Team Alaska 14U celebrates a big goal against the Colorado Thunderbirds on Nov. 11, 2025. (Photo by Team Alaska)
Traditionally, youth hockey players ages 14 to 18 have been permitted to participate in games and practices for both their local high school and Team Alaska, the state’s lone AAA tier competitive league program.
After receiving feedback from a majority of players’ parents, Team Alaska program director and 18U head coach Matt Thompson and fellow coaches at other age levels decided that their players wouldn’t be permitted to play both this year.
“When you’re reviewing things, you’re trying to look at what is the bigger voice and what do people want: How did our teams do? Did we have success? Were there issues here? And then we ask all the coaches,” Thompson said.
The high school and comp teams share the goal of developing young Alaska hockey players, but the decision has put a strain on their relationship. Many high school coaches disagree with the either/or approach. Generally, high school teams acquiesce to regular absences by some of their top players during the regular seasonto allow them to compete at both levels.
“You’re taking kids away from the game they love and they’ll never get these years back,” West High head coach Rob Larkey said.
Every year, the coaches of each youth program from 14U to 18U are allowed to decide whether to allow players to take part in both the high school and competitive league seasons.
Last year only the 14U team, which consists of mostly high school freshmen and middle schoolers, and 18U, which includes high school juniors and seniors, permitted their players to do both.
At the end of every season, Thompson sends surveys to parents and legal guardians of players so they can provide feedback on how the program can improve and voice concerns anonymously.
Thompson said after last season, they sent out 60 surveys, and only a few voiced appreciation for dual participation. Many more came back expressing frustrations about a lack of commitment from the team as a whole.
By late summer, the Team Alaska coaches had decided to stop allowing dual participation.
“This isn’t just a decision on me, it’s a decision by the program collectively,” Thompson said. “I backed those coaches, and they asked me to send an email out at the end of August just to reaffirm that we were doing that because there were a lot of people asking questions to those coaches.”
After sending the email, he said he didn’t receive any correspondence from concerned parents or coaches about the decision aside from Kevin Fitzgerald, an assistant coach at West High School.
Thompson and 18U coach William Wrenn met with the coaches from West in June, but the meeting turned sour on the topic of dual participation, which led to some friction between the two parties.
In early October, Fitzgerald, himself a former comp coach, sent a lengthy letter to hockey families outlining his criticisms of the decision. It included a number of responses to issues raised in the meeting as well as reasons players should consider high school hockey as opposed to club hockey.
“That was the only school that we heard from,” Thompson said. “One school that had an opinion on something. A school that I went to and played for sent out a letter that stirred up the pot a little bit.”
Forcing a decision
There was a point earlier in the year when it was unclear whether there would even be a 2025-26 high school hockey season. It was one of three high school sports on the chopping block during the Anchorage School District’s budget discussions in the face of a large budget deficit.
During the summer, when the season was still up in the air, Larkey said Team Alaska asked West players who play for both teams about their plans for the upcoming winter. The players couldn’t give a concrete answer because nothing had been finalized at the time.
Since the sport was ultimately spared from cuts, Larkey believes it’s unfair to make players and their families choose between the two.
“You’re forcing the kids that love the game and want to play the game to make a choice on that,” Larkey said.
In doing so, he thinks that Team Alaska has put more pressure on itself to perform better if they’re going to have players who play only for them year-round.
“Where are you going to measure yourself?” Larkey asked. “You should be getting out of regions and going to nationals. If not, then where are you at and how many of your players are going on (to play at the next level)?”
South goalie Jaeger Huelskoetter tries to make a stop during a scrum in front of the net during a game between the Wolverines and Chugiak on Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025 at the Harry J. McDonald Memorial Center in Eagle River. (Chris Bieri / ADN)
Chugiak head coach Rodney Wild believes kids are being forced to make a choice between the two, and in most cases, it’s not theirs to make.
“I don’t buy the reasoning as to why,” he said. “They’re doing it because they believe it’s in the kids’ best interest, I truly believe that. They’re not doing it to hurt the kids or put the kids at a disadvantage. They truly believe that what they’re doing is best for their players. I just don’t agree with it.”
Often, it’s the parents who are making the final decisions on behalf of their student-athletes. In many cases, players want to play for their high school teams as well.
South High lost between 10 and 15 players to the decision, but that hasn’t stopped them from opening the season on a high note as the lone undefeated team in the Cook Inlet Conference.
