the country, women are essential to operating Skyhawks’ mission of “Teaching Life Skills Through Sports” to more kids each year. Offering roughly a dozen different sports programs for kids aged 2 to 14 throughout the U.S., Skyhawks not only has part-time coaching jobs and internships for students but also provides a path to a more permanent career in the sports industry.

“There are so many opportunities for women in our company,” said Skyhawks Sports Academy’s East Coast Regional Manager Sarah Kelley-Reid. “Regardless of their role, women in our business get the unique opportunity to be visible role models who show young girls they aren’t afraid to be confident, competitive, and strong leaders in a typically male-dominated arena. I’m most proud of the growth you can achieve here, from gaining coaching experience that you can take elsewhere to working up to more of a management role within Skyhawks. I couldn’t be prouder of the strong women who make this company and industry great.”

Skyhawks Sports Academy, recently named to Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 list with a Best-in Category designation for Children’s Fitness Programs, now has about 200 locations, meaning students and young professionals can find work opportunities throughout the nation. To learn more about working for Skyhawks, visit www.skyhawks.com/jobs. 

To learn more about how you can celebrate National Girls & Women in Sports Day, visit https://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/get-involved/ngwsd/.

Skyhawks Sports Academy, the nation’s leading youth sports camp franchise, begins 2022 with a major honor. The Spokane-based brand was again listed in this year’s Entrepreneur Franchise 500, placing No. 156 overall and earning the top spot among brands offering children’s fitness programs.

This recognition comes after a record-breaking 2021 for Skyhawks Sports Academy, which offers roughly a dozen different sports programs for kids aged 2 to 14 and set system-wide enrollment records for each season of the year.

“We saw unprecedented success in 2021 and earning one of franchising’s top honors will help us carry that momentum into 2022,” said Skyhawks President and COO Jason Frazier. “Our mission is ‘Teaching Life Skills Through Sports’ and we were able to help more kids than ever before, thanks to the work of our staff, our coaches, and our franchisees. Their commitment is what allows us to meet the passion and interest of the families who bring their kids into our programs. I’m excited to have those efforts rewarded with another strong appearance in the Franchise 500 rankings and a best-in-category designation.”

The Entrepreneur Franchise 500 represents one of the most competitive measures for franchise brands and one of the most useful research tools for potential franchisees. Brands are evaluated on various factors including costs, fees, size and growth, brand strength, and financial stability.

The No. 156 placement represents a steady presence in rankings over the past several years, as the 2022 ranking also represented the fourth-straight year of Skyhawks Sports Academy placing in the top half of the Franchise 500. Thanks to that success, Skyhawks earned additional rankings of No. 139 among Fastest-Growing Franchises and No. 12 among Franchises for Less than $50,000.

Now with roughly 200 locations across the United States, Skyhawks Sports Academy is preparing to continue its growth in 2022, doing so through further franchise expansion and providing even more value to its participants, staff, and partners across the country.

To view Skyhawks Sports Academy in the full rankings, visit www.entrepreneur.com/franchise500. Results can also be seen in the January/February 2022 issue of Entrepreneur, available on newsstands January 11th.

SPARKS, Md. — USA Lacrosse has entered into a multi-year partnership with Stack Sports, a leader in youth sports services and technology. Stack Sports supports the volunteers, administrators and organizations that make sports possible with products and services to engage and grow athletes, goals also core to the USA Lacrosse mission. 

The partnership will focus on two of Stack Sports offerings — Sports Connect, a comprehensive league management solution, and Skyhawks Lacrosse Camps. Working together, the two organizations will provide expanded and improved opportunities for players. 

“Our mission at Stack Sports is to transform youth sports, combining industry-leading technology solutions in Sports Connect with a best-in-class Skyhawks camp experience,” said Stack Sports COO Jeff Brunsberg. “The announcement of our partnership with USA Lacrosse highlights the importance of lacrosse to our business and how we plan to innovate and inspire lacrosse athletes of all ages and play levels. We are proud to work hand-in-hand with USA Lacrosse to help grow overall participation in the sport.” 

As part of the partnership, USA Lacrosse members will receive a 20 percent discount on camp registration fees and Stack Sports is providing free camp opportunities for up to 50 players each year for USA Lacrosse to make available to participants. USA Lacrosse member clubs and leagues will also receive discounts on Sports Connect services.  

“This partnership agreement provides a great discount on Skyhawks Lacrosse Camps for our members and valuable registration tools with reduced-cost benefits to lacrosse organizations looking for a comprehensive league registration tool,” said Tom Pope, director of corporate partnerships for USA Lacrosse. “Their support of free camp experience provides another avenue for USA Lacrosse to deliver opportunities to learn to play and help fulfill our mission to expand the sport.” 

Sports Connect is a league management system used by more than 20,000 clubs and leagues, including current partnerships with USA Football, Pop Warner Football, Little League Baseball and U.S. Soccer, among other national organizations. Sports Connect software, which includes a real-time US Lacrosse membership integration, provides league registration tools to assist sports organizations in running their programs more efficiently. 

