The State 48 Hockey Barn’s goal is to provide an affordable facility where hockey players of all ages can come and practice their hockey skills. The Barn will be a hockey shooting facility where youth and adults can come, practice shooting, stick handling, passing or any other hockey skill the wish. The shooting lanes will consist of hockey boards and synthetic ice. This will allow customers to skate and practice without having an actual ice surface. Think of it as a batting cage for hockey players.
The facility consists of 6 shooting lanes and a half sheet surface (the size of half an NHL hockey playing surface). Individual players could come and practice at their convenience. Coaches of all skill levels could hold private lessons without having to rent a full ice rink or invest money to turn their garages into a practice facility. Using a Synthetic Ice set up will eliminate the cost of pricey refrigeration units to keep the ice frozen yet allows the players the ability to skate while they practice. Ice rinks in Arizona charge around $500 an hour to rent a sheet of ice, a fee that is out of the price range for most players and their families to be able to skate and practice to improve their skills. By utilizing synthetic ice, costs are minimized to provide an affordable facility for all players to go and practice. The facility offers 6 shooting lanes: (4) 16'x28', (2) 20'x40' and an 85'x100' (Half NHL Rink). The variety in sizes of the rink lanes allows players to practice privately, with teammates or a group of players. By including the half rink, skills classes run by trained local coaches, are available to help youth and adults improve their hockey skills. Individuals may easily book a rink or sign up for a skills class directly from our website and walk ins are always welcome based on availability. Time slots will be offered in one-hour increments, and the number of skaters is dependent on the size of the lanes they rent. This provides enough time for players and coaches to work on shooting, passing, skating, and more. Not only will the shooting lanes be valuable to skaters, but goalies can also take advantage of the lanes and work on their goalie skills.
The State 48 Hockey Barn’s target customers are youth hockey players from the age of (8-24 years old). Our secondary target customers are adult hockey players who have just learned to play hockey or simply want to improve their skills. There is a shortage of hockey skills classes or practice ice times available for adults just learning to play hockey, this is an excellent opportunity to provide them with a safe place to practice and improve.
Not only will the State 48 Hockey Barn provide an affordable place for hockey players in the valley to come and develop their skills, but also provides a family friendly environment. This is why the State 48 Hockey Barn will include three big screen televisions, couches and a seating area for parents, families and friends to watch or socialize while the players use one of our many shooting lanes. Safety is the utmost importance, anyone under 18 will be required to wear a helmet while skating in the lanes and all players participating on rink lane will be required to sign a waiver releasing the facility from any responsibility for injury during a session or class. If an individual prefers not to skate and wants to wear their tennis shoes while practicing, that is acceptable so long as it has no effect on the synthetic ice surface. Synthetic ice can dull skates after several uses, this is why we will offer skate sharping on site. Using automated SPARX sharpeners allows for quick accurate sharpening of skates, freeing up staff to observe the lanes and assist with customers. Skaters will have the opportunity to purchase a punch card at a discounted rate or pay a low price per sharping fee.
This facility is the first of many State 48 Hockey Barn’s we plan on opening in the Phoenix area. In 5 years, our goal is to open a second location in Scottsdale. Then in 10 years we will expand again, opening 3 more locations, one in Peoria, Tempe and South Gilbert. After establishing 5 locations around the Phoenix area, we will then open a facility in Tucson.
In the Phoenix area there are two competitors that offer a service like the State 48 Hockey Barn: Skillz Hockey Center and The Hockey Pro Shop.
Skillz Hockey Center, located in Scottsdale Arizona, a 6,300 sq ft facility that offers hockey players the use of one RapidShot Shooting Lane that can be utilized up to two skaters to work on their shooting, stick handling and other hockey skills. They offer private classes on a small synthetic ice rink where players work on stick handling and passing. Skillz Hockey Center also offers a skating treadmill and a Virtual Reality training center.
The Hockey Pro Shop is also located in Scottsdale Arizona. The Hockey Pro Shop is open three days a week: Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. They offer one Rapid Shooting Lane that can be used by up-to two players, but only one can shoot at a time, and you cannot skate and shoot as you are required to remain stationary. They also offer a Rapid Hands area where players can work on their stick handling where you are also required to remain stationary.
In comparison, State 48 Hockey Barn offers six shooting lanes that allow for up to five customers to use one shooting lane at a time. The Arizona hockey community needs a facility like the State 48 Hockey Barn to allow hockey players of all age to improve their game.
I am seeking $650,000 to make the State 48 Hockey Barn a reality. These funds will cover the building rental cost at NNN for one year, set-up expenses including synthetic ice, boards, protective netting, communal area and office supplies to make the State 48 Hockey Barn a success. Additionally, a portion of the investment funds will be used to cover the salaries of the Owner/Manager and two part-time employee’s salaries for one year.
The Arizona Coyotes NHL franchise may have left the valley; however, the roots of hockey remain and will continue to grow in the desert! The great game of hockey is expanding rapidly, not only youth, but more adults are learning to play and engage in adult leagues. There are nine college hockey programs, from NCAA Division 1 to ACHA Men’s and women’s programs. The only thing missing is an affordable practice facility large enough for these skillful players to hone their skills. The State 48 Hockey Barn is exactly what the Arizona hockey community needs; an affordable facility where hockey players can go, and practice skills needed to reach the next level.
Sincerely,
Gabriel R Barton
State 48 Hockey