“South gets hammered the most with those Team Alaska guys but it’s OK,” Wolverines head coach Daniel Ramsey said. “We’ve had some JV kids come up, we’re in our fourth season now so our seniors are big on this team. That’s who our first line is, all seniors.”
High school hockey benefits
The high school coaches at West, Chugiak and South referenced the type of overwhelming support that comes with playing at that level. There are often big crowds featuring friends, family, faculty, alumni and the community at large. In travel hockey, teams typically play in front of scarce audiences predominantly made up of parents.
“I coached comp hockey too, and all you do is go to the arenas and moms and dads are the only ones in the arenas,” Larkey said. “There’s no cheerleaders in the crowd leading chants or a band being played. It’s a different excitement.”
The rivalry games between Chugiak and neighboring Eagle River average around 1,000 fans filling the stands and lining the rink at the Harry J. McDonald Memorial Center, providing an atmosphere that is “absolutely raucous,” said Wild.
Maggie Price, 11, center on the red carpet, dropped the puck before the Partner’s Club Superhero Hockey Game between West High and Chugiak High at the Harry J. McDonald Memorial Center in Eagle River on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. West High senior defenseman Chase Thompson, left, and Chugiak High senior forward Blake Yawit, right, faced-off during the ceremonial puck drop. (Bill Roth / ADN) Fans celebrats a West High goal during the Eagles’ 6-1 victory over the West Valley Wolfpack in the opening round of the Alaska Division I Boys hockey tournament at the Menard Center in Wasilla on Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024. (Bill Roth / ADN)
“I feel like the kids are being forced to sacrifice an experience that they will not be able to replicate after they’re done playing (youth) hockey,” Wild said. “They’re robbing these kids of an opportunity, and they’ll tell you that there’s nothing like playing high school hockey.”
Many youth hockey players won’t get a chance to play in front of a packed arena outside of high school unless they play for a good junior hockey team in a passionate community.
“I think it’s really cool being able to play for your high school because you get to represent your school and represent the hockey team,” South sophomore forward David Berg said. “You really get to put out for your school and your fans.”
West wasn’t hit as hard as some of the other teams when it came to the volume of players they lost to Team Alaska’s decision. Larkey said five players are forgoing the high school season to commit to Team Alaska.
“We don’t want kids to throw their Team Alaska away either,” he said. “We don’t want to interrupt them as well.”
Possible resolutions
Youth hockey is the rare sport in the state in which the high school season overlaps with the competitive league season.
According to Thompson, the Team Alaska program director, the conflicting schedules are the most detrimental to Team Alaska at the time when the team needs to be at its best and sharpest, around the time of the high school regional tournament.
Thompson said he’s spent the past four years trying to work with the Alaska School Activities Association on a possible resolution.
“Before I was event program director, I was meeting with them to see how we can make this work because I get that high school hockey more than anything is the experience,” Thompson said. “The way that the schedules are built up for high school and our comp, it doesn’t set either of us up for success.”
Team Alaska 18U goalie Keagon O’Bryan celebrates a 3-2 shootout victory over the Wasatch Renegades on Oct. 18, 2025. (Photo provided by Team Alaska)
His proposals to ASAA over the years when there has been dual participation included moving up the dates of the high school postseason or changing the start of the regular season to earlier in October.
“That would give us more wiggle room for our teams to prepare for the regional tournament and hopefully punch a ticket to nationals,” Thompson said. “Unfortunately, ASAA doesn’t want to separate the big schools from the small schools, and the difficulty there is that the smaller programs practice outside, so their season is surrounded by the temperatures to have outdoor ice.”
To develop a possible resolution for future dual participation, Thompson wants to work with ASAA to ensure a pathway that is beneficial for all parties.
“It wasn’t an easy decision. It is not one that is set in stone that no matter what moving forward, that’s what we’re doing,” he said. “It all comes down to that I think there’s a way for this to work for both, and I think that adjusting the (high school) season even by a couple weeks would change a lot of things.”
Finding success
All six Alaskans currently on the Anchorage Wolverines junior hockey team have come through the Team Alaska pipeline, which Thompson believes is a direct reflection of how the program sets its athletes up for success.
“These kids who are aspiring to play for the Wolverines one day or for any of our other junior programs in the state or any program that is outside the country, they’re (on a) stepping stone by playing at (our) level,” he said.
