3 minute read
Skyhawks Sports Academy
air forCe veteran transitions to new Career witH CHilDren’s sPorts franCHise
There is an impressive skillset that develops from experience in both the military and team sports, and Levi and Jordan Hewitt are the proof of that. This married couple is uniquely equipped for success in franchise ownership with combined accomplishments to prove it.
Levi is a nine-year Air Force veteran who with his wife, Jordan, have united their love of sports and kids with their incredible work ethic to follow their entrepreneurial dreams.
When Levi left the Air Force, he was looking for a business he and Jordan were passionate about and would serve the community. For Levi, that was integral to the person he’d become serving in the Air Force, “we live by a code in the military of service before self, and that’s how I would like to live our lives moving forward, finding ways to give back.”
Turning that passion into a profession-, they landed on a brand that they were both familiar with since they were kids. They are enjoying franchise ownership with Skyhawks Sports Academy, the country’s leader in providing a safe, fun, and skill-based sports experience for kids between the ages of 5 and 12. In addition, Skyhawks’s sister brand,
SuperTots, features game-based classes and enrichment programs for children starting at 18 months old.
Athletes themselves, the Hewitts recently opened a Skyhawks franchise in Boise, Idaho. They run a territory encompassing Treasure Valley out to Idaho City along the western border of Idaho and up through Parma. Being a former Airman, Levi was sure to include Mountain Home Air Force Base in their territory as well.
Levi, like many veterans, is part of a growing trend in veteran-owned businesses. Based on data from the U.S. Census, there are about 2.5 million businesses in the U.S. owned in part, by those who served in the military, accounting for about $1.4 trillion in annual sales. The International
Franchise Association (IFA) reports that U.S. veterans own about 14 percent, or one out of every seven, franchises in the United States.
Leadership, structure, and discipline are a few of the characteristics that may attribute to the success of veteran business owners like Levi, who says he can definitely see his military experience as a factor in the accomplishments.
“I only wanted to own and run a business that was effort-based,” said Levi. “I wanted to know that whatever I achieved in business was earned through hard work.”
Levi and wife Jordan are doing just that. After being away from their home state of Idaho for nine years due to Levi’s time in
the military, they are setting down roots in a community they love while doing something they love.
“Everywhere we’ve worked, we’ve seemed to kind of rise to the top of whatever job we’ve been working,” he said. “We are poised and ready for this challenge.”
These franchisees appreciate the principle of the franchise model because it allows them the leadership component to be their own boss while providing the structure necessary to adhere to brand guidelines clearly spelled out in the Skyhawks franchise playbook.
Skyhawks is one of many franchises that provides a discount of 30% of their franchise fee to honor those men and women who have served in the U.S. military.
During his time in the service, Levi was stationed in Texas, North Carolina, England, and Idaho as well as temporarily serving in various other locations throughout Europe, Asia, and the United States. Now, he’s glad to be settled back in his home state, enjoying this next chapter.
“I feel well prepared for this next adventure thanks not only to my military influence but sports as well,” he said. “Being part of a team whether as an Airman or in athletics you know you have a job to do for the greater good. It builds integrity, responsibility, and sportsmanship. Now I have a chance to share those lessons with kids in our community and help them love sports as much as I do.”
