evolve hockey

What evolve hockey does

Evolve Sports Group, operating under the Evolve Hockey brand, is a privately held, founder-owned multi-sport youth player development organization headquartered in Fairport, New York, serving the Western New York region. Founded in 2015 by Chris Collins — a former Boston Bruins signee who played professionally for eight years — alongside family co-founders Greg, Kelly, and Courtney Collins, the company operates five program brands: Evolve Hockey (Learn to Skate, 6U/8U Mite programs, hockey camps, private lessons), Evolve Field Hockey (founded 2016, clinics, camps, club teams U10–U19), Evolve Goaltending (specialized goalie instruction), Evolve Lacrosse (skills clinics, tournament teams), and Evolve Sports Camp (multi-sport summer day camp). Programs are delivered in-person at three facilities: the Rochester Ice Center (80 Lyndon Rd, Fairport), Station 31 (2830 Baird Rd, Fairport), and Total Sports Experience in East Rochester, with registration centralized through the third-party Playbook API booking platform.

The company's revenue model is entirely fee-for-service across per-class, per-session, per-day, and seasonal pricing tiers, ranging from $10 per Learn to Skate class to $2,300 per 8U hockey season, with private lessons priced at $20–$75/hour depending on group size and club/winter team memberships priced at $500 per season. Goalies receive a 50% discount across programs. Customer acquisition is community-led, driven by word-of-mouth, local youth sports network referrals, partnerships with Rochester Youth Hockey and the Rochester Grizzlies, and organic social media (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter). The company has no disclosed external funding, operates with a small named coaching staff of former professional and NCAA athletes, and positions itself as a premium development pathway serving youth athletes from beginner (age 2) through elite levels with documented alumni outcomes including USA National Team Development Program placements and NCAA Division I commitments.

The underlying technology stack is minimal and entirely third-party — no proprietary platform, mobile app, or public API exists. The core "product" is human capital: credentialed coaching staff delivering individualized in-person instruction. Strategic emphasis is on vertical integration of the player development pathway (Rochester Coalition) and multi-sport extension to capture family wallet share, rather than technology-driven differentiation. The business is highly localized, with no geographic expansion beyond Western New York disclosed and a recent operational restructuring in which Evolve-branded youth teams transitioned to officially represent the Rochester Grizzlies charter.

Name

evolve hockey

Legal name

Evolve Sports Group

Website

https://esgsports.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Evolve Sports Group (Evolve Hockey) is a privately held, founder-owned youth player development organization in Western New York offering in-person hockey, field hockey, lacrosse, goaltending, and multi-sport camp programs for athletes ages 2 through adult, delivered at facilities in Fairport and East Rochester.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Sports Coaching and Athletic Development

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Single-Sport Skill Academies (Soccer, Basketball, Tennis, etc.) (MPAKAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Multi-Sport Camps (General Athletics, Summer Camps) (MPAKAJAA), Recreational & Intramural Sports Programs (MPAKACAG)

Keywords

• Youth hockey training
• Hockey skills clinics
• Goaltending instruction
• Field hockey coaching
• Youth sports development

Headquarters

HQ city

Fairport

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Program Fees: Revenue from structured youth hockey programs including learn-to-skate classes, youth teams, and hockey camps. Programs are offered on a per-session or seasonal basis.
2. Private Lessons: One-on-one and small group coaching sessions charged per hour, with tiered pricing based on group size.
3. Tournament Teams: Spring/summer tournament team registration fees for lacrosse and field hockey programs.
4. Club Team Memberships: Winter team memberships for field hockey with practice twice weekly, including pinnie and game day play.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Evolve Hockey delivers in-person youth athlete development services in Western New York, including learn-to-skate classes, age-group youth hockey teams (6U and 8U Mite programs), hockey camps, private and small-group lessons, and competitive travel teams chartered through Rochester Grizzlies. The broader Evolve Sports Group umbrella extends the same individualized coaching philosophy to field hockey, lacrosse, specialized goaltending instruction, and a summer day camp, all delivered at facilities such as Rochester Ice Center, Station 31, and Total Sports Experience.