Thompson regrets that his players won’t get to have the same types of experiences as those who opt to play at the high school level, but knows that the sacrifices they make now have the potential to pay major dividends later.
“A lot of these players are asking for more of a challenge and unfortunately, in high-level athletics in high school, college or junior hockey, there is sacrifice,” he said. “Anybody that’s gone through it understands that. Unfortunately, you can’t have everything.”
Team Alaska 18U players get instructions at the board during a practice on Oct. 26, 2025 (Photo provided by Team Alaska)
Thompson and Team Alaska compiled a list of youth hockey players with birth years of 1975 until present day who have left the state to pursue higher levels of competition, and the number of those who leave each year has grown.
In 1992, there were only a handful, and that number stayed low through 2005. But there have been double-digit departures in 19 of the last 20 years. The most in a year during that span was 43 in 2019, and departures remained in the double digits during the COVID-19 pandemic with 11 in 2020.
“Our goal is to keep these kids at home,” Thompson said. “When you’re sitting there and thinking that Team Alaska hasn’t won anything, our goal is to keep some of these best kids here.”
Larkey, the West High coach, pointed to a large number of players who have participated in high school and have gone on to bigger things in hockey as well. Among them is Boston Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman, who played at South High and the AAA Alaska Junior Aces before moving up in competition.
Thompson said the fact that Team Alaska has been able to consistently contend for region titles despite not having the top local talent is tangible proof of their growth as a program. They’re seeing sustained success and better results this year on their travel teams with no dual participation, he said.
“We’re clearly doing something that people appreciate because they want to be a part of it and they’re staying in it,” Thompson said. “That is probably more rewarding than anything. Seeing kids staying in Alaska and staying in the program to represent Alaska.”
The WTT Youth Contender Vadodara 2026 concluded at the SAMA Indoor Sports Complex on Monday, with Indian table tennis players delivering a series of strong performances across age categories.
India’s Syndrela Das emerged as the standout performer of the tournament. The Indian table tennis player clinched the U19 mixed doubles title with Sarthak Arya and bagged the U17 girls singles for herself.
In the U19 mixed doubles final, Syndrela Das and Sarthak Arya dominated the top-seeded Indian pair of Abhinandh Pradhivadhi and Ananya Muralidharan 3-0 (11-3, 11-9, 11-3).
Earlier, Syndrela Das had also claimed the U17 girls’ singles title after defeating compatriot Hansini Mathan 3-1 (11-3, 9-11, 11-9, 11-8) in the final. Rupam Sardar defeated compatriot Soham Mukherjee 3-1 (11-8, 6-11, 11-5, 11-3) to take the boys’ crown in the age group.
Syndrela, however, failed to defend her girls’ U19 crown as she went down to compatriot Jennifer Varghese in the quarter-finals this year.
Japan’s Miku Matsushima defeated Divyanshi Bhowmick, the U15 and U17 champion from last year, 3-2 (11-6, 9-11, 9-11, 11-8, 11-3) in the final to win the title this year and denied Indian players a clean sweep of all the titles at the meet.
Priyanuj Bhattacharyya outplayed Sarthak Arya 3-0 (12-10, 11-8, 14-12) to become the new U19 boys champion.
In the U15 mixed doubles category, Vivaan Dave and Naisha Rewaskar lifted the title after a 3-0 (11-8,11-8,11-3) win over Reyansh Jalan and Tanishka Kalbhairav in the final.
Aadya Baheti and Rajdeep Biswas registered comfortable wins to be crowned the U11 girls and boys singles champions, respectively.
Aadya defeated Sakshya Santosh 3-0 (15-13, 11-8, 12-10) for her crown while Rajdeep got the better of Sharvil Karambelkar by a 3-1 (11-8, 11-6, 11-13, 11-4) scoreline in the boys’ singles final.
Dev Pranav Bhatt defeated Ashvajith Muthukumaran 3-1 (11-6, 7-11, 11-7, 11-4) in the U13 boys singles final.
Divija Paul, the U11 champion from last year, took the top honours in the U13 girls category, with a hard-fought 3-2 (11-9, 7-11, 8-11,11-7,11-5) victory over Harshitha Nurani in the decider.
