2025 marked a white-hot year in travel and youth sports. Now 2026 is on the precipice of a youth sports transformation. As participation, investment, and family engagement surged nationwide, LakePoint Sports emerged at the center of that momentum. New initiatives, expanded partnerships, greater media exposure, and an elevated guest experience combined to meet—and exceed—the evolving expectations of athletes and families.
Explore this edition of the Champions Insider for a look back at the milestones that shaped LakePoint’s white-hot 2025 and a preview of how the organization will continue building what’s next in 2026—accelerating partnerships and media growth, rolling out new food and beverage experiences, elevating campus amenities, launching innovative initiatives, and embracing new technology to continue delivering Excellence in the Guest Experience.
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Across the country, the travel and youth sports industry is showing no signs of slowing as the year came to a close. Participation remains high, with team sport participation in the U.S. up 5.7% since the post-pandemic period per the 2025 Topline Participation Report, while communities continue to invest, including more than $1 billion in new and renovated youth sports facilities expected to be completed nationwide this year.
Families are prioritizing sports travel at unprecedented levels, and research, news coverage, and national trends all point to the same reality. The industry is white hot, and its momentum is reshaping how families experience competition, travel, and connection.
LakePoint is on the forefront of these trends, with more families seeking environments that support both meaningful competition and shared time together. It is a pivotal moment for the industry, and one that signals the start of a new chapter in travel and youth sports.
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2025 was a headline-driven year at LakePoint Sports, fueled by major announcements, expanded partnerships, and innovative initiatives that captured national attention. Press coverage highlighted the evolution of the campus, the growth of LakePoint’s premium events, and the influence the destination continues to have across the travel and youth sports ecosystem.
Throughout 2025, LakePoint generated widespread media engagement through announcements tied to Champions Weekends, the launch of new partnerships and naming rights agreements, expanded NIL initiatives, campus enhancements, and the impact of its premier events. Together, these stories contributed to strong nationwide visibility and reinforced LakePoint’s standing as the leader in travel and youth sports.
In 2026 LakePoint’s continued investment in guest experience, content, and strategic partnerships slates another year of meaningful media reach, strengthening brand awareness among athletes, families, coaches, and fans across the country.
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The 2025 National Youth Sports Summit presented by SportsEngine convened the nation’s leading minds in travel and youth sports—connecting visionaries, brands, and organizations dedicated to shaping a stronger future for the industry.
Marking it’s fifth year in 2025, the Summit cemented the LakePoint Sports campus as the gathering place where collaboration sparks meaningful partnerships and advances a shared goal: creating a better youth sports experience.
As the industry stands on the precipice of a youth sports transformation in 2026, the summit’s conversations reinforced a powerful truth—the momentum, passion, and purpose driving the $40B+ ecosystem are stronger than ever.
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In December, LakePoint Sports hosted the tipoff game of the Harlem Globetrotters 100 Year World Tour, and it delivered the biggest and best Globetrotters event the campus has seen in it’s ten years of hosting the event. The Champions Center was packed wall to wall, the crowd was fully engaged, and the energy in the building reflected just how special the night was.
The game was supported by fan-focused activations from partners like Coosa Valley Credit Union and NFL Flag, adding to the experience both on and off the court. From pregame to the final buzzer, it was a night built around entertainment, interaction, and memorable moments for families in attendance.
LakePoint is also proud to be the home of the Harlem Globetrotters training camp, continuing a long-standing ten year relationship that goes beyond game night. Hosting the opening stop of the 100 Year Tour reinforced LakePoint’s role as a trusted destination for major moments and iconic events in sports.
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In 2025, families continued to respond positively to the guest experience at LakePoint Sports, consistently rating their visits 4.8 out of 5. Intentional enhancements across comfort, convenience, and on-site support helped elevate the overall stay for athletes and families.
LakePoint expanded shaded seating, cooling elements, and guest service touchpoints, while the “Fast, Friendly, Fresh” food and beverage platform introduced new variety and improved speed throughout the campus. Technology upgrades also played a key role, including new Formetco boards in the Baseball Village, expanded Pixellot streaming, and mobile tools that made communication and ordering easier.