Product overview

Evolve Sports Group is Western New York's premier multi-sport player development organization offering five distinct program brands: Evolve Hockey (ice hockey with Learn to Skate, youth teams, and camps), Evolve Field Hockey (field hockey with skills clinics, camps, league/team programs, and private lessons), Evolve Goaltending (specialized goaltending instruction), Evolve Lacrosse (skills clinics, private lessons, and tournament teams), and Evolve Sports Camp (summer day camp). The programs share a unified development philosophy focused on individual attention, tailored coaching, and developing athletes into both skilled performers and strong citizens, with shared coaching staff across programs and centralized registration through PlayBook API.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Evolve Hockey: Ice hockey player development program offering Learn to Skate, youth teams, hockey camps, and private lessons in Western New York.
• Evolve Field Hockey
• Evolve Lacrosse
• Evolve Goaltending
• Evolve Sports Camp

Products and services

• Evolve Hockey Core ice hockey player development program offering Learn to Skate for ages 2+, youth hockey teams (6U and 8U Mite programs), Academy and summer hockey camps, no-school camps, private lessons, and Rochester Grizzlies youth travel teams across Western New York.
• Evolve Field Hockey Field hockey training program offering skills clinics, camps, leagues and teams for U10 through U19 players, private and semi-private lessons, and specialized goalie training for youth field hockey players across Western New York.
• Evolve Goaltending

Quantifiable outcome

• Developed players who have gone on to play at elite levels including USA National Team Development Program, NCAA Division I programs (Boston College, SUNY Oswego), and professional careers

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Rochester Youth Hockey (RYH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership creating the Rochester Coalition between Rochester Youth Hockey (a Tier 1 program) and Rochester Grizzlies. This collaboration ensures players of all skill levels have a development pathway from beginners to elite athletes. The partnership supports unified player development at all levels.
• Rochester GrizzliescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership with Rochester Grizzlies youth hockey organization. The Grizzlies were founded in 2002 by Glenn Collins. Evolve Hockey teams were chartered through Rochester Grizzlies, with recent changes moving teams to officially represent Rochester Grizzlies jerseys.
• Evolve GoaltendingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSeparate goaltending-focused business (evolvegoaltending.com) offering individual training, group training, team training, and strength & conditioning for hockey goalies.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Parisi Speed School: Parisi Speed School is a franchised multi-sport youth athletic development network offering speed, agility, and sport-specific training. Comparable to Evolve Sports Group in delivering structured multi-sport player development for youth across local facilities.
• Pro Ambitions Hockey: Pro Ambitions Hockey operates youth hockey development camps and clinics across North America. It is directly comparable to Evolve Hockey in offering structured on-ice player development for serious youth athletes seeking advancement to higher-level play.
• Apex Skating & Hockey Training: Apex Skating provides hockey-specific skills instruction, power skating, and small-group training. Comparable to Evolve Hockey in focusing on individualized skill development for youth players using experienced coaching talent.
• 5Star Sports Academy: 5Star Sports Academy offers multi-sport youth training including field hockey, lacrosse, and athletic development. Comparable to Evolve Sports Group in running a multi-sport youth player development operation across adjacent field sports with shared coaching resources.

Broad incumbents

• US Sports Camps (Nike Sports Camps): US Sports Camps operates the Nike Sports Camps network across the U.S., including hockey-specific programs. Comparable to Evolve Hockey in delivering structured youth sports camps with professional coaching, though as a multi-sport platform operator.
• Total Hockey: Total Hockey operates hockey retail stores and training centers offering lessons, camps, and skills clinics. Comparable to Evolve Hockey in offering hockey player development services, though anchored around retail rather than pure training.
• I9 Sports: I9 Sports operates franchised youth sports leagues and programs across multiple sports nationwide. Comparable to Evolve Sports Group in offering organized multi-sport youth programming at the community level, though at much greater scale.
• IMG Academy: IMG Academy is a national multi-sport youth performance and education institution. Comparable to Evolve Sports Group in pursuing elite youth player development across multiple sports, but operates at vastly larger scale with residential programs.

Emerging players

• National Training Rinks / Rinx Hockey: Rinx Hockey operates hockey training rinks and player development programs across multiple U.S. locations. Comparable to Evolve Hockey in combining facility-based skill development with hockey instruction at the youth level.

Others

• USA Hockey ADM Affiliates: USA Hockey is the national governing body that sanctions youth hockey programs and the American Development Model (ADM). Comparable to Evolve Hockey as the umbrella framework under which ESG's youth hockey programs operate and gain legitimacy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/esghockey?lang=en
• Facebookfacebook.com/esgsports
• Instagraminstagram.com/explore/locations/1022171409/esg-sports/?hl=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/evolve-hockey

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about evolve hockey