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Kitman Labs Artificial Intelligence Platform Breaks Down Sleepers FOR NFL Draft

Kitman Labs, the global enterprise SaaS platform providing the only single, centralized operating system today revealed its first-ever sleeper predictions for the NFL Draft, being held the next three days in Detroit Michigan.

For the 2024 NFL Draft, Kitman Labs  used their Artificial Intelligence models on NCAA and NFL datasets from 2010 to present to identify players that they think will be successful in the NFL. Kitman Labs staff also spent significant time on site at the NFL Combine again this year, looking at all data sets provided and using their own AI to help project results.

Below highlights five sleeper picks, the Kitman AI believes could have significant potential for NFL success.

Bo Nix – Oregon – QB  

NFL Draft Projection: 5th QB Selected

Kitman AI Projection: 73% chance of NFL Success – 1st QB

Looking like coming in at a 2nd round pick, Bo Nix ranks as the most likely Quarterback to be successful in this year’s NFL draft. Looking at his college stats it is easy to see why the model has this belief. 34 passing Touchdowns in your final college season are required by the model to have a significant increase in NFL success – Nix has 11 more. He also surpasses the threshold for Yards by nearly 700, his completion percentage is over 6% higher than required. While his rushing stats are not standout, the number of yards gained last season is high enough to show athletic ability, and his yards per carry is significantly over the threshold required by the model to increase his success rate.

Joe Milton III – Tennessee – QB  

NFL Draft Projection: 10th QB Selected

Kitman AI Projection: 31% chance of NFL Success – 3rd QB

Something that is apparent when investigating what our model values in a successful NFL QB, is that it believes that a Quarterback must possess either absolute elite arm talent, or have the explosive rushing ability to make splashy plays.  While the AI model highlights that Milton’s does not rank amongst the elite prospects in passing, and punishes him accordingly, it sees his rushing ability and gives him a significant chance of lasting several years in the league. Coaches and GMs may feel they can mould an athletic prospect, seeing future potential, and this phenomenon is something the AI may well be reaching back to.

Kendall Milton – Georgia – RB

NFL Draft Projection: 17th Drafted RB

Kitman AI Projection: 12% chance of NFL Success – 4th RB

The Kitman Labs AI model shows that an ability to get into the end zone in college is the number one indicator of future NFL success, far more so than yards, efficiency, or speed. With 14 rushing touchdowns in his final college season, Kendall Milton exceeded the required threshold for NFL success by 3 touchdowns. Our model also surprisingly rewards physical stature, with a taller running back being more likely to be successful. Perhaps this is due to a taller player’s greater ability to effectively carry mass, or their ability to participate in an NFL passing game. Whatever the cause, at over 6’1” Milton is one of the taller backs in the draft and the model rewards this accordingly. While Kendall Milton does have some drawbacks – the model penalizing him for lack of receiving ability, and him not hitting a required threshold in rushing yards – his ability to put points on the board see him nearly twice as likely to be a successful NFL running back than the average prospect at his position.

Malik Washington – Virginia – WR

NFL Draft Projection: 21st Drafted WR

Kitman AI Projection: 42% chance of NFL Success – 3rd WR

In a stacked 2024 WR draft class – our model rates this is by far the best class of the last decade and a half – it’s not surprising that some top tier talent is going to go in later draft rounds. However, our AI model surprisingly projects Malik Washington as being one of the top prospects in this year’s class. College receiving yards is the main indicator of future NFL success and longevity, and with 1426 yards in his final season Washington has approximately 40% more yards than the model believes necessary for a significant increase in NFL success probability. His 40 time of 4.47 seconds is also deemed fast enough to stand up in the NFL. Though this is right on the threshold our model has identified, in combination with his receiving yards and other statistics it significantly increases his chances of success. Interesting nugget; Washington did not participate in the 20-yard shuttle in the combine, but the AI has inferred from his other statistics he would have excelled at this.

Tahj Washington – USC – WR

NFL Draft Projection: 29th Drafted WR

Kitman AI Projection: 22% chance of NFL success – 15th WR

Tahj Washington is a curious case for our AI model. Not having participated in the 20-yard shuttle, the 3 cone drill, or the 40-yard dash at the combine, there are a lot of unknowns about this player. However, given his receiving yards, and his strong showing in both the broad jump and vertical leap, the model has inferred that he would have competed well, particularly in the 20-yard shuttle. Having completed these tests at his pro day, a dataset the AI had no access to, we can see he is potentially slightly below average in the 40 and 20 yards drills, but elite in the 3 cone drill. How this information would have influenced the models is unclear; however, overall the 3 cone drill ranks as the third most important feature for projecting success, so while the exact inference was wrong the model has seemingly correctly identified some possible elite athletic behavior from other available statistics. Washington still only ranks as 15th in our list of receivers, but given he is projected to be a day 3 pick and his success probability is twice that of an average WR, he still may present significant value in the draft.

NLL Welcomes Tampa General Hospital as the First NLL UnBOXed Lacrosse Community Presenting Partner

A few months after launching its innovative continent-wide grassroots initiative, NLL UnBOXed™, the National Lacrosse League today announced its first local market, multi-year presenting partnership as Tampa General Hospital (TGH) will join the League to bring the NLL’s fast-paced lacrosse game play to more young boys and girls throughout the Tampa Bay area.

The “Tampa Bay Snowbirds™ presented by Tampa General Hospital” will begin the initial phase of NLL UnBOXed activations this year, with the League providing Snowbirds and TGH-branded lacrosse equipment to participating Tampa Bay-area elementary and middle schools for use in physical education classes for all students.

“A primary goal for NLL UnBOXed always centered on partnering with influential local leaders and community-driven companies to help us introduce and foster a new love of NLL-style, fast-paced lacrosse to young boys and girls across North America,” said Kurt Hunzeker, NLL Executive Vice President, Commercial Operations. “We are thrilled to begin this exciting journey with our friends at Tampa General Hospital and bring the Tampa Bay Snowbirds to life in Bay Area schools starting this fall.”

While the first wave of Tampa Bay-area schools who registered to bring NLL UnBOXed to their students will be announced in the coming weeks, any elementary and middle school administrators, athletic directors, and/or physical education teachers can request to become an inaugural participating school by registering at NLL.com/UnBOXed.

“Tampa General Hospital is committed to promoting health and wellness in our community to prevent illness and chronic health conditions,” said Kim Christine, administrator of community health and wellness at Tampa General Hospital. “This partnership not only helps us connect youth to the growing game of lacrosse, it allows us to invest in creating a healthier Tampa Bay.”

