Youth Sports Business Report

Youth Inc. launching season two of podcast with Greg Olsen and two new presenting sponsors 🤝 NFL star Greg Olsen teams up with renowned sports psychologist Dr. Michael Gervais as co-host 🎯 New focus on mental fitness in youth sports development 💪 Two major founding partners join the mission: - Players Health (Youth sports insurance) - MaxU (Mental performance platform) 📈 Season 1 Success: - 44 episodes - 400,000 downloads - Star guests including Jerry Rice & Jim Boeheim 🚀 Coming in 2025: Digital commerce platform for youth sports gear Ryan Baise said, "We want this to feel like it’s a win for us, it’s a win for the partner, and it’s ultimately a win for the end consumer, because we’re shining a light on two companies that are doing really impactful and important work around youth sports.” Plus: Recently closed a $4.5M seed round backed by Josh Allen, C.J. Stroud, and Ryan Day! 💰 #YouthSports #Sportsbiz #LinkedInSports #Sports #YouthSportsBiz #Kids #Parents https://lnkd.in/gfumUMCY

Honeywell x Arizona Cardinals Football Club inspiring future leaders 🤝

Gatorade (PepsiCo) launches generative AI Squeeze Bottle personalization to fuel athlete self-expression ⚡ 🤖 #YouthSports #Sportsbiz #LinkedInSports #Sports #YouthSportsBiz #Kids #Parents #Gatorade https://lnkd.in/gqppH23d

GameChanger Introduces Film Room for Coaches: New AI-Powered Video Analysis Tool for Youth Basketball & Volleyball Key Features: 📱 Available now on iOS & Android 🎥 AI-powered video analysis ⏩ Automatically skips downtime ✏️ Mark and annotate key plays 🤝 Share footage with players & families 💫 Completely FREE Why It Matters: ⚫ Makes professional-level video analysis accessible to ALL youth sports teams ⚫Builds on success of AutoStream (used in 25% of basketball streams last season) ⚫Transforms hours of footage into actionable coaching moments Leadership Backing: 🏆 Endorsed by coaching legends: - Lisa Bluder (Iowa Women's Basketball) - Steve Pikiell (Rutgers Men's Basketball) Stats That Matter: 📊 GameChanger is already the #1 youth sports app ⭐️ 570,000+ reviews with 4.9-star average 🔥 More basketball games covered than NBA games in the past decade “By using AI and computer vision to identify key moments in game action, we’re taking another big step toward our vision of automating the most time-consuming parts of the youth sports experience,” said Sameer Ahuja, GameChanger president and DICK’S Sporting Goods senior vice president. https://lnkd.in/gA4aJcbm #YouthSports #Basketball #Volleyball #CoachingTechnology #SportsTech #Innovation #Sportsbiz #LinkedInSports #Sports #YouthSportsBiz #Kids #Parents DICK'S Sporting Goods

Reverse the Trend! ⏪

LeagueApps Secures Major Investment from Accel-KKR 🏆 LeagueApps, a leading youth sports management platform, has received a significant equity investment from Accel-KKR. Here's what you need to know: 💼 LeagueApps powers thousands of youth sports organizations across 8 sports 💰 The platform has processed billions in sports programming transactions 🤝 Accel-KKR's investment will drive innovation and expand capabilities 🏅 Arctos Partners joins with a minority investment 🌟 Backed by sports legends like Julie Foudy, Shane Battier, and Swin Cash 🎯 LeagueApps aims to enable 500,000 new sports experiences in underserved communities This investment marks a new era in youth sports management, promising enhanced tools and resources for clubs, leagues, and facilities nationwide. Brian Litvack, LeagueApps' CEO & Co-Founder, said, "We are thrilled to team up with Accel-KKR to further our mission to create amazing sports experiences for all. The youth sports industry is evolving, and LeagueApps strives to provide more solutions, technology and data to youth sports communities. The partnership with Accel-KKR will give us capabilities and resources that enhance our ability to serve organizations that are central to the youth sports experience." Dean Jacobson, Managing Director at Accel-KKR, said, "We have been impressed by LeagueApps' key role in the rapidly evolving youth sports universe, and their vision of how technology can be integrated to help organizations scale, simplify, build community, and enable more youth athletes and families to participate. We are excited to support their important mission to bring the benefits of sport to kids and communities everywhere." #YouthSports #SportsManagement #TechInvestment #LeagueApps #AccelKKR #PrivateEquity #Investment #Sportsbiz #LinkedInSports #Sports #YouthSportsBiz https://lnkd.in/gZPqM6fp

