Youth ice hockey club and training program

Parents and guardians of young players. Local businesses may sponsor teams, and some clubs hold fundraisers or tournaments.

Seasonal registration fees per player, with extras such as skills camps, tournament entry and team gear. Fees must cover ice time, coaches, insurance, jerseys and admin.

• Organizing teams, schedules and volunteers
• Coaching or access to qualified coaches
• Clear communication with parents
• Budgeting and record keeping

• Working with children usually means background checks and abuse-prevention training such as SafeSport, so check what your association requires
• General liability and accident insurance, which affiliated clubs often arrange through their governing body, so confirm what is covered
• Ice time contracts can be costly and binding, so avoid committing to more hours than your sign-ups support
• Check whether your city, county or state requires a business license, and consult an accountant on LLC versus nonprofit status
• Parent expectations on fairness, playing time and costs can cause conflict, so write clear policies up front

Startup costs are typically around $5,000 to $20,000, depending on ice time contracts, coaching, insurance and equipment. Avoid committing to more ice hours than your sign-ups can support.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $4,000 to $20,000, depending on the number of players, family membership fees and any sponsorships. Ice time and coaching costs come out of that.

Things to check: background checks and abuse-prevention training such as SafeSport, what your association requires, liability and accident insurance coverage, ice contract terms, local business license rules, and LLC versus nonprofit status with an accountant.