Tampa Bay joined seven other North American markets in the League’s inaugural class of “NLL UnBOXed Lacrosse Communities” unveiled in November 2023. To illustrate its commitment to growing box lacrosse participation and skill development across Canada and the United States, the NLL created community-relevant team names and bold brand identities for each of the nine markets: Baltimore Ghost Crabs™, Charlotte Cobras™, Minnesota Lake Dragons™, Montréal Castors™, Seattle Shipwrecks™, St. Louis Howlers™, Tampa Bay Snowbirds™ presented by Tampa General Hospital, and Utah Spikes™.

NLL UnBOXed will drive the expansion of the League’s current multi-national activation footprint to include approximately 60 North American communities by the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles when sixes lacrosse, similar to the NLL’s 6-on-6 box lacrosse game play style, returns as a medal sport for the first time since 1908.

Officially licensed NLL UnBOXed merchandise, including a wide selection of Snowbirds’ apparel and collectibles, will debut later this year with exclusive reveals all summer via the League’s social media channels.

The 2023-24 NLL regular season wraps up this week before the 2024 NLL Playoffs begin on Friday, April 26.

American Association Hires Chris Browne As Vice President-Sponsorships

The American Association of Professional Baseball has named Chris Browne as, Vice President of Sponsorships.  Browne brings more than 30 years of experience in professional sports, including 23 years as an executive in baseball.  

In his role, Browne will handle sponsorship services for the league, coordinate sponsor related jewel events including the All-Star Game, the Miles Wolff Cup, and Baseball Champions League in addition to other leaguewide initiatives.  

“Chris Browne brings to the American Association a long history in sports business.  Specifically, his ideas around activation and relationship building will provide the American Association with an accretive element beneficial to our sponsors,” said Joshua Schaub, American Association Commissioner.

Browne previously spent twelve years as Vice President and General Manager of the Kansas City Monarchs predecessor brand, the Kansas City T-Bones, during 2008-2020.  Under his leadership, the club was twice named Organization of the Year and appeared in two league championship series, winning the Miles Wolff Cup in 2018.  Browne was also recognized by the Kansas City Kansas Convention and Visitors Bureau with the 2011 Excellence in Hospitality Award and named Tourism Advocate of the Year in 2015.  

In 2019, Browne was named as the Kansas City Sports Executive of the Year by the Kansas City Sports Commission.  The prestigious award had previously been given to Kansas City Chiefs CEO/Owner Clark Hunt and Kansas City Royals VP/GM Dayton Moore.  

Most recently, Browne led Perfect Game USA’s Midwest operation in Kansas City.  

“I am thrilled to join the American Association office and their dynamic leadership team led by Commissioner Josh Schaub and Deputy Commissioner, Josh Buchholz.  I look forward to working with our staff, partners, and member clubs,” said Chris Browne.

A native of Kansas City, Browne started his career working as a Clubhouse Attendant and Bat Boy for seven years for the Kansas City Royals, including the 1985 World Champion season.  After completing his degree with an emphasis in Sports Management from the University of Missouri, Browne worked as an executive for the Class AA Jacksonville Suns (now Jumbo Shrimp) and was Assistant General Manager for Major Arena Soccer League’s Kansas City Comets.  

Browne resides in Lenexa, KS with his wife Becky, son Brett and daughter (Pee Wee) Reese.  

National Lacrosse League Playoffs Begin Saturday; Schedule to Feature Broadcasts on TSN and ESPNU

The National Lacrosse League’s (@NLL) new unified standings aimed to make every game count, and it took until its 135th and final regular season game to set the 2024 NLL Playoffs bracket and schedule. With Rochester defeating Philadelphia, 12-3, the postseason field of eight is set, with quarterfinal play beginning on Saturday, April 27.

The top-seeded Toronto Rock (15-3) and No. 2 San Diego Seals (13-5) are joined by the No. 3 Albany FireWolves (11-7) and No. 4 Buffalo Bandits (11-7) in hosting single-elimination quarterfinal games next weekend.

Two teams, the No. 7 Panther City Lacrosse Club (9-9) and No. 8 Rochester Knighthawks (8-10), punched their tickets based on the wild final weekend results.

This year’s field includes six teams that advanced to the postseason in 2023, including defending champion Buffalo.

TSN will feature Rochester at Toronto to start quarterfinal weekend on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET. ESPNU’s coverage will include the No. 5 Georgia Swarm at Buffalo Saturday night, 7 p.m. ET, and No. 6 Halifax Thunderbirds (10-8) at Albany on Sunday at 3 p.m ET. Every postseason game can be seen on ESPN+ and TSN+.

Here is the complete 2024 NLL Playoffs quarterfinals’ broadcast schedule (all times ET):

  • Saturday, April 27 – #8 Rochester at #1 Toronto, 4:30 p.m., TSN, ESPN+, TSN+
  • Saturday, April 27 – #5 Georgia at #4 Buffalo, 7 p.m., ESPNU, ESPN+, TSN+
  • Saturday, April 27 – #7 Panther City at #2 San Diego, 10 p.m., ESPN+, TSN+
  • Sunday, April 28 – #6 Halifax at #3 Albany, 3 p.m., ESPNU, ESPN+, TSN+

Quarterfinal winners advance to their respective best-of-three semifinal series, which will commence on Thursday, May 2, through Sunday, May 5, and continue Thursday, May 9, through Sunday, May 12.

The best-of-three 2024 NLL Finals are scheduled for Thursday, May 16, through Sunday, May 19, and Thursday, May 23, through Sunday, May 26.

Additionally, should both semifinal series end in two games, the League may move the 2024 NLL Finals up to the preceding week.

Exact dates and broadcast schedules for TSN and ESPN for the semifinals and NLL Finals rounds will be announced after the pairings and dates are set. To view the 2024 NLL Playoffs bracket, visit https://www.nll.com/standings/.

Kitman Labs Expands Performance Deal With NWSL Expansion Team, Bay FC

Kitman Labs, the global enterprise SaaS platform providing the only single, centralized operating system for performance intelligence in the elite performance industry, today announced a new deal with NWSL expansion team, Bay FC. On the heels of the NWSL’s deployment of the Performance Medicine Solution from Kitman Labs as its league-wide advanced EMR, Bay FC will expand the use of iP: Intelligence Platform across the Club’s First Team to include Performance Optimization and Coaching & Development.

Bay FC will now be able to combine player medical, performance and development data in a centralized and fully integrated advanced operating system – driving cross-departmental communication and supporting evidence-based, data-led decision-making across the Club. All relevant stakeholders will have access to a complete, real-time assessment of each player. In addition, both players and practitioners will be able to access and input data through a dedicated Coach and Player App to allow for real-time data capture on and off the pitch.