Great look into the current state of #YouthSports from Youth Inc. CEO Ryan Baise

Chicago Bulls partner with Beyond the Ball to unveil three new basketball courts in Little Village - Chicago. #YouthSports #Community #Chicago National Basketball Association (NBA) #basketball #sports https://lnkd.in/em-aH-RG

🚨 Breaking News in College Sports: NCAA Eliminates National Letter of Intent! 🏈🏀 The NCAA Division I Council has approved a major overhaul of the recruitment process. Here's what you need to know: 📜 End of an Era: - National Letter of Intent (NLI) program eliminated after 60 years - To be replaced by new financial aid agreements and revenue share contracts 🆕 New Recruitment Rules: - Recruits can only sign one valid aid agreement - Communication stops once a recruit signs - Coaches prohibited from in-person contact on signing day 📅 Key Dates: - Nov 13, 2024: First signing date (except football) - Dec 4, 2024: Early football signing day - Feb 5, 2025: National Signing Day for football 💡 Why It Matters: - Adapts to potential $20M+ annual payments to athletes - Part of broader NCAA reforms following House v. NCAA settlement - Reshapes how athletes commit to institutions #NCAA #CollegeSports #AthleticRecruitment #SportsBusiness #NIL #NLI #YouthSports #Sportsbiz #LinkedInSports #Sports #YouthSportsBiz https://lnkd.in/gNS6m9Ck

Colorado Youth Sports Giving Day Raises $3.7 Million! 🎉 The inaugural campaign to support youth sports participation in Colorado has concluded with amazing results. Here are the key takeaways: 💰 Fundraising Highlights: - $2.1 million raised through 3,700 individual donations - $1.6 million in matching funds from sponsors - 175+ nonprofit organizations participated 🏀⚽🏈 Impact on Youth Sports: - Funds will help thousands of children access sports programs - Addresses financial barriers in underserved communities - Supports programs like YMCA Youth Sports and Special Olympics Colorado 🌟 Benefits of Youth Sports: - Improved academic outcomes - Enhanced mental and physical health - Development of leadership skills - Higher likelihood of future earnings Hanna Skandera, President and CEO of the Daniels Fund, expressed her enthusiasm: “We are truly overwhelmed by the incredible generosity Coloradans have shown during the Youth Sports Giving Day campaign. The outpouring of support for local sports organizations shows just how deeply our community values youth sports and believes in the importance of making them accessible to every young person.” #YouthSports #Sportsbiz #LinkedInSports #Sports #YouthSportsBiz #Kids #Parents #fundraising Colorado Youth Sports Giving Day Raises $3.7 Million! 🎉 The inaugural campaign to support youth sports participation in Colorado has concluded with amazing results. Here are the key takeaways: 💰 Fundraising Highlights: - $2.1 million raised through 3,700 individual donations - $1.6 million in matching funds from sponsors - 175+ nonprofit organizations participated 🏀⚽🏈 Impact on Youth Sports: - Funds will help thousands of children access sports programs - Addresses financial barriers in underserved communities - Supports programs like YMCA Youth Sports and Special Olympics Colorado 🌟 Benefits of Youth Sports: - Improved academic outcomes - Enhanced mental and physical health - Development of leadership skills - Higher likelihood of future earnings Hanna Skandera, President and CEO of the Daniels Fund, expressed her enthusiasm: “We are truly overwhelmed by the incredible generosity Coloradans have shown during the Youth Sports Giving Day campaign. The outpouring of support for local sports organizations shows just how deeply our community values youth sports and believes in the importance of making them accessible to every young person.” #YouthSports #Sportsbiz #LinkedInSports #Sports #YouthSportsBiz #Kids #Parents #fundraising https://lnkd.in/ggJFraP9