It's more than
a building.
The Ark is a place designed to help people grow on and off the court.
Fifteen years
in the making.
From Marlin Academy to The Ark.
The Ark didn't appear overnight. It's the next chapter of Marlin Academy — fifteen years of training athletes, building teams, and shaping young people, founded by Jonny Marlin.
What started as an academy became a community. And that community needed a home: a hundred thousand square feet in Greenwood, Indiana, purpose-built for basketball, volleyball, baseball, softball, strength and conditioning — and everything that happens between the lines.
Marlin Academy is building The Ark and transitioning into it. The Marlin Academy name lives on through our circuit AAU teams — the rest of the story continues here.
The lobby · Our mission on the wall
How we got here.
Marlin Academy
Training, teams, and player development across central Indiana. Thousands of reps, hundreds of athletes, one conviction: who you become matters more than what you accomplish.
100,000 square feet in Greenwood
Seven hardwood courts, twelve volleyball courts, four hitting and pitching cages, and a 6,500 sq ft strength complex — designed from scratch for athletes, families, and community.
The doors open
The grand opening celebration. Memberships, leagues, camps, club tryouts, and community events follow — this is just the start.
"We want to shape people — not just players."
People first
Everything we do is built around the athlete and the family — understanding where you are, where you want to go, and walking with you between the two.
Long-term development
We're not here for the quick fix. We build athletes from the ground up and grow with families over years — foundations first, details mastered, potential pursued.
Excellence in the details
Structure where it counts, flexibility where it matters. From the feature court to the front desk, quality is the standard — because the details are the ministry.
Purpose underneath it all
The Ark is faith-driven from the foundation up. Athletes here learn that their identity is bigger than their performance — in wins and in losses.
The Ark
difference.
A full development environment — training, competition, strength, leadership, and service — all inside one facility, all pointed at the same mission.
The people behind the programs.
Directors who coach the sport and care about the person.
Jonny Marlin
Founder of Marlin Academy and the vision behind The Ark — fifteen years of building athletes, teams, and community, now under one roof.
Ben Carlson
Ben leads boys' basketball at The Ark with a focus on player development, team culture, competitive growth, and helping athletes pursue their maximum potential on and off the court.
Laura Neal
Laura leads girls' basketball at The Ark with a commitment to developing athletes through strong coaching, clear communication, competitive opportunities, and a Christ-centered approach to growth.
Krae Sparks
Krae leads baseball and softball development at The Ark with a passion for long-term athlete growth, competitive training, and holistic development — from the ground up.
The story is
just starting.
Join us for the grand opening on July 25 — or come build it with us.