“As a new club, it’s important to us that we lay a technology foundation that is best-in-class, scalable and capable of immediately providing value to our coaching staff and players in terms of yielding actionable intelligence to help unlock our performance, health and wellness goals,” said Lucy Rushton, Bay FC General Manager.

“We’re thrilled to be working with Bay FC to not only help expand their data and analytics infrastructure but to partner with the Club to leverage the resulting intelligence to help accelerate their success within the League” said Stephen Smith, CEO and Founder of Kitman Labs. “In addition to providing a flexible framework to support the Club where they are today, iP: Intelligence Platform will future-proof the Club – ensuring they have the ability to continually innovate in terms of data collection and data science capabilities while supporting the kind of advanced analytics and research necessary to help propel the team forward season after season.”

Kitman Labs has an established track record of working with top leagues, teams and regulatory bodies across a variety of sports, including soccer, basketball, rugby, and American football. The company’s technology is currently being used by leagues and teams within some of the world’s most elite sports organizations, including the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), Major League Soccer (MLS), Premier League and National Football League (NFL). Kitman Labs has recently announced deals with Angel City FC, Gotham FC and the Houston Dash.

Lax.com Announces Acquisition Of Industry Competitor Universal Lacrosse

Lax.com, the leading lacrosse e-retailer and team dealer, today announced a substantial expansion of their scope in the marketplace, acquiring one of its chief competitors, Universal Lacrosse. The acquisition makes Lax.com the largest ecommerce (Lax.com and Universallacrosse.com) and team dealer dedicated strictly to the sport of lacrosse. Lax.com will also be acquiring Universal’s 10 retail stores.

“This move puts Lax.com in a great position to scale the business. The addition of John Flanagan and his team provides the added talent to launch Lax.com into an exciting new chapter” stated John Arrix, CEO of Lax.com. “As we unite these two companies, we are poised to harness the unparalleled expertise of our lacrosse team sales force, and we will raise the bar for customer service excellence in the industry. Our unwavering commitment to seamless relationships with our valued customers will drive a transformation of the Lax.com online platform, bolstered by synergies with Universallacrosse.com and our array of digital properties,” continued Arrix.

John Flanagan, CEO and Founder of Universal, stated, “We are excited for the future. The strategic positioning of Universal Lacrosse stores will remain instrumental in servicing vital lacrosse communities, strengthening Lax.com’s omnipresence from online to team to retail and ensuring that customers can engage with us on their own terms. This comprehensive approach underscores our dedication to meeting diverse consumer needs and preferences.”

Looking ahead to the remainder of 2024 and beyond, Lax.com’s growth trajectory will be guided by the collective efforts of the veteran teams, united under a shared vision of success. Together, the platform can capitalize on synergies, innovate relentlessly, and propel our combined group to new apexes of accomplishment within the lacrosse market. Universal’s 10 retails stores will continue under the Universal name. Lax.com and Universal will continue to run separate ecommerce platforms. Universal’s team sales division will move under Lax.com.

Additional details on the new combined business will be available in the coming weeks.

Kitman Labs Expands Performance Deal With Houston Dash

Kitman Labs, the global enterprise SaaS platform providing the only single, centralized operating system for performance intelligence in the elite performance industry, today announced a new deal with the NWSL’s Houston Dash. Capitalizing on the NWSL’s recent deployment of the Performance Medicine Solution from Kitman Labs as its league-wide advanced EMR, the Houston Dash will expand the use of iP: Intelligence Platform to include Performance Optimization for the Club’s First Team.

The Houston Dash will now combine player medical data with performance data (eg. game, training, gym, physical testing and more) in a single, fully integrated advanced operating system. By combining the critical data sets in one integrated platform, stakeholders and practitioners alike will have access to a complete, real-time, 360 view of each player and the ability to generate the analytics, insights and actionable intelligence necessary to support evidence-based decision-making across the team. In addition, the centralized platform will enable cross departmental communication, collaboration and knowledge transfer, eliminating the information silos that can cause inefficiencies, misdiagnoses and subjectivity.

“In our pursuit of enhancing player health and performance, it’s imperative to consolidate data from disparate sources. By centralizing both data and personnel within a unified platform, we equip ourselves with the transparency and analytical tools crucial for informed decision-making and achieving our desired outcomes,” expressed Alex Singer, General Manager of Houston Dash.

“Fragmented data leads to internal confusion and inertia” said Stephen Smith, CEO and Founder of Kitman Labs. “Our technology enables teams like the Houston Dash to harness the power of data to inform strategic and tactical decision-making at every level of the organization. The centralization and integration of that data in a single advanced operating system means practitioners and players can spend less time collecting and interpreting data and more time applying insights and practical intelligence on the pitch.”

Kitman Labs has an established track record of working with top leagues, teams and regulatory bodies across a variety of sports, including soccer, basketball, rugby, and American football. The company’s technology is currently being used by leagues and teams within some of the world’s most elite sports organizations, including the National Football League (NFL), Premier League, Major League Soccer (MLS), National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU).

This launch follows other recent business strategy moves Kitman Labs has undertaken including two strategic acquisitions of The Sports Office and Presagia Sports. The combined companies represent the industry’s largest network of elite and youth organizations (2000+), creating the industry’s largest dataset of talent, performance, and medical data for all stages of the athlete lifecycle.

Fanatics Betting and Gaming Closes its Acquisition of the US Businesses of PointsBet

Today, Fanatics Betting and Gaming (FBG), a subsidiary of Fanatics Holdings Inc., closed on the final state, Illinois, in its previously announced acquisition of the U.S. businesses of PointsBet.  PointsBet Holdings Limited (ASX:PBH) confirmed receipt of the final installment of the headline purchase price of $225 million and has transferred the remaining entities to FBG, including all of the remaining entities that make up PointsBet’s United States sports wagering, advance-deposit wagering and iGaming operations, Banach Technology, a copy of the PointsBet platform and a license to use that proprietary technology platform. 

The acquisition accelerated the company’s growth plans, making the Fanatics Sportsbook available to 95% of the addressable online sports bettor market in the U.S.  By the end of the month, Fanatics Betting and Gaming will be operating online in Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia, pending regulatory approvals. Fanatics Casino is available online in Michigan, Pennsylvania and West Virginia with New Jersey to follow. Fanatics Betting and Gaming will also provide the betting operations to nineteen retail locations, including the only retail sportsbook inside an NFL stadium at Commanders Field in Maryland. 

“The acquisition of the US businesses of PointsBet has super charged our expansion plans,” said Matt King, CEO of Fanatics Betting and Gaming.  “In addition to our migration of PointsBet customers and technology to the Fanatics Sportsbook and Casino platform, we have also added an incredibly talented team of passionate leaders from the ranks of PointsBet USA that have already made an impact on our business.” 