Skyhawks offers fun and skill-based Lacrosse camps geared towards players ages 6 to 14 at the beginner and intermediate levels. Lacrosse programs are available in 22 states. Find a program in your state at skyhawks.com/lacrosse.  

About Stack Sports 

With nearly 50 million users in 35 countries, Stack Sports is a global technology leader in SaaS platform offerings for the sports industry. The company provides world-class software and services to support national governing bodies, youth sports associations, leagues, clubs, parents, coaches, and athletes. Some of the largest and most prominent sports organizations, including the U.S. Soccer Federation, Little League Baseball and Softball, and Pop Warner Little Scholars, rely on Stack Sports technology to run and manage their organizations. Stack Sports is headquartered in Dallas and is leading the industry one team at a time focusing on three key pillars — Play, Improve, and Engage. 

To learn more about how Stack Sports is transforming the sports experience, please visit http://www.stacksports.com/ 

Skyhawks Flag Football program to be fueled by USA Football’s new Football Development Model

 Skyhawks Sports Academy (Skyhawks), the leading provider of youth sports programs for children ages 5 to 12 years, is excited to announce a new agreement with USA Football to serve as its preferred youth camp and after-school football partner. As the sport’s national governing body and a member of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC), USA Football’s collaboration with Skyhawks provides football families across the country progressive, age-appropriate youth football instruction.

“Partnering with USA Football is going to bring the Skyhawks flag football program to the next level,” said Jason Frazier, President of Skyhawks. “This partnership with USA Football will expand our network, improve our curriculum, and provide certification for our coaches in youth football. USA Football also offers a pathway for those interested in playing for the U.S. National Team one day, and Skyhawks will be at the beginning of that pathway.”

Through the partnership, Skyhawks will implement USA Football’s new Football Development Model (FDM) in all coaching and instruction. The Football Development Model is the sport’s first long-term athlete development model, designed to make the game safer by reducing contact and teaching in a way that meets athletes where they are in their development. Coaches teach athletes based on their age, the skill they are learning and game type. Aligned with the USOPC’s American Development Model for healthier and smarter youth sport participation, this path offers young athletes more opportunities to enjoy the sport and choose the version of football best for them, including flag, tackle or other game types.

"We’re excited to be partnering with Skyhawks, a leader in delivering premier youth sports experiences,” said Scott Hallenbeck, USA Football CEO & Executive Director. “The Football Development Model centers on progressive skill instruction, safety, inclusivity and fun, which is everything youth sports is about. Through this partnership, more kids will be introduced to the fun and values inherent to football while growing their physical literacy for fit, healthy lifestyles.”

Curriculum that will be implemented into Skyhawks’ Flag Football program includes age-specific daily schedules, developmental checklists for each age group, improved coaching cues and measurement tools for each skill, the introduction of Prep for Contact activities, new skill-based drills and games, and the inclusion of mindfulness activities.

In addition to the Skyhawks Flag Football program offering, USA Football and Skyhawks will co-host flag football skills clinics in conjunction with select U.S. National Team Regionals focused on the core offensive components of passing, receiving and running.

Skyhawks offers Flag Football camps for children between the ages of 5 and 12 in a variety of formats throughout communities nationwide. Current program offerings continue to follow proven COVID-19 protocols per state and local guidelines. Winter programming is currently underway, and more information, schedules, and registration are available at skyhawks.com.   

Skyhawks Sports Academy has acquired the exclusive rights to Nimbus Esports Academy programming and curriculum. This partnership will see Skyhawks introduce Esports enrichment programming to kids around the world!

 “We are thrilled to see our team's vision to add Esports to the Skyhawks offering come to life through our partnership with Nimbus Esports Academy,” says Jason Frazier, President of Skyhawks Sports Academy. “Our combined effort brings a whole new dynamic to the Esports world by focusing on the positives of gaming while also teaching life lessons through sports and physical activity. Together we provide a safe, fun way for kids to practice teamwork and social skills while also learning to think strategically.”

 Nimbus Esports Academy’s program centers around the smash-hit title, Rocket League, with plans to integrate other age-appropriate Esports titles along the way. Much like a Skyhawks soccer or basketball program, participants work on coordination, focus, and the ability to problem-solve in dynamic environments through game-based drills and play. 

“We couldn’t be more excited to join efforts with the historic Skyhawks Sports Academy brand,” said Cody Dragon, Nimbus Founder, and former Co-Founder and Esports Director at Ghost Gaming. “Esports and video gaming are on the rise, and we plan to meet children where they are at. Our holistic program is custom-tailored to promote critical thinking, teamwork, and sportsmanship all within the exciting world of video games."

 Virtual Esports + Play camps are now open for registration and will be running through June 29th - August 15th in conjunction with VOIP partner, Kast. Players of all ages and skill levels are encouraged to sign up and participate in the inaugural launch of the Skyhawks/Nimbus Esports partnership. For more information and/or to register visit www.skyhawks.com/esports.

In-person camps, classes, and after-school program offerings will reopen in accordance with state guidelines for reopening post-COVID-19 and will follow strict CDC directed health and safety guidelines.  Please click here to learn more about our Summer 2020 Protocols and Policies in Response to COVID-19.