In 2026, guests will enjoy more opportunities beyond the competition through chef demonstrations, family-friendly activities, and resort and lake experiences that make time between games more enjoyable. These efforts reflect LakePoint’s relentless commitment to Excellence in the Guest Experience.
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2025 was a breakout year for partnerships at LakePoint Sports, defined by expansion, innovation, and meaningful collaboration across the campus. The momentum was unmistakable. Partners activated in more dynamic ways, engagement reached new heights, and LakePoint continued to attract brands that recognize the influence and impact of the travel and youth sports marketplace. Together, these relationships strengthened the guest experience, elevated the profile of our events, and reinforced LakePoint’s position as the premier destination in the industry.
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LakePoint delivered eight Champions Weekends, the largest and most ambitious slate to date. Two new Naming Rights partners and three new Presenting Partners joined the platform, and integration with MLB All Star Game Week in Atlanta brought national attention to the campus. The Publix Grill and Tailgate Showcase continued to be a standout highlight, featuring chef demonstrations, product showcases, and four presenting partners that brought fresh energy to the Crossroads of the Marketplace.
Beyond the event calendar, partnership growth accelerated in meaningful ways. LakePoint welcomed 20 new partners this year, resulting in a 24% increase in community partnerships.
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Several legacy partners expanded their presence as well. Wilson grew its relationship from basketball into baseball. Mellow Mushroom became a hit within the food and beverage lineup. Formetco delivered new scoreboards across eight Major League sized fields. Rawlings supported the launch of the LakePoint NIL Athlete Program. SportsEngine continued to raise the bar for streaming inside the Champions Center, improving accessibility for families nationwide.
Together, these partnerships made 2025 a defining year on the LakePoint campus, creating stronger experiences, deeper engagement, and national-level visibility for athletes, families, and fans– paving the way for an even more exciting and notable 2026!
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LakePoint Sports is proud to continue its partnership with IHG Hotels & Resorts offering 6,000+ locations across trusted brands like Holiday Inn Express and Staybridge Suites. This year’s campaign features enhanced digital visibility, on-site engagement, and title sponsorship of Summer Showstoppers. With IHG One Rewards, families and coaches enjoy exclusive rates, flexible check-in, and points toward future stays—making youth sports travel easier than ever. Stay wherever you play at ihg.com/youthsports.
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From rising stars and packed sidelines to major recruiting events and championship moments, LakePoint Sports continued to deliver on its reputation as the premier stage for travel and youth sports. The Baseball Village hosted the nation’s top-ranked players and pro-level talent. Publix Fields welcomed global competition and big-name presence. And inside the Champions Center, every square foot was active with high-energy competition across basketball, cheer, volleyball, and more. Q4 of 2025 was filled with defining performances, national attention, and moments that reflected the scale, reach, and excellence of the LakePoint experience.
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From a flame-throwing left-hander that nearly broke the internet, to dozens of players who would hear their names called in the MLB Draft, and a Hall of Famer, it was undoubtedly a memorable year at the Baseball Village.
Mississippi State-bound Jack Bauer brought the heat, throwing seven pitches over 100 miles per hour, and topping out at 102.
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1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ mph ❌ 7️⃣
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Bauer, who attended Illinois’ Lincoln Way East, joined Cory McCartney
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Top talent (and college coaches) flocked to the National Program Invitational, National Championship Series, and the summer-capping Future Games. They provided unforgettable moments, like revealing to Rocco Maniscalco (Mississippi State signee) that he would be a Prep Baseball All-American.
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The summer’s MLB Draft underscored that our fields are the stage for the stars of tomorrow, with more than 50 players drafted who had played at the Baseball Village, topped by No. 4 overall pick Ethan Holliday.
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With the 4️⃣th pick, the #Rockies select @ethanholliday2 (Stillwater HS).
#MLBDraft | @prepbaseball
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Meanwhile, days before the 2025 Baseball Hall of Fame ceremony, former closer Billy Wagner was coaching and joined McCartney to discuss his speech prep.