Mark Hughes and Aonghus Mulvihill will join the executive leadership team at Fanatics Betting and Gaming from PointsBet USA.  In addition, more than 200 PointsBet employees are joining FBG in a variety of roles and the company has taken over the leases of the former PointsBet offices in Denver, CO and Dublin, Ireland.  

Over the last year, Fanatics Betting and Gaming has been seamlessly migrating PointsBet customers onto the Fanatics Sportsbook and Casino platform and incorporating PointsBet’s risk management platform and quantitative driven trading models from Banach Technology to enhance its market offerings. The Fanatics Sportsbook is the most rewarding online sportsbook giving customers up to 5% of their wager back in FanCash.  The Fanatics Sportsbook makes being a fan easy with fast signup, easy betting and transparent withdrawals.  The design, speed and quality of the navigation experience rival the sports betting apps in the market today that were not built specifically for iOS and Android.  The newly designed Fanatics Casino is embedded in the Fanatics Sportsbook app and features a range of classic and popular casino favorites like roulette, slots and blackjack.  Fanatics Betting and Gaming has also produced exclusive casino content including the popular Fanatics Blackjack game developed in partnership with Boom Entertainment. 

2024 National Lacrosse League Playoffs Open April 25-28 with Single-Elimination Quarterfinals

The National Lacrosse League (NLL) today announced its 2024 NLL Playoffs schedule that will start as early as April 25th.

Postseason positioning continues as the NLL’s “The March to May” playoff push continues this weekend with nearly every team still in contention for a playoff berth and many still in the hunt for a top-four seed and ability to host the single-game elimination quarterfinal later this month.

The exact dates and times of games will be determined as soon as practical before each playoff round, dependent on seeding, arena availability, and broadcast windows. Teams are not re-seeded after each round, resulting in a true “bracket style” format.

The single-elimination quarterfinals will be held between Thursday, April 25, and Sunday, April 28, at the home sites of the #1 through #4 seeds, hosting #8 through #5, respectively.

The best-of-three semifinals will commence on Thursday, May 2, through Sunday, May 5, and continue Thursday, May 9, through Sunday, May 12.

The best-of-three 2024 NLL Finals are scheduled for Thursday, May 16, through Sunday, May 19, and Thursday, May 23, through Sunday, May 26.

Additionally, should both semifinal series end in two games, the league may move the 2024 NLL Finals up to the preceding week.

The NLL postseason schedule, including the ESPN and TSN broadcast slate, will be released following the regular season, which concludes on Sunday, April 21.

Kitman Labs Joins ‘More Than Equal’ Quest To Develop First Female Formula 1 Champion

Kitman Labs, the sports technology and analytics company setting the industry standard for how elite sports organizations use data, today announced a partnership with More than Equal, a global independent motorsport initiative with a mission to find and develop the first female Formula 1 world champion.

The partnership will provide More than Equal with an advanced operating system which will centralize data for female drivers participating in More than Equal’s pioneering Development Programme, a high-performance preparation programme that supports young, talented female drivers who have the potential to develop into elite racing drivers. 

The ‘More than Equal Intelligence Platform’ is a single, fully integrated data and analytics platform designed to provide drivers and coaching staff with a comprehensive, unified and real-time view of the driver’s performance, athletic, and personal development data. 

Utilizing the latest performance monitoring technology, the platform will give More than Equal data accuracy and the ability to convert driver data into actionable insights and intelligence to support evidence-based tactical and technical coaching that is relevant to their gender and age. The More than Equal Driver Coaches, in collaboration with elite coaching group Hintsa Performance, will leverage the platform to track and support the drivers’ progress holistically, from their in-car performance, to their physical athleticism, to their social and cognitive development. The platform ensures the consistent and accurate collection of data for female drivers, with a goal to optimize the driver’s performance on and off the track. 

The platform will be supported by a dedicated staff and player app (iOS and Android), to support the real-time collection of driver data globally. 

The organization, whose mission is to find, nurture and develop female racing drivers, will leverage several Solutions in iP: Intelligence Platform, including: Performance Medicine, Performance Optimization and Coaching & Development.  iP will serve as the singular advanced operating system for the Organization – eliminating data and information silos, enabling cross-departmental communication and providing transparency and alignment across all stakeholders. 

“More than Equal is on a mission to revolutionize how female racing talent is identified, developed and supported,” said More than Equal CEO, Ali Donnelly.  “We are thrilled to collaborate with Kitman Labs to provide our driver cohort with access to best-in-class performance technology, allowing our coaches to optimize and personalize their talent development.”

“On a personal and professional level, we couldn’t be more thrilled to be working with More than Equal to help realize their vision as they pioneer a new model in providing elite training and development for talented female drivers,” said Stephen Smith, CEO and Founder of Kitman Labs. “iP: Intelligence Platform was created for this – to leverage the power of data and analytics to enable and inform foundational change; to convert that data into the meaningful insights and actionable intelligence necessary to unlock human performance.  We are on a shared mission.”

Kitman Labs has an established track record of working with the top governing bodies, leagues, teams and athletes across a variety of sports, including soccer/global football, basketball, rugby, and American football. The company’s technology has been used by teams in some of the world’s most elite sports organizations and universities including the NFL, NBA, Premier League, NWSL, WSL, MLS and NCAA.

This launch follows other recent business strategy moves Kitman Labs has undertaken including two strategic acquisitions of The Sports Office and Presagia Sports. The combined companies represent the industry’s largest network of elite and youth organizations and largest dataset of talent, performance, and medical data for all stages of the athlete lifecycle.

Atlanta at the Top: Strat-O-Matic Simulation Tabs Braves Champions

While their 104-win 2023 season didn’t result in a World Series title, the Atlanta Braves come into 2024 with high hopes of turning their talented young roster into a postseason champion. Strat-O-Matic (@strat-o-matic), the market leader in sports simulation games, has simulated the 2024 baseball campaign, tabbing Atlanta as the winner of 99 games and the franchise’s third World Series title since moving to The Peach State. The Braves need only five games to take down A.L. winner Houston in the Strat-O-Sim championship.

Strat-O-Matic’s simulation has the Braves winning the N.L. East by seven games over Philadelphia, joining Central champ Chicago (90-72) and West winner Los Angeles (99-63) as division titlists. Arizona (97-65), Philadelphia (92-70) and San Diego (84-78) claim the wild card spots, with the Braves taking out the Dodgers in a sweep in the NLCS after dispatching the Cubs in three straight in the NLDS.

