Michael has learned many life lessons through his involvement in sports. He started out as a Pee Wee and Little League player and later a competitive High School athlete playing both Lacrosse and Basketball. As he got older, he continued his love of sports through coaching and is still involved in sharing sports with his family and community.

As a parent, he realized that while he grew up playing sports, his children were spending more time on technology and behind many assorted screens. He wanted to make sure to get his kids outside and into healthy positive life habits via sports.

Michael Kraner has worked in Finance and Technology, helping companies leverage technology to be more successful from both a services and financial perspective. My Backyard Sports is able to apply these benefits and efficiencies into a field that has not yet adopted these key benchmarks successfully to date. 

Michael has a passion for Win-Win Entrepreneurship and for providing his clients with a quality product and great value! He has been recognized as a Successful Technology Entrepreneur and past member of the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies as well as numerous similar industry lists. Michael started his first company as a college student at Cornell University and then took the company national upon graduation. My Backyard Sports has been recognized as one of the Fastest Growing Companies in the U.S., Inc 5000 (2021 and 2022), Best Emerging Franchise and has received several other industry accolades for which he is very proud.

Favorite Sports Quote – It’s a funny thing, the more I practice the luckier I get. – Arnold Palmer

Favorite Team – Likes all the NY Teams, all under dogs and teams that play the right way.

First Sports Experience -Yankee game with his Dad

Favorite Sports Experience – Youth basketball with his friends.

Debbi enjoys the creative nature of My Backyard Sports and the joy it brings to so many families and communities. Her father’s stories of growing up in the Bronx and spending most of his time playing sports in the streets and schoolyard taught her about passion and perseverance. He was a baseball fan, top stickball, handball and basketball player against all odds.  Sports brought him confidence, passion and a determination to succeed.  Debbi grew up hearing all of those lessons learned and more.  As a parent she believes sports and outdoor activities, coming in many different forms, should be a part of every child’s upbringing.

What Debbi loves most about My Backyard Sports is that each and every project is unique and each and every project has a story to tell.  From why the court is being built, who it is being built for and what it will mean to the person, family or community once it is completed.

Debbi is both entrepreneurial in spirit and in practice, having been a successful entrepreneur in addition to being co-founder of My Backyard Sports.

She grew up in an entrepreneurial family where she gained tremendous insight into the hard work and dedication needed to succeed in business.  Debbi has a Master’s Degree in Liberal Arts with a specialty in Psychology from Harvard University lending her insight on marketing and consumer behavior. Debbi worked at Morgan Stanley Dean Witter in Human Resources as well as in Data Analysis. Her experience brings important employee and operational input to the company.

Debbi is committed to teaching her kids about hard work and creating their own destiny while making a positive impact on others.

Favorite Sports Quote –“ I didn’t lose the Gold, I won the Silver”. – Michelle Kwan

Favorite Team –Men and Women’s Tennis and Figure Skating

First Sports Experience -Playing badminton and volleyball in our home backyard

Favorite Sports Experience – Roller skating every weekend at our local rink

Sports has been an integral part of Scott’s life from early childhood through current day. As a kid, Scott’s greatest memories include being on the little league field which led him to play varsity athletics in high school. Scott started out his career interning for the New York Yankees and ever since has incorporated sports into his professional life at every turn. Scott’s active involvement with community athletic initiatives has reinforced for him the power that sports play in the lives of children and families. My Backyard Sports blends Scott’s passion of creating memorable experiences with the love of sports.

Scott is an experienced business professional, visionary thought leader and seasoned entrepreneur with a 22+ year career in the sports and the events industry. As a prior owner of Events Unlimited, an experiential events company, Scott produced and facilitated once-in-a-lifetime experiences for both corporate and individual clients. Subsequently, Scott worked with the world renowned Creative Artists Agency, specializing in sports and entertainment. He has extensive experience in sales, business operations, business development and business strategy.

Scott learned the power of sales and customer relationships beginning at ten years old selling holiday cards to local families. His current success is tied to his life-long passion to provide service excellence and his ability to build quality relationships. His core values include integrity, strong communication, attention to detail and customer satisfaction. Scott takes great pride in being recognized as someone to trust and be counted on. Scott enjoys serving as a mentor to others both on a personal and professional level.

Favorite Sports Quote “If you can believe it, the mind can achieve it.”– Ronnie Lott

Favorite Team – New York Yankees

First Sports Experience – Celebrating his 7th birthday at Yankee Stadium

Favorite Sports Experience – Attending the 1977 New York Yankees World Series clinching game where Reggie Jackson hit 3 home runs