Born in a suburb of Philadelphia before moving with his family to Gilbert in the early 2000s, the Patrick Murphy attributes all his life successes to hockey.

Murphy, ice hockey manager of the Matt Shott Arizona Hockey Legacy Foundation, was introduced to the sport when he was just 2 years old by his uncle, Mike Brett.

Brett provided then-toddler Murphy with a hockey stick that never left Murphy’s side, and even after the move to the desert. Uncle Mikey was persistent that his nephew would skate and take up the on-ice activity.

Patrick and Debbie Murphy, Murphy’s parents, were deeply supportive as well, driving him to the rinks, investing in his training, and homeschooling him so he could focus on hockey without the limitations of missing countless school days. 

Murphy’s dedication and passion brought him to various rinks across the Valley and the continent, including time with the Arizona Bobcats. His hockey career took the center forward north to Ontario to play for the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners, a Junior A hockey club.

Like many people, the pandemic altered Murphy’s path when the Goldminers’ season came to a halt, ultimately closing out his junior career. 

Murphy migrated back to Phoenix and became involved with the Arizona Coyotes as a part-time employee supporting the Learn to Play Program, “Little Howlers.” 

In 2023, he became a full-time employee, leading the roller hockey initiative and over 2,500 students in one school year through the Arizona Coyotes Field Trip Program. The program includes math and science tie-ins to ice hockey to teach kids about the sport in a way that also furthers their general education.

After the Coyotes relocated to Utah, Murphy and the MSAHLF team shifted their focus to ensure hockey would continue to grow in Arizona. 

Without an NHL team in the Valley, there was a need to continue the Learn to Play initiative that was developed by the National Hockey League Player’s Association and the National Hockey League to offer more families across the United States a chance to learn the skills needed to succeed on the ice, while also building and solidifying important character traits needed to succeed off the ice.

“I fell in love with teaching someone, of any age, who has limited knowledge in the sport and seeing their excitement when concepts start to click for them,” Patrick Murphy said. 

“It’s a humbling experience to work with the Foundation because I am helping young people become the best versions of themselves on and off the ice.”

The Matt Shott Arizona Hockey Legacy Foundation was created to continue Matt Shott’s efforts in the Arizona hockey community, including the Learn to Play hockey program “Shott’s Tots.” 

It also provides a dedicated organization that can raise funds to support hockey programming and the growth of the sport in Arizona. 

With the foundation, Murphy is responsible and committed to running all the on-ice programming for youth – Little Leighton’s and Shott’s Tots, and adults – Women’s Beginner Hockey League and Adult Learn to Play and along with any community outreach for those who want to try hockey.

Shott’s Tots, designed for children ages 5-11, is a low-cost program ($299) that comprises six coached on-ice sessions with head-to-toe hockey equipment to keep.

That equipment includes skates, hockey stick, equipment bag, helmet, neck guard, shoulder pads, elbow pads, gloves, hockey pants, shin guards, hockey socks and Shott’s Tots jersey. 

The Learn to Play program, coached by Murphy and the rest of the MSAHLF staff, can be found at all rinks across the state.

Since its inception in 2024, the Matt Shott Arizona Hockey Legacy Foundation and Murphy introduced 2,500 youth to the sport of hockey, distributed 300 sets of gear through the Learn to Play program, visited 24 schools to provide free ball hockey clinics and had seven local rink partnerships.

 MSAHLF has also collected over 200 sets of used gear that it has cleaned and restored for the local community.

Murphy encourages youth looking to play the sport for the first time to embrace the marathon of learning because it is not a sprint to the end. 

This is an opportunity to build character, develop a strong mindset and cultivate a solid work ethic, both on and off the ice. 

Information: azhockeylegacy.org. 

MISSOULA, Mont. – The Highlands Golf Club was bustling with activity as the community gathered for a special event. The Boys and Girls Club of Missoula County hosted its inaugural Fore the Kids Golf Classic, drawing teams from across the area to support a worthy cause.

The 9-hole scramble aimed to raise funds for the Boys and Girls Club’s mission of providing a safe and nurturing environment for children to learn, grow, and connect. For more than 25 years, the club has offered after-school programs and services, helping Missoula’s youth develop essential skills and confidence for the future.

This year’s golf classic included raffles, games, and competition, all of which contributed to raising valuable funds. The proceeds directly benefit local children and strengthen the community. The Boys and Girls Club emphasized that the strong turnout demonstrated Missoula’s support for its kids and the club’s programs.