In the A.L., Houston (102-60) enjoys the majors’ best record, backing it up by edging wild card Tampa Bay (90-72) in the ALDS and sweeping Minnesota (96-66) in the ALDS. The Twins, Central Division winners, had upended No. 2 seeded New York (99-63) to advance through the ALDS. Texas (91-71) and Cleveland (86-76) were the other A.L. wild cards.

Major award winners in the American League are New York’s Aaron Judge, whose 48 home runs and 113 RBI to go with a .962 OPS earned the MVP, while Minnesota’s Pablo Lopez turns in a 20-8 mark with 3.15 ERA and 235 strikeouts to win the Cy Young. In the N.L., Mookie Betts’ move to shortstop makes him an even more integral part of the Dodgers, garnering his second MVP with a .281 average, .945 OPS, 40 home runs and 118 RBI. Atlanta’s Spencer Strider breaks through for his first Cy Young, posting a 20-5 record and stellar 2.79 ERA with 260 whiffs.

Rebet Launches Free-To-Play Social Sportsbook

Rebet, a new free-to-play social sportsbook, today announced its official launch.  The Rebet App, which is now available for download in the App Store across 47 U.S. states, is set to revolutionize the sports betting experience with first-of-its-kind features including an entire social sportsbook, peer-to-peer contests, and dynamic user social feeds. 

Overall, the Rebet App will provide users with access to official and real-time data for more than 60 professional and college sports leagues.

Founded by current students at Dartmouth College who boast diverse expertise across economics, technology, entrepreneurship, and software development, Rebet takes a community-centric approach to the social sports betting experience.  The platform is free-to-play and boasts several groundbreaking features to ensure the platform is accessible, fun, and inclusive for everyone, allowing sports fans of all kinds to connect, share, and celebrate their love for sports.

“Sports fandom is about our desire for social interaction and community, and until today those elements have been missing in both traditional and social sportsbooks,” said Carson Hubbard, CEO of Rebet.  “Rebet is revolutionizing this experience with all the essential elements of the sports betting experience in one easy-to-use, and interactive app. We know users are going to love our experience and we are thrilled to introduce Rebet to the world.”

Rebet reimagines the conventional sports betting journey, enhancing it with a social dimension that encourages interaction among sports fans.  Through its innovative social media feeds, Rebet takes features like followers, posts, comments, and DM to create an engaging community atmosphere. 

“Today is a historic day for Rebet as we are bringing together the sports betting community like never before in a seamless app offering unprecedented features,” said Bella DiGiovanni, CMO of Rebet. “With access to official data across all their favorite sports, we are providing our community with a new, and incredible, experience on Rebet.”

The “Rebet” Button and “Peer-to-Peer” Contests

Named after its signature “Rebet” button, Rebet facilitates seamless collaboration among users, giving community members the option to duplicate anyone’s pick with a simple click of a button. 

The app also revolutionizes the sports betting experience by introducing an unparalleled peer-to-peer contest feature, setting a new standard in the industry. This innovative approach transforms the traditional sportsbook landscape by empowering users to engage directly with their friends in spirited competition, challenging each other’s sports knowledge and strategies. 

Moreover, unlike conventional platforms where wagers are placed against predetermined odds or the house, Rebet’s groundbreaking feature places the power in the hands of the players. Users can now create personalized contests, set their own terms, and compete in a more dynamic, interactive environment, deepening the social connections within the community, making every wager a personal duel of wits and prediction prowess.

For more information on Rebet please visit, www.rebet.app, and download the app here on the App Store.

Kitman Labs Announces Performance Data Deal With Tampa Bay Rowdies

Kitman Labs, the global enterprise SaaS platform providing the only single, centralized operating system for performance intelligence in the elite performance industry, today announced a new deal with USL Championship club, the Tampa Bay Rowdies. The Club has deployed iP: Intelligence Platform with the Performance Medicine and Coaching & DevelopmentSolutions across the Men’s First Team.

The Rowdies will now be able to combine player medical data with coaching and talent development data in a single, fully integrated advanced operating system – eliminating information silos, enabling cross-Departmental communication and supporting evidence-based, data-led decision-making. All relevant stakeholders across the team will now have access to a complete, real-time assessment of each player.

“One of our key objectives as a club is to provide our players with the holistic care and development they deserve,” said Rowdies Head Coach Robbie Neilson. “Kitman Labs is a platform that will help our staff achieve that ambition by equipping them with valuable resources and technology. From maximizing player readiness to mitigating injury risk to crafting detailed individual development plans, our team can now collaborate within a single platform to generate the actionable insights necessary to unlock the performance results we’re pursuing across the club.”

“It’s virtually impossible to institute or execute a holistic player care and development strategy with disjointed data and disparate operating systems and processes” said Stephen Smith, CEO and Founder of Kitman Labs. “Our technology unifies organizations around a shared, integrated platform and enables clubs, like the Tampa Bay Rowdies, to convert data into the analytical insights and intelligence necessary to support real-world, strategic and tactical-decision-making, on and off the pitch.”

Kitman Labs has an established track record of working with top leagues, teams and regulatory bodies across a variety of sports, including soccer, basketball, rugby, and American football. The company’s technology is currently being used by leagues and teams within some of the world’s most elite sports organizations, including the National Football League (NFL), Premier League, Major League Soccer (MLS), National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU).

Kitman Labs represents the industry’s largest network of elite and youth organizations (2000+), creating the industry’s largest dataset of talent, performance, and medical data for all stages of the athlete lifecycle.

The Emirates FA Cup Takes Over New York With Unprecedented US Tour

The Emirates FA Cup, soccer’s oldest and most-esteemed national knockout competition, made its presence felt across the New York area last week, with an inaugural United States trophy tour scoring points and social posts with thousands of casual and diehard football fans, celebrities, youth groups and athletes.

The New York ‘Takeover’ included a special event held pregame at Madison Square Garden with Knicks star Josh Hart and soccer legend Tim Howard; a visit to UBS Arena for a pregame meet and greet with Islanders fans (and their UK supporters group who happened to be on hand that night); a stop in with John Oliver at the Beacon Theater; and visits to other New York landmarks like the board at NASDAQ, Central Park, Brookyln Bridge, 30 Rockefeller Center and the Empire State Building. Additionally, local soccer influencers like Alexis Guerrero took the cup to his favorite NYC spots such as L’Industrie Pizzeria; Dylan Sadik, aka “The College Cuber” reimagined the trophy using Rubik’s cubes for fans to enjoy; and Frankie Flo freestyled alongside the famous silverware.