Aditya Das defeated Sanjay Jagadish 3-0 (11-4, 11-9, 11-8) in the final to win the U15 boys singles event, as Sreejani Chakraborty saw off Tanishka Kalbhairav, the 2025 U13 winner, 3-2 (8-11, 11-8, 7-11, 11-7, 11-5) to bag the girls’ title in the category.
This was the second edition of the WTT Youth Contender in Vadodara. A total of 226 table tennis players from multiple countries competed across five age groups and 12 events.
Sharks Ice San Jose hosted a 3v3 Jolly Jingle Jamboree on December 23, with more than 500 youth hockey players participating across age divisions from 6U through 18U
Tournament entry fees included a donation to the Sharks Alumni Foundation, which awarded 49 grants totaling $71,250 in 2025
The Foundation maintains a 94% fundraising efficiency rate, directing most funds toward youth sports access
Scholarship support extends beyond hockey to include roller hockey, fastpitch softball, jiu-jitsu, basketball, and baseball
Families use grants to cover equipment, tuition, and travel costs that otherwise limit youth sports participation
Tournament Structure and Participation
Sharks Ice San Jose ran the Jolly Jingle Jamboree as a cross-ice 3v3 tournament on Tuesday, December 23. Teams consisted of four skaters and one goalie, playing three eight-minute running-time periods per game. Each team was guaranteed three games.
The tournament drew participants from house and travel programs spanning 6U House through 16U/18U divisions. Players competed in holiday-themed gear, and the entry fee covered drink tickets and participation gifts alongside the charitable contribution.
Financial Impact on Bay Area Families
The Sharks Alumni Foundation distributed $71,250 across 49 grants in 2025. Richard DeCastro, a local parent whose family received scholarship support, explained the program’s value: “It’s a huge help for a lot of families around here who are in need of equipment, help with tuition, travel costs. You know, the help really goes a long way, it helps out a lot.”
The Foundation’s 94% fundraising efficiency means nearly all donated funds reach families and programs directly. Grants address multiple cost barriers, including equipment purchases, registration fees, and travel expenses that accumulate over a season.
Multi-Sport Scholarship Reach
While the December tournament focused on hockey participation, the Sharks Alumni Foundation supports athletes across six sports: ice hockey, roller hockey, fastpitch softball, jiu-jitsu, basketball, and baseball. This broader approach allows the organization to address youth sports access beyond a single discipline.
The Foundation’s approach stems from the professional hockey backgrounds of its leadership, who cite firsthand experience with the developmental benefits of youth sports participation, including confidence building, teamwork skills, and long-term commitment.
The Jolly Jingle Jamboree model combines competitive youth sports programming with fundraising for local scholarship needs. For families in the Bay Area facing financial constraints on youth sports participation, programs like the Sharks Alumni Foundation provide specific cost relief that determines whether children can access team sports.
The December event drew participation from across age groups and skill levels, indicating sustained interest in tournament formats that pair competition with community support. With more than 500 players involved in a single-day event, the jamboree demonstrated the scale of youth hockey participation in the San Jose market.
via: NHL
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.
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Are you a brand looking to tap into the world’s most passionate fanbase… youth sports?
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Athletic Director Eve Claar discusses the culture of excellence at Pioneer
Ann Arbor Pioneer High School is celebrating another remarkable season, with three women’s teams claiming state championships in field hockey, cross country, and swimming & diving.
For Athletic Director Eve Claar, who has spent 17 of her 23 years as Pioneer’s Athletic Director, the success reflects something deeper than talent alone
“Those three programs are historically very strong,” Claar says, crediting the leadership of head coaches Jane Nixon (field hockey), Nancy Boudreau, and Stefanie Kerska (swimming & diving). All three of them have strong visions for their program and do a great job at culture building. Their team culture carries over year to year with new coaches, students, and parents flowing into the culture year to year.”
A legacy of excellence
The numbers tell a compelling story. Nixon, who began as an assistant at Pioneer in 1990 and became head coach in 1999, has led the field hockey team to 17 state titles. This year’s championship marked the program’s 31st overall state title, cementing Pioneer’s dominance in the sport’s inaugural MHSAA era.
Kerska, an all-American swimmer while at Pioneer High School, was hired in 2014-15 to coach both boys and girls swimming, and has compiled an extraordinary record in just over a decade. She has won four state titles and one runner-up finish with the boys in 12 seasons, while leading the girls to six consecutive state championships and one runner-up finish in 11 years.
