Courtside Kids is a premium children’s performance apparel brand creating timeless, technically advanced clothing for active kids. Designed with performance features like four-way stretch, UPF protection, stain resistance, and moisture-wicking fabrics, our pieces are made to move seamlessly from school to sports to everyday life. We serve modern families looking for clothing that combines elevated style with real functionality. Courtside exists because kids are some of the most active people on the planet, yet performance apparel has historically overlooked them. Our mission is to change that—creating clothing that encourages kids to move, play, get outside, and experience childhood in motion.

I’m Karly Barker, founder of Courtside Kids, a premium children’s activewear brand I started with a belief that kids deserved clothing that could perform as hard as they play without sacrificing timeless style. Our mission is bigger than what kids wear: we want to inspire a generation of kids to get moving, get outside, and spend less time behind screens—giving them the confidence to show up fully, on the court, at school, and everywhere in between. What began as an idea to fill a gap I saw as a mother has grown into a national brand carried by more than 100 retailers and major partners across the country.

My entrepreneurial journey has been equal parts creativity, persistence, and learning on the fly. I’ve built Courtside from the ground up—developing product, navigating manufacturing and supply chain, building a team, raising capital, and growing both our direct-to-consumer and wholesale businesses. Along the way, I’ve learned to embrace the uncomfortable parts of entrepreneurship: making decisions with imperfect information, recovering quickly from mistakes, and continually thinking bigger. My goal is to build Courtside into the defining active lifestyle brand for the next generation of kids.