This is Buying Sandlot — the only newsletter that focuses solely on the business of youth sports.
Let’s get to it.
In the email today:
🌎 Perfect Game Aims For ‘Two-Way Exchange’ On Global Stage
PG’s ambitious global expansion plans go beyond exporting the youth baseball development platform’s brand.
“It’s about building a global platform for youth baseball and connecting some of the strongest baseball cultures in the world,” PG chairman Rick Thurman told Buying Sandlot.
“Baseball is growing globally on a very big level, and that’s part of our expansion. … The goal is infrastructure and long-term trust. It’s not just a one-off tournament. We want to be there long term and grow something that’s going to be there for many generations to come.”
That effort is going into hyperdrive with PG’s recently-announced Asia-Pacific Zone expansion.
Greater presence in Pacific Rim nations
Focus on ages 10-15
Regional rollout of DiamondKast data/digital scoring tool
Tech implementation and integration
Showcase events to ID talent and measure metrics
Foreign player profiles with video content, cross-region comparison
Multi-year strategy for 15U Pacific Baseball Championship
Asian teams competing in U.S. events
Canada and Mexico are included in the circuit
“When you look across Asia and the Pacific Rim, places like Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, the Philippines, you see incredible traditions for baseball,” Thurman said. “Their fundamentals, their discipline, the way they execute, player development — it has produced elite baseball players for many generations.”
The meeting of the worlds also presents a fascinating contrast.
American youth baseball development is heavy on competition, game volume, exposure and metrics within a prominent club and travel scene.
Asian countries emphasize discipline, execution, fundamentals and situational play through repetitive training; school competition is also a major tradition — Japan’s sprawling annual high school tournament is a major national event.
Thurman envisions a “two-way exchange” where best practices are shared and coaches and players learn through exposure, elevating the game globally.
“Our goal is to bring all those strengths together where we can combine PG’s competition model, exposure platform and scouting ecosystem with the development philosophies that exist throughout the Asia-Pacific Zone,” he said.
“We’re not going there to replace their structure or change anything. We’re going there to almost be an adjacent pathway. We don’t want to compete with the schools. Most of our stuff will be done during the offseason or holiday windows and we’ll figure out regional training and invitational competition on an international level.”
PG also plans to expand its presence in the Caribbean and South America; Thurman said it will not solely focus on countries with established baseball traditions.
“We believe it is going to create a stronger global game, a stronger baseball ecosystem,” he said. “It should really open up a lot of international pathways for young players and create premier stages for elite baseball players.”
ALSO: PG announced today this year’s PBC will be held Dec. 26-29 in Ontario, California, with most games at ONT Field Stadium, the new home of the Los Angeles’ Dodgers A-ball affiliate Ontario Tower Buzzers.
Teams from the U.S., Australia, Canada, Japan, Mexico, South Korea and Taiwan are expected to compete; there will also be a select team of South Asian players and China could potentially have a team participate. Off-field activities to foster cultural exchange are also planned and the event is expected to draw significant MLB scouting attention.
The inaugural PBC was played last summer in Japan; PG has committed to hold the 2027 and ‘29 events there as well.
🏒 Leagues, programming and player pathways*
Black Bear Sports Group is much more than facilities and streaming.
BBSG shapes youth hockey with its events, leagues and programming, supporting development and strengthening the ecosystem across its markets. Clubs, coaches and families arrive at the rink confident they will enjoy a consistent experience with predictable competition within a stable environment.
There are over 1,200 teams playing under the BBSG banner — boys and girls from ages under 8 to 18 across the AAA, AA, A and B levels. Federations play a range of regular season games, showcase games and end-of-season championships -- all players ages 8-12 are guaranteed a postseason event to celebrate the season. The Defender Hockey Tournament platform also offers dozens of competitive events year-round for players ages 6-18 years old, with over 1,200 teams participating annually. This momentum continues to drive participation growth across BBSG leagues at a rate three to four times the national average.
Black Bear Sports Group's league and player development infrastructure provides opportunities that support long-term growth, with more than 700 league alumni now playing collegiate and junior hockey.
*Sponsor
🏟️ Buying Sandlot Summit Speaker Unveil
Each newsletter, we’ll unveil a speaker, as we aim to put together the most compelling list of speakers and panelists in the history of the youth sports industry.
Today, we’re happy to announce that Greg Ludke, COO of TeamSnap will be on-stage in Philly April 14-15. Greg has been with TeamSnap since 2016, starting out as director of product, eventually becoming Chief Strategy Officer and now COO. TeamSnap is one of the largest tech platforms powering youth sports, and Greg plays a leading role in overseeing not only their growth but the next wave in youth sports tech. Join him in Philly by getting your early bird tickets right here.