Boudreau, in her 11th year coaching both cross country and track and field, has built a dynasty of her own. In cross-country, she has won four state titles and three runner-up finishes, with all 11 seasons resulting in top-10 state finishes.
This year’s championship was particularly historic, as the Pioneer girls not only captured the state title, but sophomore Natasza Dudek is in the process of capturing national titles one after another.
More than Xs and Os
For Claar, what sets these coaches apart goes beyond technical expertise. “All three of them do it for the right reasons, meaning they’re trying to develop young people into better adults through sports,” she says. “If you’re in it for those reasons, then you’re going to have success, no matter what.”
She emphasizes that while not every coach inherits a championship-caliber roster, success can be measured in different ways. She’s proud of each team at Pioneer.
“Every coach doesn’t have a state championship level team that shows up at practice every day, and that’s okay,” she says, “but you can always have success if you’re in it trying to create better people.”
Still, all three coaches bring elite technical knowledge to their programs. “All three of them are very high-level technicians, tacticians,” Claar notes. “They really can teach their sport at very high levels. They understand the highest level of strategy and training and all of the things that come with it.”
Building a pipeline
A key element of Pioneer’s sustained success is Claar’s deliberate approach to developing future coaches, particularly women.
“I think we do a really good job of finding great female coaches, great female leaders, for our women’s sports programs,” she says. “I do make concerted efforts to build really strong applicant pools that bring in female applicants to every pool.”
Claar’s strategy involves identifying promising young coaches early—often former Pioneer athletes—and providing them with mentorship opportunities.
“We try to identify them as athletes when they leave here. Often they’ll come back and volunteer or start to work with us, and we can develop them into great coaches, future coaches.”
Even when interviewing for head coaching positions, Claar brings in candidates she believes have potential, even if they’re not yet ready for the top job. “I always try to bring them into an interview room,” she says.” I want to give them the experience, and I want to try and see if I’m right and that they’re a good fit, that I want to try and bring them in and give them an opportunity to coach under somebody else’s leadership.”
This approach helps prevent burnout. “I think when you do it too early, and you set somebody up that’s not ready, especially in a place as big as this, they drop out of the profession,” Claar says, comparing it to young officials who face intense pressure before they’ve developed resilience.
The cross country team wins the 2025 state tournament. MHSAA photo.
Community support and high participation
Pioneer’s athletic participation numbers are exceptional. With approximately 1,000 student-athletes competing across 35-36 sports annually (with more women’s sports to provide equal participation opportunities), the school benefits from strong community support and deep youth programs.
“All three of them have strong community support for those programs in terms of students participating at a young age,” Claar says.
The school’s booster organization reinforces this support, with last year’s Booster Bash raising $65,000 for all teams. Students are drawn to these programs not just for potential championships, but for the experience itself, she says.
“You get excited when any student joins it because you know that there are great benefits for them, individually,” Claar says. “I think it really accelerates the growth of kids. In sports, that growth can be very much accelerated. They’re put in positions very regularly where they have to face adversity, overcome things, and you can see that growth happening kind of before your eyes.”
With six consecutive state titles, Kerska’s swimming program operates under intense expectations. But Claar views this as applying to all programs equally.
“There’s an expectation of all of our programs that you’re going to get the very most out of who you have,” she says.
Coach Jane Nixon, far right, and the 2025 State Champion Field Hockey team.
Looking ahead
How does Pioneer sustain this level of excellence? For Claar, it comes down to support and community building.
“I think we just continue to support the heck out of coaches,” she says. “You make people feel valued and feel a part of something and feel supported. We have some women’s coaches groups that we facilitate, and I think it helps to create a community here, where our women coaches help develop other strong women coaches.”
After 24 years as an athletic director, Claar remains energized by the coaches around her.
“I am blessed to have coaches around me that motivate me to be the very best that I can be for them,” she says. “They’re amazing to be around. I learn something from them every day. There’s a level of magic, I think, that each of them has in connecting with their teams, elevating their teams, and pushing the right buttons to motivate.”
MARION — The HUB Recreation Center launched the new year with its most anticipated offer: the Annual Membership Sale, running through Jan. 31.
During the promotion, new members can join The HUB with $0 enrollment fee, saving $80 and making it easier to commit to a healthier, more active 2026. The first 100 new members of the year will also receive an exclusive HUB gift.