A major highlight of the tour was partnering with Black Star, a pioneering program dedicated to fostering the growth of soccer in Black American communities, and holding a special clinic at SoFive in Brooklyn. The event aimed to inspire the next generation of soccer players, while also highlighting the importance of diversity and representation within the sport. DaMarcus Beasley, renowned U.S. Soccer legend and Emirates FA Cup veteran, headlined the event and led a soccer clinic alongside local coaches. Beasley shared his personal soccer journey, spanning both sides of the Atlantic, and offered invaluable insights to aspiring players.

Speaking after the event, Beasley said: “Black Star teaming up with the Emirates FA Cup to grow the game in black communities and inspire the next generation is so important. Programs and clinics like these are much needed. My time spent with the kids was so much fun. To be able to watch them compete, learn and have fun was the best outcome I could have asked for.”

The tour was capped by a pair of sold-out viewing parties of the Emirates FA Cup Fifth Round at Moonlight Studios in Soho, where one lucky fan (and a plus one) won the Grand Prize to be a guest of The English Football Association (The FA) for the Emirates FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium in London this May.

James Gray, Commercial Director at The FA, said: “We were delighted to bring the Emirates FA Cup to the US for this historic trophy tour. It’s an exciting time for the game in the US, with the ongoing growth of soccer evident to see, especially with the FIFA World Cup just a couple of years away. The trophy tour was an ideal opportunity to bring US fans closer to this iconic competition through the Watch Parties in collaboration with our broadcast partners ESPN+, and it was special to meet and engage with new audiences at these events.”

Martinez, Johnson, Gregory-O’Connell to be Honored at 44th Annual Thurman Munson Awards March 14

Two hard-hitting World Series champions and a Bronx basketball trailblazer enshrined in three Halls of Fame will be honored by AHRC New York City Foundation when they are presented with Thurman Munson Awards at the 44th annual benefit on Thursday night, March 14 at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers (23rd Street at West Side Highway) in New York City: Four-time New York Yankees World Series champion first baseman Tino Martinez (1996, 1998-2000), 1986 Mets World Series champion third baseman Howard Johnson and Fordham University women’s hoops pioneer and New York City Basketball Hall of Famer Anne Gregory-O’Connell will each receive “Thurmans” as members of the “Class of 2024.”

The Munson Awards are presented to individuals for on-field excellence, and the betterment of sports and community. The AHRC NYC benefit has helped to keep the memory of the legendary Yankees catcher and captain Thurman Munson alive since his tragic passing 44 years ago, while raising more than $21 million for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to lead richer, more productive lives.

Robert Scheinman, Principal, J.T. Magen & Company, Inc., will receive the M. Anthony Fisher Humanitarian Award.

Thurman’s widow Diana Munson is an honorary chair who has supported AHRC NYC and its fund-raising efforts through the Thurman Munson Awards for four decades.

The 2024 benefit will celebrate the 75th Anniversary of AHRC NYC.

The Master of Ceremonies will be FOX 5 lead sports anchor and Sports Extra host Tina Cervasio.

Special guests expected to attend include Football Giants Super Bowl champions Harry Carson, Ottis Anderson, Chris Canty and Karl Nelson; Yankees World Series Champion Jeff Nelson; four-time Islanders Stanley Cup Champions Butch Goring and John Tonelli, former Mets pitcher Nelson Figueroa, NY/NJ Gotham FC soccer midfielder McCall Zerboni, SiriusXM Radio host Ed Randall and New York radio/television personality Sweeny Murti of MLB.com, with others to be announced.

Martinez, whose plaque installed in the Stadium’s Monument Park underline his Yankees legacy, was an integral member of four Bombers World Championship teams in 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000. During a 16-year major league career, Tino knocked in 1,271 runs on the strength of 1,925 hits and 339 home runs. The two-time All-Star had more than 100 RBI in six different seasons and led the American League in homeruns (44) and RBI (141) in 1997.

His two most memorable World Series home runs were a Grand Slam in Game 1 in 1998 to give the Yankees the lead and the win against the Padres; and then in 2001 against the Diamondbacks. With the Yankees down to their last out, Martinez launched a game-tying, ninth inning home run in Game 4 and the Yankees went on to win in the 10th.

Like Thurman, Martinez starred in the Cape Cod League early in his career (1986), and last summer returned to serve as an assistant coach for the Hyannis Harbor Hawks. The Tampa native was a standout in college at the University of Tampa as a three-time All-American.

Johnson was a Tigers product who debuted in 1982 and was a member of Detroit’s 1984 championship team. He was traded to the Mets following that season and two years later went on to win his second World Series in 1986. With the Mets, Hojo was a two-time All-Star and led the National League in both home runs (38) and RBI (117) in 1991. Johnson still ranks third on the Mets’ all-time list for homers (192), RBI (629), doubles, and stolen bases (202).

Inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame earlier this year, Hojo is a three-time member of the “30-30 Club” (1987, 1989 and 1991) all in New York, and set the record for most home runs (36) by a switch hitter in 1987.

During his 14-year career, Johnson drove in 760 runs totaling 1,229 hits, 228 home runs and 231 stolen bases.

Gregory-O’Connell scored 2,548 points and pulled down 1,999 rebounds during a storied Fordham career from 1976-80. She is enshrined in the Fordham Athletics Hall of Fame as the first female inductee in 1986, the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame (2017) and the Bronx Basketball Hall of Fame (2023). In 2023, in a celebration of Title IX’s 50th Anniversary, she was recognized for her contributions in spearheading the growth of women’s sports as an Atlantic 10 “Trailblazer’ by the conference for “paving the way for thousands of girls and women to participate in and be successful in sports and life.” Anne’s number is the only number of a women’s player retired by her alma mater (2009), and #55 hangs from the rafters at the Rose Hill Gymnasium on the Fordham campus.

The women’s basketball pioneer is a New York product from The Bronx, New York. A stone’s throw from Yankee Stadium, Anne Gregory was a dominant force on the Fordham University women’s basketball team from 1976-80, long before women’s basketball took off as part of mainstream sports. The rebounds total stood as a record in women’s basketball until 2009. Anne graduated cum laude from Fordham with a degree in sociology in 1980.

She was one of seven children who grew up in the Parkchester section of the Bronx and is a product of Holy Trinity High School in Hicksville, New York. She played professionally briefly in France following her Fordham career.

Anne’s late husband was the beloved Hall of Fame college basketball writer Jim O’Connell, whom she met as a Fordham student when “Oc” was the university’s Sports Information Director.

Always giving young people direction during 36 years in Catholic School education, Anne’s post-basketball career included 20 years as guidance counselor at Holy Trinity High School, 12 years at Aquinas High School, and two years at Cardinal Spellman; Anne began that career at a physical education teacher and basketball coach at St. Helena Commercial High School.