Chief Executive Officer Justin Kinchen highlighted the importance of the event. “It’s super important. It really helps people understand, you know, what we do and what the benefit is to the community,” he said. Kinchen added that the events provide opportunities for children to grow and be exposed to new experiences that they might not encounter at home or in school.

Kinchen further explained the broader impact of the club’s work. “Long term, it just really helps grow our community and help our community flourish and thrive. And that’s for parents and just people who don’t have kids either,” he said.

For more information or to donate, visit their website at bgcmissoula.org. 

Imlay City wrestling coach Brandon Day, a highly decorated coach who is entering his second season with the Spartans, already has his Spartans wrestling program hard at work this summer as wrestlers hit the mats Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this week for the program’s annual summer camp. Wrestlers ranging from kindergarten to 12th grade were in attendance to learn from […]

Michael Bowen talks about how his wife Dawn made a big impact on the community, especially while watching her three children play youth sports in Mentor before dying unexpectedly in January.

Now the community is trying to give something back to her family.

And that community is being helped by Chad Ulogar, the 2004 Willoughby South grad and former baseball standout for the Rebels who has combined a longtime love of baseball and an affinity for helping those in need as the president of the Home Field Foundation. The Portland, Oregon-based non-profit organization runs baseball tournaments to raise money for families that have experienced life changing events or accidents.

This summer, from Aug. 1 through Aug. 3, the foundation is hosting the 2nd Annual Home Field Foundation/KJL Superdraft for kids ages 9 through 14 at Todd Field in Willoughby. The tournament will benefit Bowen’s husband and their three children — a daughter who’s 13, and two sons who are 10 and 7.

According to Elizabeth Looman, who founded the KJL Memorial Fund with husband Ryan, said last year’s inaugural event was a success, raising more than $6,000 for the fund.

The KJL fund is dedicated to supporting education, healthcare and community development while following a mission of spreading goodwill, compassion and kindness towards others.

Bowen said his wife, who was a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner for University Hospitals, was the typical “sports mom” at every game and as a nurse became a de facto team doctor for her kids and others who may have had medical questions.

“From Day 1 the support from the community, family friends businesses, all the sports teams shows the impact she had on people,” Bowen said. “She is a much better person than I am. The impact that she had was big, so this is more like keeping her memory going and a tribute to her.”

In 2020, pre-Home Field Foundation, Ulogar ran a similar tournament at Todd Field for a local baseball player, Ashton Staton. After a few years and a move to Portland, a local baseball player that he trained was in a car accident and suffered a brain injury.

“I ran another tournament with the help of two local moms and the tournament was such a success we decided to form the Home Field Foundation,” Ulogar said. “Our first official tournament as a foundation was our KJL event last August in Willoughby. That event was to raise money for the Looman family, a local family who tragically lost their son Koby in a car accident.

“We had over 250 registrations for that event,” he added. “We also run a yearly tournament here in the northwest, this year being in Vancouver, Washington. The goal is to travel the country and help as many families as we can.”

Ulogar said recipients are typically nominated by members of the community. There is an “apply” tab on the website for applicants. The board then reviews the applications and picks the recipients.

“We then reach out with an introduction text announcing them as a nominee and set up a Zoom call to meet our potential recipients and hear their stories and tell them about who we are and what we do,” he said.

For the baseball tournament, players sign up individually at homefieldfoundation.com and get drafted to teams. There is an extensive draft process to ensure teams are competitive.

Ulogar said the deadline for player registration is the end of June.

“This style allows kids to play with other kids from the community they might not get to play with otherwise, therefore making friends in the process and bringing the community closer together,” Ulogar said.

Aug. 1 is the kickoff event and early jersey pickup. There will be a DJ on site while the 6-8U Coach Pitch and 10-12U softball games are going on.

Aug. 2 begins pool play of the baseball tournament. There are three age groups — 9/10U, 11/12U and 13/14U.

Aug. 3 is bracket play and there are winners with prizes given to the winners and coaches of the winning team.

Ulogar said money is raised through registrations, donors, various sponsors, concessions and raffles.

A large portion of funds raised goes to the Bowen family. This year the foundation is again working with the KJL Memorial Fund and that will get a portion as well.

Bowen said both of his boys will be playing in tournament and while it is a celebration, he expects it will also be an emotional weekend.

“I think this will be a little bit of both,” Bowen said.

