OVERVIEW

In just three years, the Ultimate Adult Hockey League (UAHL) grew from a handful of players into one of the largest adult hockey communities in the region: 1,300 active players and free agents, 48 teams, and a waitlist that continues to grow.

What started as a local pickup concept evolved into a full-scale sports ecosystem complete with media coverage, merchandise, and a charitable foundation. All of this powered by the U-Partners growth system that blends brand storytelling, content, and community into a single performance engine.

THE CHALLENGE

In 2021, the local adult hockey scene was fragmented. Leagues lacked consistent branding, player experience, and community engagement.

Players wanted more than just ice time, they wanted identity, storytelling, and connection. But most leagues didn’t have the marketing or media infrastructure to deliver that.

UAHL set out to change that and create a player-first experience and prove that a recreational sports brand could operate like a professional one.

THE STRATEGY >> COMMUNITY FIRST

Before any ad spend or sponsorship outreach, UAHL focused on building community infrastructure:

• A consistent brand identity (UAHL shield, team jerseys, and The Late Slot apparel)
• A media layer that turned weekly games into content (Inside the U podcast, Game of the Week highlights)
• A CRM-driven registration and free-agent system to streamline onboarding and data collection
• Regular community events and charitable activations to deepen player loyalty
  
  

This laid the foundation for a self-sustaining growth loop: Players → Content → Engagement → Registrations → Sponsors → More Growth.

THE EXECUTION >> THE U-PARTNERS ENGINE IN ACTION

UAHL used U-Partners’ systemized growth framework to operationalize its expansion across four key channels:

Organic Media

Consistent storytelling through podcasts, reels, and community features

285K+ monthly Meta impressions, 250K+ TikTok views, 6K YouTube views/month

Search Visibility

Targeted keyword optimization around “adult hockey leagues,” “men’s hockey,” etc.

25K monthly organic search impressions

CRM & Email Growth

Segmented player list for free agents, captains, sponsors, and fans

600+ free agents, 700+ active players, 11K total community reach

Events & Partnerships

Seasonal tournaments, charity drives, and sponsor showcases

4–8 events/year generating both profit and local goodwill

THE RESULTS:

Active Players

700+ (600+ free agents)

Active Teams

48 (plus 8+ on waitlist)

Followers/Subscribers

11,000+ (highly engaged/interactive)

Monthly Organic Impressions

25K (Search) + 285K (Meta)

Social Video Reach

250K/month TikTok, 6K YouTube views/month

Events

4–8 per year (for-profit + charitable)

Revenue Streams

League registration, sponsorships, apparel, media monetization

The UAHL now stands as the most recognized adult recreational hockey brand in the region not just for the games it runs, but for the community it’s built.

THE IMPACT

The UAHL’s success demonstrated that community is the most powerful growth engine and that the same playbook can drive results for any brand that values connection over cold clicks.

Through U-Partners, we now help other sports organizations, local businesses and even online brands tap into that formula: using community events, sponsorships, and storytelling to build trust, generate leads, and activate customers.

By leveraging USG’s growing ecosystem (from the UAHL to U-Charities and beyond), we connect partners with real audiences, measurable results, and long-term brand equity.

THE TAKEAWAY

The UAHL didn’t just build a league it built a movement. And now, through U-Partners, that same engine can fuel another brand’s growth, whether that’s another sports organization, a local business, an e-commerce company, or an emerging national brand.

OVERVIEW

Beer League Warriors Apparel, a lifestyle brand for adult hockey players, joined the Ultimate Adult Hockey League (UAHL) as a sponsor through U-Partners (the sponsorship and community-growth arm of the Ultimate Sports Group).

In just one season, founder Ryan Pentingill saw both increased brand awareness and an uptick in sales, attributing much of that success to UAHL’s engaged community and the U-Partners team’s streamlined, collaborative approach.

THE CHALLENGE

Like many emerging hockey lifestyle brands, Beer League Warriors was looking for authentic ways to reach adult players without wasting ad spend on disconnected audiences.

They wanted exposure within a real, engaged hockey community that valued authenticity and could help translate awareness into sales. But traditional sponsorship programs often involved red tape, high costs, and limited ROI visibility.

THE STRATEGY >> COMMUNITY-DRIVEN SPONSORSHIP

U-Partners crafted a tailored sponsorship experience focused on simplicity, collaboration, and measurable impact. The approach prioritized three key pillars:

• Frictionless Onboarding: Streamlined paperwork and communication to make it easy for Ryan’s brand to activate quickly.
• Collaborative Integration: Syncing Beer League Warriors’ social media with UAHL’s growing ecosystem to amplify reach.
• Performance Through Community: Positioning the brand as part of the UAHL culture rather than as an external advertiser to help turn fans and players into customers.

THE EXECUTION >> THE U-PARTNERS ENGINE IN ACTION

Onboarding & Setup

Simplified sponsor onboarding process handled by the U-Partners team

Completed activation within days

Media & Social Integration

Cross-promotion and syncing of Beer League Warriors’ social accounts with UAHL’s media pages

Increased brand visibility and follower growth

Community Engagement

Brand featured during league events and content (UAHL social posts, podcast mentions, community giveaways)

Authentic exposure to 11,000+ engaged community members

Business Impact

Organic referrals and recognition through UAHL followers

Notable uptick in sales and new customer awareness

THE RESULTS

Follower Growth

Noticeable increase after social sync with UAHL pages

Sales

Immediate uptick attributed to UAHL’s following

Activation Time

Completed onboarding within one week

Partner Experience

Rated “incredibly easy” and “super friendly” by the sponsor

IN THEIR WORDS

“The onboarding process is incredibly easy — there’s not a lot of complex paperwork that you need to either be a lawyer or a political scientist to figure out.”

“The guys are super friendly and couldn’t be any more accommodating when it comes to helping you grow your business.”

“I’ve already seen a little bit of an uptick in sales, and I have to attribute a lot of this to the Ultimate Adult Hockey League’s following.”

“If you’re a small business or an emerging brand, I highly recommend Michael Lorence and the Ultimate Adult Hockey League. They’re great people to work with.”
— Ryan Pettengill, Founder, Beer League Warriors Apparel

>> Hear it from him

THE IMPACT

The partnership proved that authentic community exposure outperforms traditional ads.By embedding Beer League Warriors into the UAHL culture, U-Partners turned sponsorship into real engagement, tangible brand growth, and measurable sales.

THE TAKEAWAY

U-Partners simplifies sponsorship and amplifies community connection.Brands like Beer League Warriors are proof that when you pair the right audience with the right story, growth becomes organic.

PS >>

Join U-Partners featuring brands like BLW, Lucy's, Cwench, The Late Slot & more by learning more about sponsoring the UAHL and other events here: https://uahlhockey.typeform.com/to/ME2zEcbC