Arlt Sports Ventures

08/01/2026

The Last Track is live.

Eleven sessions ago, we started publishing Ultimate Sessions, a serialized memoir about building Ultimate Hoops from a rec league court to a national brand. Today, the final session dropped.

It's the story of the leagues, the people who ran them, and the ones who never left the room.

The whole thing, start to finish, is ready to read: https://alanarlt.substack.com/t/ultimate-sessions

04/15/2026

A mother at a school soccer match gasped when she heard an 11-year-old might leave club:

"She's too good for rec."

That's not the child's voice. That's a parent whose identity is tied to their kid's tier.

TIME published a piece last week calling for rec sports to make a comeback. More funding. More state programs. Nicer jerseys. The diagnosis is that participation is declining because access is broken.

I don't think access is the problem. The problem is a culture where parents feel shame about rec. Where "what level is your kid at?" replaced "does your kid love this?"

The youth sports participation crisis isn't about access. It's about what we've taught ourselves to value.

04/14/2026

The Sports Life is where I write about what I’ve learned, from founding Ultimate Hoops to advising sports tech startups.

Two sections:

Sports Business: strategy, growth, and what’s really happening in the industry.

Ultimate Sessions: My serialized memoir of founding Ultimate Hoops.

Publishes on Substack. Tuesdays and Saturdays.

Sports business writing from Alan Arlt. Founded the largest adult basketball league in North America. Never stopped building. Click to read The Sports Life, by Alan Arlt, a Substack publication.

01/20/2026

The launch of AIM+ has been featured in the Los Angeles Times.

After months working with the AIM Sports Group team, we're thrilled to see AIM+ come to life.

AIM+ is the first-to-market AI-powered digital ecosystem, set to revolutionize youth volleyball (and beyond) with features like touchless video capture for full game replays, automatic highlight clips for every team & player, box scores and stats, and a proprietary ranker system, all in one platform.

Full article here:

AIM Sports Group unveils AIM+, a new AI-powered ecosystem for youth sports. Discover how this pro-level tech streamlines video, stats, and recruiting today.

06/29/2025

Exciting update from our friends and partners at AIM Sports Group.

Over the past 9 months, we’ve been collaborating with the ASG team on AIM+, and we’re thrilled by the enthusiastic response from The Showcase attendees who got an early preview of the platform.

This early validation from users energizes us as we approach the full AIM+ launch this fall.

Key Takeaways Box 📌 • SoCal Cup drew 665 boys volleyball teams and 65,000 attendees to single venue over Father's Day weekend • AIM Sports Group launched AIM+ tech platform preview, signaling major technology investment in youth volleyball • Boys volleyball experiencing exponential year-o

06/21/2025

Big news from our friends and client at SportsVisio

Their $3.2M funding round is a bet on the future of AI in sports, something we’re bullish on as a driver of pro-level experiences at scale for all athletes.

We’re proud to support their vision as they reimagine how players, coaches, and fans connect with the game.

AI-powered sports statistics and video platform SportsVisio has raised $3.2 million.

02/10/2025

Arlt Consulting is looking for strategic, driven, and creative minds to help us build, scale, and monetize sports businesses.

If you thrive in fast-moving environments and love solving big problems, we want to hear from you.

Apply Now!

Join the Arlt Consulting Co. team

01/23/2025

We were honored to be in Los Angeles this past weekend, supporting our friends at AIM Sports Group and their iconic SOCAL Cup events.

In times of tragedy, sports have a unique way of bringing people together and offering a sense of normalcy and healing.

The SOCAL Cup not only delivered world-class volleyball but also served as a powerful platform to support relief efforts, raising funds for the American Red Cross.

Read more about the event and its impact from the Los Angeles Times.

The SoCal Cup, the nation's leading boys' volleyball tournament series, brought its 'The Open Championship' to the Los Angeles Convention Center this past Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend.

12/31/2024

As Arlt Consulting Co. continues to expand in 2025, we are looking for a Client Success & Growth Consultant to join our team.

This role is about building relationships, managing accounts, and helping clients grow in meaningful ways.

If you thrive in a space where strategy meets ex*****on and value autonomy, this is your kind of opportunity.

Learn More and apply on our LinkedIn page.
https://www.linkedin.com/hiring/jobs/4111632956/detail/

05/06/2024

In the latest issue of The Sports Life, I reflect on my return to Minneapolis after a decade in New York City, and how I built a vibrant business network through basketball by launching Ultimate Hoops.

You can adopt a similar approach by starting your own recreational sports league to forge a diverse professional network, merging your passion for sports with community-building.

- Alan Arlt

In 2005, I moved back to Minnesota after a decade in New York City, where I had built a robust professional network. Upon returning, I faced the challenge of starting from scratch—my local connections were practically nonexistent. Like I did in New York, I turned to basketball, not just as a passi...