As Marion’s leading fitness and recreation facility, The HUB offers a variety of resources for individuals and families, including a world-class fitness floor, indoor water park, full gymnasium, indoor pickleball, Kids Stop childcare and more than 50 weekly fitness and aquatic classes. The best news? It’s all included with membership.
The HUB is also a leader in youth sports development, providing structured, high-quality programming through HubBallers Basketball, Marion Youth Football, a full lineup of swim lessons and more, helping young athletes build skills, confidence and a lifelong connection to fitness.
Throughout the year, The HUB hosts free community events, as well as running and athletic tournaments, reinforcing its role as a center for movement, competition and community.
Personal training services are available at an additional cost for members seeking customized coaching and accountability.
The $0 enrollment fee offer applies to new memberships only. To learn more, schedule a free tour, or join during the Annual Membership Sale, visit TheHubMarion.com or stop by The HUB front desk.
SkillCorner raises $60 million from Silversmith Capital Partners to accelerate multi-sport expansion in North America
The company’s AI tracking technology now covers over 180 competitions and serves more than 300 organizations globally
The NBA remains part of SkillCorner’s ownership group alongside Silversmith and the founding team
Founded in 2016, SkillCorner has grown to over 100 employees and is expanding beyond soccer into basketball and American football
Investment will fund data engineering capabilities and product development to serve professional and collegiate organizations
AI-Driven Tracking Finds New Capital
SkillCorner, the Paris-based provider of AI-driven sports tracking and performance data, has secured a $60 million growth investment from Silversmith Capital Partners. The Boston-based growth equity firm manages over $5 billion in capital and focuses on founder-led technology companies.
The investment adds Silversmith to an ownership group that includes the NBA and SkillCorner’s founding team. Seventure Partners, an early investor, exits following this transaction.
“We’re proud to welcome Silversmith Capital Partners as our new investment partner,” said Charles Montmaneix, Co-Founder and General Manager of SkillCorner. “Their experience partnering with founder-led, profitable technology companies makes them a strong fit to help us scale our operations and accelerate our global expansion.”
How the Technology Works
SkillCorner pioneered single-camera automated player and ball tracking, a technology that extracts performance data from broadcast video without requiring stadium-installed tracking systems. The company’s AI can extrapolate off-camera player positions, providing comprehensive game data from standard broadcast feeds.
This approach has enabled rapid scaling. The company now covers over 180 competitions and counts more than 300 organizations as clients, including many top-tier soccer clubs worldwide.
North American Expansion Takes Priority
The investment is earmarked for three primary areas: strengthening data engineering capabilities, accelerating multi-sport expansion in North America, and developing new metrics for player recruitment and team strategy.
“This investment will enable us to strengthen our data engineering capabilities, accelerate our multi-sport expansion in North America, and continue delivering innovative metrics that help teams make better decisions,” said Hugo Bordigoni, Co-Founder and CEO.
SkillCorner is actively expanding its coverage of basketball and American football, targeting both professional leagues and collegiate organizations. The North American market represents a significant growth opportunity as teams increasingly seek data-driven approaches to scouting and player development.
Strategic Implications for Youth and Collegiate Sports
While SkillCorner’s current client base skews toward professional organizations, the company’s expansion into collegiate sports signals potential downstream effects for youth athletics. As AI-powered tracking becomes standard at the college level, demand for comparable data at younger age groups could follow.
The technology’s ability to work from broadcast video rather than dedicated tracking hardware lowers barriers to entry. This could eventually make professional-grade performance analytics accessible to organizations that cannot invest in stadium infrastructure.
Sri Rao, Managing Partner at Silversmith Capital Partners, noted the company’s potential reach: “We see enormous potential for its data to reshape how teams, leagues, and broadcasters understand the game, from optimizing scouting, recruitment and tactical analysis to enhancing player development.”
SkillCorner will continue operating independently from Paris with its team of more than 100 employees. The company’s focus on broadcast-derived tracking positions it differently from competitors requiring dedicated camera systems, potentially enabling faster expansion across competitions and levels of play.
via: Skillcorner
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 is the largest and most trusted source for youth sports industry news, insights, and analysis covering the $54 billion youth sports market. Trusted by over 50,000 followers including industry executives, investors, youth sports parents and sports business professionals, we are the premier destination for comprehensive youth sports business intelligence.
