Mold Remediation in Alpharetta, GA

Hundreds of figure skaters and hockey players call The Cooler home. They're devastated to see it shut down.

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Skaters and hockey players say they are dismayed after learning their home rink could be turning into pickleball courts.

Owners of The Cooler ice rink in Alpharetta have reportedly filed paperwork to get the process underway. Tom Bardis, one of the owners of the rink, confirmed the news, saying, "It is time for the next chapter for our family."

"We have made the incredibly difficult decision to move forward with a new business that we believe will continue to serve the community in a meaningful way," Bardis said. "Please know that this decision was not made lightly, nor without heartfelt consideration for all of you who have called The Cooler home."

The facility off Davis Drive has operated there for the last 27 years and currently has two rinks and a play park. It is home to Atlanta's travel hockey program, the Atlanta Fire. 11Alive profiled the ice rink as it prepared to host a qualifying event for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

New plans, though, show how the rinks could be converted into a 16-court facility with newly renovated locker rooms and bathrooms.

Bardis said the building and business -- which his family invested "millions to keep the doors open" -- are not for sale, though "we are fully committed to our new vision for the space."

Parents, however, have created a Facebook group and a petition to keep The Cooler an ice rink.

11Alive spoke with the group's creator, Natasha Cary, who called the decision "heartbreaking" and said it ultimately hurts the entire hockey community.

"There will be kids in Georgia not able to play hockey," she said.

Cary has two young teens who both learned how to play hockey at The Cooler and have been skating there for the last seven years. She said she understands that the decision to revamp the business lies with the owner. She just wishes there had been a heads-up.

"We've become a family, and this is going to break up our family," she said, describing the tight-knit community that had been formed around the business.

Cary said she and other parents would have liked to have just one more year before seeing the business close.

Bardis acknowledged the shock of adjusting to the new plans: "We know this news is difficult for many of you, and please believe me when I say that we feel that pain just as deeply," he said. "The Cooler was my foundation. It was my safe place, just as it has been for so many of you and your children. We truly understand what this place means."

Bardis thanked everyone who supported the business through its nearly three decades of operation.

"Your passion, love, and loyalty have meant everything to us," he said. "We are forever grateful for the memories, the friendships, and the community that has been built here."

There's no timeline right now on when the rink could be converted into a pickleball court.

When it happens, the facility would be down the street from another approved indoor/outdoor pickleball facility with a 14,000-square-foot restaurant and rooftop, a 24,000-square-foot medical office and 5,000-sqaure-foot office space, according to a list of development projects posted on the City of Alpharetta website.

The remaining ice rinks in the metro include Center Ice Arena in Sandy Springs, Atlanta IceForum in Duluth, The Ice Rink in Cumming and Atlanta Ice House in Marietta.

247Sports Embed Resource

Every recruiting class has them: The household names who are tracked breathlessly, can send a fan base into a whirlwind with one cryptic social media post, become water-cooler (i.e., message board) fodder because of two things: They're really damn good — and they're uncommitted. As the 2026 recruiting class hits the spring and summer slate of visits, 247Sports is profiling a slew of these players in the War Daddy series as our analysts handicap far-and-wide recruiting battles and tell you why these players matter on a national scale.

As you get to know Tristen Keys, you realize that there is a title so much more fitting than "five-star football prospect." The 6-foot-2, 180-pounder is undoubtedly special on the gridiron and ranked as such by 247Sports. Keys is the nation's No. 4 overall prospect and No. 1 wide receiver.

The Hattiesburg (Miss.) High standout is also listed as the No. 1 player in his home state. But Keys would gladly prefer that you call him something else.

A better way to define him would be "mama's boy."

For the elite talent, there is no bigger compliment. Keys embraces every bit of it. When he speaks about his mother Santana Keys, he lights up.

She is his why. She is the reason why he works so hard to be great day in and day out. She is the person who keeps him focused and locked in, to ensure that he achieves greatness every single day. Whatever she is doing, it's clearly working.

"Man, she's my hero," Keys told 247Sports. "I see what she has done, and she's done so much for me and my family. She's my best friend. She's my first love. I enjoy every moment with her. We laugh together. We go on little dates together. We go to the movies. We bond. It's my sisters, my brothers and my mom. Watching her struggle, it was sad. But she's so strong. I'd ask for stuff and she'd make it appear out of nowhere.

"When I was young, playing football, she just threw me in there to put me in something. She wanted to put me in football to keep me away from struggles in the home or trouble elsewhere. Now I'm in a position where I'm closer to taking care of her and my family. We used to walk like eight miles to my football games when I was young.

"Just witnessing that firsthand, it's sad when you think about it, but when I was young, I kind of thought we were rich. We weren't, but she made us feel that way. She worked two or three jobs. She's amazing. I can't wait to take care of her for life. That's why I do this."

In all reality, it goes even further than just his mom. As he looks to quiet the outside noise and focus on what's most important, he leans on his large family full of 13 brothers in sisters in total to stay locked in. He has nine siblings on his father's side and four on his mother's. Each and every one of them have positively impacted and continue to do so to this day.

"My family keeps me in check," Keys said. "My friends do, too. They all keep me grounded and humble through everything. I pray about the hard situations. I have a great relationship with God. Everyone around me keeps me humble.

"Just growing up, I watched my mom struggle. That's my motivation. She gave me everything. Knowing all that, I just want to provide for her and retire her early. That's my priority. I'm just trying to do all I can for my family."

College football recruiting isn't the way that it used to be. Things have completely changed over the past few years. When large dollar figures are getting thrown around, that can sometimes cause issues, especially when dealing with 15-to-18-year-old kids. These factors can also negatively impact relationships, especially when it comes to family.

However, for Keys, his mother, siblings and those closest to him, nothing has changed — he's just become even more focused on what's important, both now and in the future.

"All this, it has definitely hit me," Keys said with a laugh, as he thought about name, image and likeness (NIL) and everything that it entails. "I just try and sit back and think about it, and it's pretty crazy. I feel like I've earned it, though. I have so much work still to do, but I put a lot of work in just to be here.

"I'm just grateful to be in this position to take care of my family. That keeps me humble. This is a lot of money, and money can change people. I won't let it change me though. I know where I come from and I know what I can do and what I want to do, so I just want to do the right things and make the most of it."

On the recruiting front, there are six major programs to keep an eye on. 247Sports is watching Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Miami, Texas A&M and Tennessee.

Get the latest football and recruiting scoop on your favorite college team today.

Keys provided an in-depth look into what it is about each program that appeals to him.