The list of previous Thurman Munson Award recipients reads like a “Who’s Who” of sports stars including: Muhammad Ali, Arthur Ashe, Yogi Berra, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, Joe Torre, Bernie Williams, Tom Seaver, Mike Piazza, Gary Carter, David Wright, Willis Reed, Patrick Ewing, Julius Erving, Jim Brown, Harry Carson, Aly Raisman, Nancy Lieberman, Theresa Weatherspoon, and Mark Messier, just to name a few.

Founded 75 years ago, AHRC New York City is a family governed organization that is fiercely committed to achieving equity for people who are neurodiverse in New York City. With over 5,000 staff, reflecting the demographics of our city, we offer an unsurpassed array of services to more than 15,000 people and their families annually in the five boroughs. The organization is part of a social justice movement grounded in our common humanity. AHRC NYC is fully accredited by the Council on Quality and Leadership (CQL) and is a recognized leader in the field. We are committed to promoting the highest levels of excellence and innovation in all of its programs and services.

Nick Dunlap Signs With GSE Worldwide to Manage Golf Career

GSE Worldwide and Nick Dunlap are proud to announce that Dunlap has signed with GSE to manage his professional golf career, effective immediately. Dunlap recently made the decision to go pro on the heels of his thrilling win at the American Express, the first win by an amateur on the PGA TOUR in more than three decades since Phil Mickelson won the 1991 Northern Telecom Championship. He was also the youngest amateur to win an event since 1910. Dunlap’s victory gave him full membership status on the PGA TOUR through the 2026 season, allowing him to compete at every event on the tour.

Dunlap is just the second golfer in history to win both the U.S. Junior Amateur and U.S. Amateur championships, after Tiger Woods. He was also ranked as the number one junior golfer in the class of 2022, before committing to play for the Alabama Crimson Tide golf team.

“Going pro was a tremendously difficult decision to make on a number of levels, but once I decided to move forward signing with GSE was a much easier choice,” said Nick Dunlap. “I’m excited to join the GSE family and am confident that they’ll help me capably navigate my career both on and off the course.”

“Watching Nick learn and grow as a player has been amazing – while we all knew he would go pro one day, I don’t think that many realized how quickly it would arrive and how fast he has advanced his game,” added Kevin Canning, Senior Vice President of Golf Management, GSE Worldwide. “We’re proud to be a part of his team as he transitions to the professional level and look forward to helping him build his brand off of the course.”

Strat-O-Matic Opening Day At Glen Head, N.Y. Headquarters A Big Hit For Fans

They began lining up at 2 a.m. At least that’s the reported time that the first guest appeared at Strat-O-Matic Headquarters on Railroad Avenue, in the shadow of the Glen Head Long Island Rail Road stop. The first of what grew to more than 200 hearty souls braved near-freezing temperatures Friday in order to be among those to get ahold of the new baseball season cards fresh out of the warehouse.

In what has become an annual tradition, gamers from across the country – and sometimes other parts of the world – gather outside the blue-gray offices, not only to pick up the new season game and other items, but to meet friends old and new who share a love for the game that has been such an important part of their lives.

By all accounts, Bret Sypniewski traveled the farthest, getting into his customized white cargo van and traversing the country all the way from Las Vegas, where he took orders of his own for upwards of 30 games from friends and competitors at the various tournaments that he’s participated in regularly since retirement.

“It took me about 10 days, I took the scenic route,” said the affable Sypniewski, who has played the game for more than 35 years, a time frame that seemed to match many of the Opening Day participants. “I enjoy the tournaments, playing face to face, getting to interact with people while we play.”

Sypniewski made the Strat-O-Matic visit the fulcrum of a trip that included stops in Lubbock, Texas, for some hiking and a Texas Tech Red Raiders basketball game, another in Lexington, Kentucky, for a UK game and various other activities. His diverse interests match the variety of Strat-O-Matic baseball seasons that he enjoys playing.

“I enjoy playing the 1911-1930 teams, but I’m picking up the new season and 1984,” he added. “I like the old time stuff, I learn a lot about the players.”

Another highlight for Opening Day attendees is meeting the Strat-O-Matic founder and creator, Hal Richman, who enjoys hearing fans talk about the decades of enjoyment that the game has brought them.

Strat-O-Matic Chief Content Officer John Garcia presided over the Opening Day ceremonies, which included the induction of three members into the Strat-O-Matic Hall of Fame, including former major leaguer and noted SOM enthusiast Keith Hernandez, longtime game tester Larry Foster and Strat-O-Matic Forum editor Dan Patterson.

Garcia and CEO Adam Richman also raffled off some unique items, including test cards from last year’s 1933-1983 All-Star baseball set, a game autographed by Hal Richman, a subscription to the pending release of Baseball Max, currently in beta, and more.

National Lacrosse League Expands League-Wide Activationfor Award-Winning ‘Every Child Matters’ Initiative

The National Lacrosse League (NLL) today announced the return and expansion of its “Every Child Matters” initiative. The multi-faceted platform brings awareness to the forcible placement of Indigenous children in residential and boarding schools by the Canadian and United States governments from the 19th century to as recently as 1996. This year’s campaign will begin this coming weekend and will run through March 10th.

Now in its third year, all 15 NLL teams will participate in the campaign, including specially designed helmet decals supporting “Every Child Matters” worn by all players for the remainder of the season.

“Our continued work with Indigenous athletes and communities is a major priority for the National Lacrosse League, and the ‘Every Child Matters’ education process and activations are key components of that platform,” said NLL Commissioner Brett Frood. “This program presents an opportunity to facilitate meaningful conversations about the atrocities perpetrated by the residential and boarding school systems, continue the journey toward reconciliation, and honor survivors and their families.”

The “Every Child Matters” initiative is a part of the NLL’s ever-growing participation and awareness programs tied to Indigenous culture, which is at the core of the League’s values and the history of the sport of lacrosse. The work includes educational programs for athletes, coaches, staff, and fans, land acknowledgment ceremonies, and charitable and social responsibility programs to strengthen and enhance the ties between League stakeholders and the Indigenous community.

The NLL will also produce audio and video messaging for broadcasts on TSN and ESPN, and additional content will be incorporated into NLL.com, the League’s social channels, and in-venue game presentations.

Fans will be able to purchase cotton shirts through the league’s online stores, NLLShop.com and NLLStore.ca. For every shirt sold, the NLL will donate to the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund (DWF) in Canada and The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (NABS) in the United States.

