Get to Know Melissa Walton!
Happy Friday everyone! Hope all of you are staying warm out there! I'm Melissa Walton, the Chief Operating Officer for AKA SPORT! I was fortunate to have met many of the AKA families over last summer after starting my role in the spring last year. What an incredible experience to come on board during our 20th Anniversary year! For those who I have not yet had an opportunity to meet, here is a little bit about myself and the journey here!
I live in Blaine with my beautiful family - my husband Jesse, our three amazing kiddos (Hannah 14, Jackson 12 and Hayden-11) and our 120-pound gentle giant doggy, Butkus - named after the greatest linebacker of all time, the late-great Dick Butkus of the Chicago Bears! As you can assume based on our dog's name, I am a Chicago native and a forever Bears fan, yes, even while living in Vikings territory!
We are very much a sports centric family, I came from the sports marketing world in Chicago...working for the Bears Radio Broadcast, CBS, Comcast, and ultimately creating my own marketing consulting company. My husband played college football and was a D1 football coach for many years. Our kids have embraced being involved in multiple sports from the first days they could kick or throw a ball! That's why it was amazing to find out about AKA that first summer from a lifelong friend (who also lives in Blaine and had kids who attended AKA) while deciding what to do with my kids in a new neighborhood, prior to starting in the fall at their new schools.
My kids flourished at AKA that summer. Everyone there was so accommodating and understanding. Chris, McKaela, Rob and all of the coaches really embraced the kids, building their confidence to make friends, sharpening their skills, and really creating a sense of community and home for the Waltons! As a parent that strongly believes in building healthy and balanced habits for our kids - like staying active, having a team mentality, and teaching our kids about proper nutrition and diet, you can imagine how much appreciation I had for AKA's mission of keeping kids active through sport.
After reflecting on our experience and understanding the AKA mission, I realized how it aligns with my belief that combining these principles with intentional lifestyle choices can set our kids up for success both on and off the field or court. I instantly knew I wanted to contribute and lend my skillset, experience and expertise to the organization. I started working with AKA focusing on marketing and growth strategy, consulting with the AKA team over the next year until coming on board that spring. I also understood Chris' vision for creating the next chapter and strategized what AKA's growth over the next 20 years could look like, taking our belief in well-rounded health, fitness and wellness beyond just youth-based programming but offering a space dedicated to adults and young athletes as well!
Introducing the next chapter: The PARC (Physical Activity Recovery Center), a state-of-the-art space offering our industry-leading youth programs alongside adult classes, a recovery and wellness center featuring cold plunges and a sauna, a cardio, stretch, and strength area, and an exclusive executive lounge.
As a sports parent, I especially recognize that the landscape of fitness and sports is changing; and AKA is here to support this next phase for every age category to help foster the changes and improve well being, physical activity and longevity for the whole family. The PARC is set to open in the summer of 2025 and we are beyond excited! Personally, being very invested in fitness, nutrition and holistic health my whole life, am well versed in the categories we will be promoting: wellness, nutrition, sports conditioning and recovery.
Stay tuned for more information in the form of blogs, articles and podcasts as it relates to the current world. We want to educate families in our communities on these topics and serve as a resource that parents can lean on. (12 Health Trends Americans Predict Will Take off in 2025)
Jim Rohn said "Take care of your body, it's the only place you have to live" and that should resonate with all of us these days! As we begin to recognize that the world of youth sports and the family dynamics has changed over the course of 20 years, I want to be part of the next era to create a better, healthier community together!
I am happy to be on the journey with all of you and look forward to getting to build this next chapter with such an amazing team and our AKA families!
Take care of yourselves and have a great weekend!
Melissa