Our core mission: Make Youth Sports Better. As the leading authority in youth sports business reporting, we deliver unparalleled coverage of sports business trends, youth athletics, and emerging opportunities across the youth sports ecosystem.
Our expert editorial team provides authoritative, in-depth reporting on key youth sports industry verticals including:
Sports sponsorship and institutional capital (Private Equity, Venture Capital)
Youth Sports events and tournament management
NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) developments and compliance
Youth sports coaching and sports recruitment strategies
Sports technology and data analytics innovation
Youth sports facilities development and management
Sports content creation and digital media monetization
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Are you a brand looking to tap into the world’s most passionate fanbase… youth sports?
Introducing Play Up Partners, a leading youth sports marketing agency connecting brands with the power of youth sports. We specialize in youth sports sponsorships, partnerships, and activations that drive measurable results.
About Play Up Partners
Play Up Partners is a leading youth sports marketing agency connecting brands with the power of youth sports. We specialize in youth sports sponsorships, partnerships, and activations that drive measurable results.
Why Sponsor Youth Sports?
Youth sports represents one of the most engaged and passionate audiences in sports marketing. With over 70 million young athletes and their families participating annually, the youth sports industry offers brands unparalleled access to motivated communities with strong purchasing power and loyalty.
What Does Play Up Partners Do?
We’ve done the heavy lifting to untangle the complex youth sports landscape so our brand partners can engage with clarity, confidence, and impact. Our vetted network of accredited youth sports organizations (from local leagues to national tournaments and operators) allows us to create flexible, scalable programs that evolve with the market.
Our Approach
Every partnership we build is rooted in authenticity and value creation. We don’t just broker deals. We craft youth sports marketing strategies that:
Deliver measurable ROI for brand partners
Create meaningful experiences for athletes and families
Elevate the youth sports ecosystem
Our Vision
We’re positioning youth sports as the most desirable and effective platform in sports marketing. Our mission is simple: MAKE YOUTH SPORTS BETTER for athletes, families, organizations, and brand partners.
Common Questions About Youth Sports Marketing
Where can I sponsor youth sports?How do I activate in youth sports?What is the ROI of youth sports marketing?How much does youth sports sponsorship cost?
We have answers. Reach out to info@playuppartners.com to learn how Play Up Partners can help your brand navigate the youth sports landscape.
Youth sports organizations: Interested in partnership opportunities? Reach out to learn about our accreditation process.
This December, Sharks Ice San Jose hosted a 3v3 Jolly Jingle Jamboree, bringing together young hockey players for a festive, cross-ice hockey event. A portion of each team’s fees went directly to the tournament’s beneficiary, the Sharks Alumni Foundation.
A SCHOLARSHIP THAT CHANGED LIVES For families like Richard DeCastro, the Sharks Alumni Foundation scholarship program provides critical support that makes youth sports participation possible. “It’s a huge help for a lot of families around here who are in need of equipment, help with tuition, travel costs,” DeCastro said. “You know, the help really goes a long way, it helps out a lot.”
In 2025, the Sharks Alumni Foundation awarded 49 grants totaling $71,250, helping families offset the rising costs of participation across ice hockey, roller hockey, fastpitch softball, jiu-jitsu, basketball, and baseball. With a 94% fundraising efficiency, the program ensures that the majority of funds raised directly support local youth and families, creating access, opportunity, and lasting impact through sport.
ABOUT THE TOURNAMENT The Jolly Jingle Jamboree took place on Tuesday, December 23 at Sharks Ice at San Jose. Each team consisted of four skaters and one goalie—they played 3-on-3 cross-ice games, with every matchup featuring three 8-minute running-time periods. Every team was guaranteed to play three games, all while dressed in festive and fun holiday gear.
The entry fee for the tournament included drink tickets, participation gifts for each player, and a portion of the fee helped support the Sharks Alumni Foundation. The event welcomed a wide range of skill divisions, from 6U House through 16U/18U, spanning both house and travel programs. In total, more than 500 players attended the jamboree.
FUELING ACCESS TO HOCKEY As former professional NHL hockey players, the Sharks Alumni Foundation understands the benefits firsthand of playing sports. The self-confidence, camaraderie, and learning the values of teamwork, commitment, and determination are the things they want to instill in those that they support. The Foundation aims to bridge the gap for kids who want to participate in sports, but don’t have the financial means to do so.