DWF is inspired by the tragic story of an Indigenous boy, Chanie Wenjack, and the commitment of a modern-day folk singer, Gord Downie. The organization seeks to enhance the well-being of Indigenous peoples through heightened awareness, education, and a reconciliation among all Canadians. NABS is leading the movement for truth, justice, and healing in the U.S. Its work is focused on research, education, and healing, and is currently advocating for legislation in Congress to establish a Truth and Reconciliation Commission on Indian Boarding School policies (H.R. 7227).

There were 523 Indigenous boarding schools operating in the U.S. and 130 Indigenous residential schools in Canada, and 13 NLL teams play within a couple hours of one or more of these sites. To learn more about these schools and their locations, please visit https://boardingschoolhealing.org/digitalmap/

The League will continue to use an “Every Child Matters” logo designed by Justin Gilbert of Kuvua Designs. Gilbert was selected due to his work in support of Indigenous organizations and his connection to the cause, being born and raised on the Southern Ute Reservation. The logo contains the silhouette of an Indigenous child wearing a ribbon shirt and holding a traditional wooden lacrosse stick. The text “Every Child Matters” appears next to the image with a heart and feather.

Kitman Labs and Fulham FC Expand Data & Analytics Accord

Kitman Labs, the global enterprise SaaS platform providing the only single, centralized operating system for performance intelligence in Sports, today agreed to expand its relationship with English Premier League side, Fulham FC, to include medical and performance data.  The Club will be utilizing the Performance Medicine, Performance Optimization and Coaching & Development Solutions – combining medical, performance and talent development data into a single, interactive data and analytics system to unlock player performance outcomes and inform talent development strategy.

Kitman Labs and the Premier League announced the launch of the Football Intelligence Platform for all Academies last month.  By deploying the Intelligence Platform across the Men’s First Team and Women’s Teams (First + U18’s), Fulham will now unify all data and analytics in a singular operating system for the entire organization.  This integrated, “whole club solution” will serve to drive cross-departmental collaboration, eliminate data and information silos, and provide internal stakeholders with a complete, unified view of each athlete for the purposes of unlocking performance potential and expanding player pathways.

“We’re thrilled to be working with Fulham FC – one of the most accomplished and storied football clubs in the English Premier League – helping to bring innovation to how medical and performance data and analytics are being leveraged across the entire organization to inform strategy and decision-making with objective, analytics-based insights,” said Stephen Smith, CEO and Founder of Kitman Labs.  

“The traditional approach to simply collecting medical and performance data will no longer suffice.  We needed a single system that combines diverse sets of data across the organization. One that ensures accuracy of information, allows the information to be shared and utilized in real time, and supports planning and player health and development with actionable insights” said Chris Hanson, Head of Medical, Fulham FC. 

“Our recent transition to the Kitman Labs Intelligence Platform has allowed us to continue to improve and manage the processes relating to the capture, cleaning, enrichment, and analysis of our football related data. It’s continued to support our evolving commitments to interrogating data, interpreting results, and creating data-led insights and stories.

We have been able to combine data sets from multiple disciplines and data streams to calculate, measure and evaluate impact for the purpose of player development. Furthermore, the platform has supported key stakeholders from across the ecology of the club to reason, reflect and strategise as a consequence of these data-led insights. 

As a pilot club, these processes have been well supported through a comprehensive deployment. The ongoing and iterative support structures have flexed and been reflective of our own cares, concerns and strategies to ensure a collaborative approach to moving to our new data management system” said Tom Hounsell, Academy Insights Manager, PDP Coach.

Kitman Labs has an established track record of working with top teams and leagues across a variety of sports, including soccer, basketball, rugby, and American football. The company’s technology has been used by some of the world’s most elite soccer organizations, including Bayer Leverkusen, Chelsea FC, Liverpool FC and Sporting Lisbon.  Kitman Labs recently announced the launch and deployment of The Football Intelligence Platform across all Premier League Academies.

This launch follows other recent business strategy moves Kitman Labs has undertaken including two strategic acquisitions of The Sports Office and Presagia Sports. The combined companies represent the industry’s largest network of elite and youth organizations (2000+), creating the industry’s largest dataset of talent, performance, and medical data for all stages of the athlete lifecycle.

SPORTIME Pickleball Announces 2nd, 3rd Locations in N.Y. and N.J. as Part of Broad Expansion Plan

Sportime Pickleball announced today it has signed two leases in prime locations: Westbury, Long Island and Wayne, New Jersey. SPORTIME Pickleball Westbury (575 Merrick Ave.) will open in the fall of 2024 and SPORTIME Pickleball Wayne (Willowbrook Plaza) has a planned opening in the spring of 2025. These are SPORTIME’S second and third announced dedicated pickleball club locations, which will be the two largest and most comprehensive facilities in their markets, joining an 11 court facility under construction in Armonk, NY.

“We are excited to announce our newest SPORTIME Pickleball locations in Westbury and Wayne, with more great locations coming soon,” said Claude Okin, President & CEO of SPORTIME. “For the ever growing masses of pickleball lovers in the Tri-State area, and for those who will no doubt be joining those legions in the months and years to come, SPORTIME Pickleball locations will provide the highest quality indoor pickleball facilities and programs, consistent with the SPORTIME brand. We are proud to have been a racket sports leader in our region since 1994”.

The 50,000 square foot SPORTIME Pickleball location in Wayne, NJ will include 20 indoor courts and is located in the busiest shopping district in the State, with 16 million visitors each year. This will be the largest indoor pickleball facility in New Jersey and will feature a stadium court, food and beverages and event spaces. In addition to a high volume of daily play and instruction, it is expected to be a major destination site for local and national pickleball tournaments, as well as for large-format group and corporate events.

SPORTIME Pickleball Westbury will feature 13 dedicated indoor pickleball courts and will be the largest indoor pickleball facility in New York State. Its proximity to the Meadowbrook Parkway and The Roosevelt Field mall, along with thousands of other businesses and densely populated residential areas, make it an ideal pickleball hub for Nassau County.

Daren Hornig, SPORTIME’s partner in their pickleball venture, is leading the company’s real estate expansion efforts. “These two locations, along with our first location in Armonk, the numerous additional locations we are currently negotiating, and those to follow, will enable SPORTIME Pickleball to be the leader in this space in the Tri State area. While aggressively lining up sites, we are also being very selective, in that all of our locations will be accessible and will allow us to build out high quality, regulation playing spaces, including high ceilings and full court dimensions,” said Hornig.

SPORTIME Pickleball’s 3 signed leases represent over 110,000 square feet and will boast 45 indoor courts. The company is actively negotiating agreements throughout the 5 boroughs of New York City, as well as in prime locations in New Jersey and Connecticut.

For more information, email [email protected].