Youth Enrichment Brands franchisees win 2026 IFA honors across three systems

Five franchise owners across School of Rock, i9 Sports and SafeSplash Swim School were named 2026 Franchisees of the Year by the International Franchise Association. Youth Enrichment Brands said it is the only company with winners representing three separate franchise systems, with the honorees set to be recognized in Washington, D.C., later this month.

Why it matters: - The recognition puts a spotlight on Youth Enrichment Brands’ franchisee performance across music, sports and swim education. - The company said it is the only brand family with IFA Franchisees of the Year winners from three separate franchise systems. - The awards can help bolster recruiting, retention and brand credibility across Youth Enrichment Brands’ portfolio.

What happened: - Youth Enrichment Brands announced that five franchise owners were named 2026 Franchisees of the Year by the International Franchise Association. - The honorees are Dan Moore and Quinn Lukas of School of Rock Wexford and School of Rock South Hills, Jay and Danielle Mechtly of i9 Sports in Wilmington, North Carolina, and Amy Albiero of SafeSplash Swim School + SwimLabs in Louisville, Kentucky. - The honorees will be recognized at the IFA26 Advocacy Summit in Washington, D.C., from Sept. 14-16. - The award recognizes excellence in entrepreneurship, community outreach, workforce development and service to others.

The details: - Dan Moore and Quinn Lukas own two School of Rock locations and have held nearly every role in the School of Rock system, including parent, instructor, music director, general manager and franchise owner. - Under Moore and Lukas, both School of Rock schools moved from the lowest tier of internal performance benchmarking to the highest tier. - School of Rock awarded both locations Headliner status in 2025, its top-performing-school recognition. - The two schools also ranked among the system’s top 10 schools. - Moore and Lukas have hosted dozens of touring School of Rock locations and regularly share operating practices with other franchisees. - Both schools posted major gains in core program enrollment and adoption of the Method App, School of Rock’s proprietary digital learning platform. - Jay and Danielle Mechtly built their i9 Sports market in Wilmington through disciplined marketing execution and consistent operational standards. - Their focus on game-day experience, customer service and staff development has driven sustained registration growth and strong family retention. - The Mechtlys’ programs are used as a model for new franchisee training across the i9 Sports system. - Amy Albiero opened her first SafeSplash + SwimLabs location in Louisville in 2018. - Albiero expanded from one location to three in 2025 while improving performance at her original school. - Albiero is a former elite swimmer and 27-time All-American. - Her swim schools serve children from infants learning water safety to competitive athletes. - Albiero was an early adopter of the S.A.F.E.R. Swimmer Promise, a program that gives families a pathway toward mastering essential water safety skills. - Albiero helped build peer support for the S.A.F.E.R. Swimmer Promise across the franchise system. - Albiero piloted Podium, a new communication platform for the SafeSplash brand, and provided feedback that shaped the systemwide rollout. - Albiero founded Cardinal Aquatics, a year-round USA Swimming team that has produced state champions, national-level athletes and Olympic Trials qualifiers.

Between the lines: - Youth Enrichment Brands is using the awards to reinforce a broader growth narrative built around high-performing franchise operators. - The company’s comments framed the honorees as examples of owners who improved operations and helped raise standards for peers across the system. - The diversity of the winners across three business units suggests the brand group wants to showcase repeatable operator success, not one standout location.

What's next: - The franchisees will be honored at the IFA26 Advocacy Summit in Washington, D.C. - Youth Enrichment Brands is likely to use the recognition in franchise development and systemwide best-practice sharing. - The company continues to position its portfolio around youth camps, music education, swim classes and sports leagues.

The bottom line: - Youth Enrichment Brands landed a rare cross-system win, with franchisees from School of Rock, i9 Sports and SafeSplash all earning top IFA recognition in the same year.