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“It’s real easy to go, ‘Listen, I’m a Hall of Famer,’ … I try to keep that away from them and be just a coach.” Ahead of his Baseball HOF induction, Billy Wagner joins Cory McCartney to discuss his coaching style at Canes Virginia/The Miller School, and his upcoming speech.
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The hardwood was ablaze with talent throughout 2025 in a year fueled by crown jewel events.
Across the basketball calendar, RYZE Hoops’ slate the Adidas Memorial Day Classic, Under Armour and GHSA Team camps delivered memorable moments, performances and icons like Michigan State’s Tom Izzo.
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𝑨𝒍𝒍 𝒆𝒚𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒕𝒔. 👀
Michigan State’s Tom Izzo, Purdue’s Matt Painter, and University of Florida’s Todd Golden scouting at the 2025 @UANextBHoops.
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RYZE Hoops’ Battle for Georgia’s championship belts were slung over the shoulders of impressive MVPs. Omaha signee Marcus Gillespie (Atlanta Xpress UA) led the 17Us, while four-star Jarvis Hayes Jr. (Atlanta Xpress UA) topped the 16U division, and fellow four-star Blaze Johnson (Atlanta Celtics) dominated the 14U level.
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2025 Volleyball brought thousands of visitors to the Champions Center, and was capped by the return of the Georgia High School Association’s state championships.
The action was intense at GHSA, seeing the end of an eight-year title streak snapped by Marist, while powerhouse Walton won its 16th championship, and Morgan County made it back-to-back crowns.
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🏆4️⃣A State Champions
@marist_volleyball secure the victory and become state champions! Is this the beginning of a new dynasty? 👑
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Call it a pitch or call it the gridiron, Publix Fields’ versatility was undeniable in 2025.
While Atlanta prepares for its closeup during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, soccer’s future was on display across our fields. That included thousands of guests during the SSA Spring Classic, where Publix Fields and the Baseball Village were abuzz with on-field action.
Meanwhile, Cam Newton’s CN1 7v7, The SHOW powered by NXGN and another successful season of NFL Flag Football were highlights, and some of the most followed streamers on the planet put their football skills on display with the Creator League on campus.
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Flag Football @CreatorLeague_
🏈 @thesketchreal 🏈 @mar3lg 🏈 @rayasianboy 🏈 @camwilderr
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With thousands of games streamed across the Baseball Village and Champions Center, 2025 was defined by expanding our best-in-class streaming experience, both live and on-demand.
At baseball, the combination of AwreTV and Prep Baseball’s analytics partners have created a sortable game experience where every strikeout, every hit can be replayed at will.
The Champions Center saw an expansion of our partnership with SportsEngine. What started with 12 cameras has seen an additional 16 added to the system. This has provided LakePoint with AI cameras for basketball that follow the action, and new lower-level angles for volleyball that take you inside the action.
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Slam Dunk 🔥@MBBWaltersState’s Trae Rideau with a powerful slam dunk that helped secure their victory in the @CoachCBlack’s Classic Jamboree.
Watch the Corry Black Classic Jamboree live or on-demand with Lakepoint LIVE, powered by @SportsEngine
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Set, Spike, Score 🏐 @DarlingtonTiger moving in tandem to push the ball past the block to secure the point.
Watch @RallyVB ‘s Rally High live or on-demand with LakePoint LIVE, powered by @SportsEngine
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Don’t miss a minute of RYZE Hoops’ Events with SportsEngine Play
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In 2025, the LakePoint Media team continued to leverage these assets to create compelling content, all anchored in the belief that LakePoint Sports puts athletes first.
That commitment has resulted in more than 175 hours of on-air coverage across 60 live, elevated broadcasts for baseball and basketball, where Cory McCartney and the broadcast team are joined by players, coaches, and guests in an engaging, high-energy environment. These platforms have also enabled new partner integrations, including pregame features such as the Player Spotlight and Starting Lineups, as well as postgame segments like the Moment That Mattered and Player of the Game.
The “athletes first” approach was further elevated with the launch of the LakePoint Athlete Program. This initiative pairs elite athletes with valued partners to produce premium, authentic content—delivering storytelling and access that only LakePoint Sports can offer.