Anyone interested in being a sponsor for the tournament can email homefieldfoundationchad@gmail.com.

As a kid, I ran from field to field for soccer tournaments with back-to-back games, and woke up before the sun was up for lacrosse tournaments that were a long drive away.

I’m not alone. It feels like nearly everyone in the US has some connection to youth sports, either through their own kids, their childhood experiences, or through siblings and other family members. Over 27 million children in the US — 54.6% — played organized sports, according to the most recent data from the National Children’s Health Survey, which covered the 2022 and 2023.

And investors ranging from venture capitalists to private equity have increasingly been paying attention to the deep connection Americans have with youth sports.

“If you look at wallet share and the statistics around that for parents, how much they will spend on youth sports, it’s insane,” Aaron Miller, an investor at early-stage VC firm Will Ventures, told Business Insider. “For the first time, institutional investors are realizing that these are really interesting assets to own and maybe even optimize.”

Miller said the addressable market for youth sports is massive. According to The Aspen Institute’s Project Play, the average US sports family spent $1,016 on their child’s primary sport in 2024.

Miller said the US is really the only country in the world with this level of spending on youth sports, which makes it attractive for investments. He said investments had grown in two areas: experiences and technology.

Some of the new technologies in the space are using AI, like GameChanger, a livestreaming and game management software that youth teams use to keep track of stats and film, and put together highlights.

Unrivaled Sports is an example of a company pouring money into experiences. Josh Harris, the owner of the Washington Commanders and cofounder of Apollo Global Management, along with Blackstone’s David Blitzer, co-invested their own money to launch the company this year. Unrivaled Sports specializes in creating unique experiences for kids who play baseball, soccer, football, and action sports and also recently got a further $120 million investment, led by Dick’s Sporting Goods.

Miller’s firm itself has invested in several youth sports companies, such as Youth Inc., a media and commerce company founded by former NFLer Greg Olsen, and Aktivate, a sports tech platform for K-12 schools.

Some notable deals in the space include KKR acquiring Varsity Brands last year, and PlayOn (backed by KKR) buying MaxPreps from CBS Sports. TeamSnap acquired Mojo, a youth sports streaming service, in 2023.

Investing in youth sports can also benefit leagues. Initiatives like the Junior NBA or LOVB’s youth programs are helping to grow the game at a young level.

“If you win over a kid in middle school, they’re very influenceable, they could be loyal customers for the next 50-plus years,” Miller said.

Does the money stop kids from being kids?

Concerns about the professionalization of youth sports have been growing in the last few years, with some parents concerned about burnout or overuse injuries happening at younger ages. As part of its Project Play research, the Aspen Institute found that some parents felt pressure to have their children specialize in a sport at an earlier age.

The costs have also increased. The Aspen Institute reported a 46% increase in cost for a child’s primary sport from 2019 to 2024. The study found that spending on travel and lodging, team registration fees, and camps or private training contributed to the increase.

Melissa Jacobs is a journalist and the creator of the Good Game Substack, which focuses on talking about youth sports for parents. She said that destination youth sports tournaments and experiences have been proliferating.

She said parents’ inboxes can be “flooded with emails saying come to Huntington Beach, come to Omaha, come to Florida for every single sport.”

“It’s making the equity gap humongous, and it’s also watering down the experience,” she said.

Miller said he felt there needed to be a system to ensure that youth sports don’t get over-optimized as more money flows into the space. Companies can offer services that can be great for talent development and earn more money. But this professionalization could negatively affect the kids playing who don’t want to take things as seriously.

“Youth sports are really expensive, and I think a lot of people have talked about, what’s the breaking point?” Miller said. “Are a lot of these really expensive camps asking families to spend as much as possible? Yes. At the same time, I feel like there are a lot of really awesome products and solutions that haven’t been built yet.”

This week on Skin in the Game, John and Tim sit down with Phil Pritchard, vice president of the Hockey Hall of Fame and the iconic “Keeper of the Cup.”

No one knows the Stanley Cup—or the history of the game of hockey—better than Pritchard. In this episode, he shares what makes the Cup unlike any other championship prize in professional sports, from its deep-rooted traditions to the emotional, often personal journeys players take with it after victory.

Pritchard discusses the intricate logistics involved in transporting the Cup around the world and offers insight into its many unexpected destinations. He also reflects on the memorable moments the Cup has witnessed and why this singular piece of silver continues to unite generations of fans and athletes alike.