CEO Ryan Tuchman (L) and General Manager Chris Tabarez stand on the Hi-Five court with Murphy the mascot.
For several months now, Hi-Five Sports Zone has been building out the former Walgreens space at 5411 Geary. The 5,000 square foot sports facility, designed to host sport classes, camps, leagues and special events, opens this Saturday with a special grand opening celebration.
This is Hi-Five’s first brick and mortar location. It started as a family business in Chicago in 1990. The company also offers its programs, designed for kids age 2-10 years, in Menlo Park, Atherton and Scottsdale, AZ.
Hi-Five chose the Richmond District for their first location because they “wanted to build a unique family sports entertainment destination for the city,” Hi-Five CEO Ryan Tuchman told us.
“It’s in a residential part of the city where families live, and there is a lack of indoor sports facilities there. And the space was perfect for what we needed.”
The large basketball court inside Hi-Five features 6 hoops which adjust in height for different age groups and skill levels. The large court can be used for basketball, flag football, volleyball, turf indoor soccer and more.
The building also includes restrooms, bleacher seating at one end, TV screens and a sound system. Tuchman said that for birthday party rentals, they can create photos collages of the birthday boy or girl and play them on the screens during the party.
Hi-Five’s mascot is Murphy, based on the family’s first French bulldog who passed away recently. You’ll see him featured around the court inside Hi-Five, and for certain programs, kids can collect Murphy Coins for various achievements which can then be redeemed for small prizes.
Chris Tabarez will be the General Manager for the Geary facility. Tabarez taught PE just down the road at Lafayette Elementary School and Brandeis School in Marin. He is also a former San Francisco State Gator and played professional basketball in Mexico.
This Saturday, May 31 from 10am to 2pm, Hi-Five is hosting their grand opening celebration. Stop by 5411 Geary to check out their new facility, meet Murphy the mascot, play games, win prizes and more.
Hi-Five has also established a charitable relationship with UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital San Francisco. They’ve pledged to donate one dollar for every child that registers for its youth sports programs throughout 2014 and will raise money for the hospital during Saturday’s grand opening event.
In honor of their opening, Hi-Five is also giving away a birthday party booking for up to 24 children ($399 value) to a reader of the Richmond Blog. To enter, fill out this short entry form. A winner will be chosen by the Hi-Five team at the grand opening on May 31, but you do not have to be present to win. Deadline for entry is Friday, May 30 at 5pm.
Welcome to the neighborhood, Hi-Five!
Sarah B.
Thanks for covering this. Happy to see a family business join our neighborhood. This has a ton of potential, especially for our part of town. I wish Ryan, Chris, and the whole Hi-Five team success in this venture.
This is great! Much better than the Petco unleashed that almost went in there!!
While I don’t have kids or play basketball or have any need whatsoever for this type of facility…I’m quite excited a family oriented and appropriately quirky place opened up. Being by the park and the YMCA it’s a tremendous location.
I am delighted for this opportunity in our neighborhood and wish them tremendous success. I am also fearful for the lack of convenient parking. I suggest that the lot between 18th and 19th behind Creative Paints be made two-level.
Great! A welcome addition to the neighborhood! Wishing them the best!
Good luck and welcome to the neighborhood!