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Elite athletes 🤝 top-flight partners 🤝 our media team. We are pleased to announce the LakePoint Athlete Program, where we’ll create branded content centered around our first class of players.
⚾️ @geno_goralski ⚾️ @austin_tamborra ⚾️ @DominicRos87219
#LPAthlete
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The initial class of baseball players Geno Goralski, Dom Rossy and Austin Tamborra have gone Glove Shopping and reviewed bats via Rawling Sporting Goods, with more opportunities to follow.
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Geno Goralski hits the Rawlings store at the LakePoint Sports Baseball Village to go Glove Shopping with Cory McCartney. The 2026 outfielder and LakePoint Athlete talks the best defensive play he’s ever made in a game, and designs his own custom Rawlings glove.
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2025 was a successful year for LakePoint Local as camps, clinics, and community programs continued to grow across the campus. Spring Break Camps returned with futsal and Camp LakePoint, followed by seven sold-out weeks of Summer Camp. The summer also featured expanded sport-specific camps with partners including Walt Jordan Impact Basketball, Bra5il Futsal, Atlanta Youth Rugby, NASA Tophat Soccer, Wire 2 Wire Running, and a new pickleball camp led by Daneen England.
Year-round programs remained strong, with homeschool PE serving students twice a week and birthday and team parties hosted throughout the year. League play continued to thrive through winter and summer adult soccer leagues, along with youth and adult futsal leagues running from December through January.
These programs strengthened community engagement and provided consistent opportunities for athletes and families to stay active at LakePoint.
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As the calendar turns toward 2026, several new initiatives are taking shape across the campus. From digital upgrades to leadership changes and new platforms, these updates are focused on making it easier for teams, families, and partners to engage with everything happening at LakePoint.
A refreshed LakePointSports.com is coming soon, built to be easier to navigate and more useful for visitors. The goal is simple: make it quicker to find event information, plan trips, and stay connected to what’s happening on campus. The new site will also support additional features and content as they roll out throughout the year.
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The 2026 Champions Weekend schedule is being released, giving teams and families an early look at the key dates for the year ahead. Sharing the schedule now helps with planning travel, booking lodging, and preparing for another full slate of marquee weekends.
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RYZE Hoops is welcoming familiar leadership back to the program. Dan McDonald returns as General Manager after spending the past two seasons on the coaching staff at Kennesaw State University. He previously led RYZE Hoops from 2017 through 2023 and brings a strong background in grassroots basketball and national recruiting.
Joining him is Mike Cyprien, who steps into the Assistant General Manager role. Mike will help support teams and players through events, exposure camps, and competitive circuits, continuing to grow the RYZE Hoops platform at every level.
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LakePoint Sports has launched the LakePoint Soccer Initiative, a bold, national platform designed to accelerate the growth of the game in the U.S. as momentum builds toward the 2026 FIFA World Cup and beyond.
Anchored by a strategic five-year vision, the initiative brings together LakePoint’s unmatched campus—featuring world-class venues, 11 outdoor soccer fields, 12 indoor futsal courts, expansive media assets, and a relentless commitment to delivering Excellence in the Guest Experience—to create a year-round hub for competition, development, and fandom.
With more than 20 weekends of elite events annually, deep partnerships across the global and domestic soccer ecosystem, immersive fan experiences, cutting-edge training and technology, and a shared mission to expand access and opportunity, LakePoint is positioning itself at the forefront of American soccer’s next chapter.
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LakePoint Sports closed out 2025 by bringing the team together for an end of year holiday dinner at AG Steakhouse, a valued LakePoint partner.
More than a celebration, the evening reflected what makes LakePoint special — a unified team driven by shared purpose, strong relationships, and a commitment to one another.
As the year came to a close, the night offered space to reflect on a season defined by collaboration, momentum, and growth across the campus and beyond. Great food, meaningful conversations, and time together reinforced what we know to be true: when we move as one team toward one goal, the impact is powerful.
As we look ahead to 2026, that same unity will continue to fuel our focus on delivering Excellence in the Guest Experience.
Thank you to the entire LakePoint team and our trusted partners for the passion, ownership, and teamwork that made 2025 a year to remember with optimism for an even greater 2026!
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