He will be joined at the event by previously announced speakers: John Stewart (CEO, Fastbreak AI), Aman Loomba (SVP Product, GameChanger), Jordan Baltimore (CEO, NY Empire Baseball), Jason Sacks (CEO, Positive Coaching Alliance), Brett Marbut (Senior Director of Strategic Growth at PlayOn Sports), Brent Wall, (CEO, Student Athlete Score), Reed Shaffner (CTO, TeamSnap), Matt Mueller (COO, Hudl), and Carrie Gamper (COO, Base Sports Group).
Ticket prices increase on January 31.
🍌 Here Come The Savannah Bananas
The barnstorming baseball entertainment phenomenon has identified youth sports as its “next frontier,” owner Jesse Cole posted on LinkedIn and other social media platforms, setting goals for 1M kids playing Banana Ball and a “Banana Ball World Series” with 30K in attendance.
Youth sports certainly has its challenges. It’s expensive, overly competitive and often inconvenient for families. It will take a lot of work to create something that is new and different. But we believe we can bring back the fun and affordability to parents and kids all over the country.
It takes putting ourselves in the shoes of our fans and focusing on one step at a time.
We started on this journey by hosting camps and tournaments and learned a lot. We have a long way to go on what can we be done all over the country. But we are ready for the challenge.
This is not completely out of left field.
The Bananas — who some are pegging at a $1B-plus valuation — have organized youth Banana Ball tournaments for 9U-12U. Think big welcome pool party, kids from around the country, individual registration, no pre-made rosters, music, trick plays, etc.
They have also made cameos elsewhere in the youth sports universe and we have seen some seemingly unsanctioned Banana Ball events here and there.
So this is potentially huge.
Jesse has a habit of calling his shot. So when he says “1M kids playing Banana Ball,” it’s worth paying attention to. [Little League International has around 2M].
Some - especially hardened baseball people - will probably roll their eyes at this. But if Quick Ball - which isn’t really quick, or baseball - and other stripped down or modified versions of other sports can catch on, surely Banana Ball would be able to.
We are headed for an MLB strike next year, and that will likely impact rec participation, at least initially. The Bananas have an opportunity to steal outsized mindshare if they’re the only game in town, and you bet kids will want to ape what they see at those games.
There are no pre-made rosters at Banana tournaments. Kids sign up, get placed on a team, and have fun. This is a take on what I’ve been calling “professionalized rec” or the pick-up, sandlot-style of sport we discussed on the podcast. I think there will be a general trend of casual players and parents wanting to opt out of the high-pressure competitive nature of travel programs, and it will play right into the Bananas’ hands (peels?).
Their last tournament was $595 per player. $595 × 1M kids is, well, I’m not good at math, but probably something like 595 million banana peels.
🪧 Study: Youth Sports Sponsorships Deliver Major ROI
Six out of 10 youth sports parents will buy from businesses that sponsor their kid’s team or program, according to a study from Priority Partnerships and YouGov.
The full report can be accessed here for free— here are some of the highlights that stood out:
Youth sports sponsorships are wildly popular: The meltdowns we often see whenever a pro team puts a small brand patch on their jersey apparently do not trickle down.
84% of parents view youth sports sponsorships positively
57% of U.S. adults view youth sports sponsorships positively
Combined positive/neutral opinions are 97% and 93%, respectively
Attention grabbers: The study found a youth sports team sponsorship has an 81% chance to grab a parent’s attention — delivering 1.5x the impact of pro/college sports team sponsorships and 2.5x of influencer marketing.
Overall impacts: 60% of youth sports parents will make a purchase from a sponsor.
80% of youth sports parents will choose the brand that sponsors their kid’s team when deciding between products of similar cost and quality
74% of youth sports parents say sponsoring their kid’s team is more effective than a TV commercial
68% of parents are more likely to buy from a youth sports sponsor than a pro team sponsor
🏈 New Host For NFL Flag Championships
The event’s third edition will be held at Grand Park Sports Campus in Westfield, Indianapolis, after two years at the Hall of Fame Village in Canton, Ohio.
The NFL and RCX Sports bill the event as the world’s biggest youth flag tournament.
Runs July 23-26
Over 350 boys and girls teams expected from around the globe
ABC, ESPN and various streaming platforms will carry games
Some international market broadcasts
Late Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay was a big proponent of girls flag football in Indiana before his death; his three daughters now run the franchise and have continued to support the sport in the state.
🤝 TeamSnap Renews Partnership With Brightspeed
The youth sports platform will continue to work with the fiber builder to support youth sports in underserved communities within Brightspeed’s coverage areas.
Over 80 leagues across 20 states impacted
Scholarships for over 38K athletes over program history (counting 2026)
National brands have invested over $19M in local leagues through TeamSnap’s sponsorship platform
🔗 Youth Sports Links
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Good game.