Who’s Raising The Next Leaders? What YEB’s CEO Shakeup Tells Us About Building Skills That Matter

The swim coach calls out technique corrections while eight-year-olds navigate the length of the pool. On the sidelines, fathers check their phones between encouragement shouts, but something deeper is happening here. Beyond the strokes and breathing patterns, these children are learning to push through discomfort, take feedback and perform under pressure. The question every parent watching should ask: does the person running this organisation actually understand what they’re building?

Leadership changes at youth activity companies matter more than most people realise. When structured youth programs work properly, they create what researchers call the ‘Five Cs’ – competence, confidence, connection, character and caring. When they don’t, they become expensive babysitting services that teach children to show up without showing effort.

Youth Enrichment Brands just announced Rob Price as their new chief executive, taking over a company whose brands serve more than one million children annually across 3,000 locations. The scope alone demands attention – YEB owns School of Rock, US Sports Camps, i9 Sports and Streamline Brands. Price isn’t inheriting a corner music shop; he’s running operations that touch families in all 50 states and 20 countries.

Why Background Matters More Than Experience

Price spent seven years as CEO of School of Rock before YEB acquired it in 2023. His track record includes growing Edible Arrangements as president and leadership roles at CVS Pharmacy, Wawa Food Markets and H-E-B Grocery. The retail experience matters because youth enrichment operates like retail at scale – managing locations, standardising quality and keeping customers satisfied enough to renew.

‘Our mission transcends our fields, courts, pools, stages and classrooms. The need to help kids build confidence, character and connection through enriching experiences has never been more important,’ Price said about his appointment.

The focus on confidence, character and connection isn’t marketing speak. Research from the National Institutes of Health shows parents consistently value these intangible outcomes over pure skill development. When surveyed, 87.9% of parents express concern about injury risk, but the deeper worry is whether their investment builds resilience or just trophies.

What Fathers Should Actually Look For

YEB’s specific initiatives offer a useful checklist for evaluating any youth programme. Their S.A.F.E.R. Swimmer Promise addresses the practical safety concerns that keep parents awake at night. The Girls Are the Future of Sports programme tackles the participation drop-off that hits girls around age 13. These aren’t feel-good initiatives – they tackle measurable problems with trackable solutions.

The transition from Justin Hoeveler to Price also demonstrates continuity planning. Hoeveler isn’t disappearing; he’s shifting to President of US Sports Camps and Chief Growth Officer. This matters because franchise youth programmes succeed or fail based on consistent implementation across locations.

Building confidence in young people requires more than just participation. As successful youth coaches know, the real work happens when children face difficulty and learn to push through it.

Standards That Actually Mean Something

National standards for youth sports require background checks, concussion protocols and emergency preparedness. Franchise programmes like YEB’s brands enforce these consistently because brand damage spreads across the entire network. Local programmes may meet the same standards, but enforcement varies by location and leadership.

This doesn’t automatically make franchise programmes superior, but it does make them more predictable. When you move cities, your child can expect similar coaching quality and safety protocols. When local ownership changes, the standards remain constant.

Questions Every Parent Should Ask

Before enrolling children in any structured programme, these questions matter more than price or convenience:

What specific leadership training do coaches receive? Generic enthusiasm doesn’t develop character. How does the programme measure success beyond wins and performances? Look for tracking systems that monitor individual growth. What happens when your child struggles? The response to difficulty reveals programme values.

Can you speak directly with other parents about their experience? Testimonials don’t count – conversations do. What safety protocols exist and how are they enforced? Policies on paper mean nothing without consistent application.

The best programmes understand that developing young talent requires structured challenges and meaningful feedback, not just participation awards.

Character Factories, Not Babysitting Services

‘The future of youth enrichment is bright, and I’m proud to continue to help shape it,’ said Hoeveler about remaining with YEB in his new role.

That future depends on leaders who understand that youth programmes aren’t just services – they’re character factories. Price’s retail background suggests he grasps the operational complexity of delivering consistent experiences across thousands of locations. His School of Rock tenure shows he values the intangible outcomes that parents actually want.

The children learning to swim today will face challenges their parents can’t fully comprehend. The eight-year-old struggling with butterfly stroke is building the persistence needed for calculus homework, job interviews and marriage difficulties. The 12-year-old dealing with stage fright before a piano recital is developing the confidence required for leadership.

Youth enrichment programmes work when they teach children to embrace difficulty rather than avoid it. They fail when they prioritise participation over growth, comfort over challenge or entertainment over development. Just as sustainable fitness programmes build lasting strength through consistent challenge, youth programmes must push children beyond their comfort zones.

Price’s appointment signals YEB’s commitment to scaling impact without losing focus on individual outcomes. For fathers and mentors selecting programmes, the lesson is clear: leadership at the top directly affects the quality of experiences delivered to children. Choose accordingly.