This is Buying Sandlot — the only newsletter that focuses solely on the business of youth sports.
We are approaching 350 registered attendees for the Buying Sandlot Summit, and have a hard cap at 400. So if you haven’t gotten your tickets yet, now is the time.
We’re also rolling out the official event app so attendees can network with each other (in this email).
Let’s get to it.
In the email today:
🎽 Varsity Brands Makes Apparel Acquisitions
Varsity Brands’ mystery acquisition turned out to be a double.
The KKR-owned youth sports platform bought Lax.com and Sports Endeavors, according to Sportico. The latter is a holding company with three properties — Soccer.com, World Soccer Shop and 431 Sports.
The deals make VB’s already-substantial apparel business even bigger. The company owns BSN Sports — the nation’s biggest distributor in the space — and Club Direct, a BSN division that works exclusively with clubs and provides quick turnarounds on custom uniforms. The Varsity Spirit cheer and dance vertical also distributes apparel.
Sports Endeavors bills itself as "the largest soccer, lacrosse and rugby retailer in the world” and also provides baseball, softball and volleyball services. That deal was in the $300M to $400M range, according to the report.
Lax.com is exactly as it sounds — a one-stop lacrosse retailer. The size of that deal was not reported.
The big get bigger in the youth sports apparel and equipment game. You can’t really build scale at this level— you have to acquire it. We’ll aim to dig deeper into this one in the coming weeks.
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You wouldn't ever play a game without coaches or referee.
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ATs are a critical part of event management, but hiring one is something too many operators overlook. They are responsible for keeping athletes, participants and the environment safe from well before the opening whistle until after the final buzzer.
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Return-to-play decisions
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Response time and coordination can make a major difference in a true emergency. An AT helps ensure the reaction is prepared, not chaotic.
Go4 is determined to place an AT on every sideline — and to make hiring one easy. Get one for your next event with Go4 right here.
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🏟️ Buying Sandlot Summit Attendee App Now Available For Download
I’m happy to announce that our event app includes the full list of attendees and allows them to connect with and message each other (this feature is in beta from the tech platform we’re using, so please be mindful that it’s not perfect!).
It also of course includes all event details, speakers, sponsors, and the agenda. So it’s a must-download for anyone attending. Here’s how to get it:
1) Visit the Apple or Google Play App Stores and download the “Go Attend” by Swoogo app.
2) Log in using THE EMAIL ADDRESS YOU USED TO REGISTER FOR THE CONFERENCE (this is the only way to get access— if someone else in your organization registered you, confirm which email address they used for your registration) and you should automatically get access to the Buying Sandlot Summit.
From there, you can browse the event agenda (which is about 90% complete at this point), see speakers and sponsors, and connect with other attendees.
We still have tickets available, but we are approaching our limit and may sell out prior to the event.
🧠 Ex-NCAA CMO Takes Bigger Role At Koomba
Former NCAA chief medical officer Dr. Brian Hainline has expanded his role with the health and wellness support platform, Buying Sandlot has learned.
Hainline — also a former USTA president — will now serve as Koomba’s senior advisor for health, safety and governance.
Koomba connects families with dietitians, sports psychologists and mental performance coaches; it also works with collegiate athletics departments.
“I saw it could really make a difference in the youth sports market,” Hainline said. “Especially when we’re talking about developmentally appropriate activities. There’s just an absence of guidance in that entire market.”
Hainline said he has “very serious concerns” about the increasing professionalization of youth sports and its impacts.
“I see Koomba, when we’re talking about mental well-being, mental performance and nutrition, really being the bedrock and foundation of what’s really important in youth sports,” he said. “I believe they can do it right, and do it with an ethical foundation. Those are the things I’m very interested about in the youth sports landscape. After all, we’re talking about the most sacred asset on this planet, and that’s our children.”
We’ll have more from our conversation with Hainline next week.
🏈 Unrivaled Sports, Drew Brees Launch Flag Academy
The youth sports behemoth and new Hall of Famer will team up on Unrivaled Flag Academy, which is billed as "a three-day training and tournament experience for competitive flag athletes."
Unrivaled partnered with Brees last year when his Football N’ America platform joined its flag vertical.
7 locations across U.S. in June and July
Individual registration at $575 per athlete
Age groups by birth year (2011-18 for boys; 2008-18 for girls)
3 training sessions led by UFA coaches
Teams formed for tournament play; participants guaranteed three games
Combine testing add-on option for verified player profiles
Gear package for athletes
Brees will attend “select events”
Registration is open for most of the locations. The top players at each regional event will be invited to compete at the Unrivaled Flag Academy Nationals on Dec. 11-13 at Rocker B Ranch in Graford, Texas.
Quick Take: Unrivaled joins Perfect Game and the Savannah Bananas in the growing trend of individual registration for tournament-style events — families can get a elite competition/travel experience without the massive commitment of a club team. Also worth keeping in mind — GameChanger recently rolled out multi-cam streaming at Rocker B Ranch as part of the Dick’s Sporting Goods/Unrivaled/GC partnership.
🪖 U.S. Army Plans Youth Sports Complex
Fort Bliss wants to turn a now-defunct golf course on base into a multi-field facility.
The Army said the 124-acre complex would sit outside the base’s walls, allowing it to serve the civilian population as well as families stationed there.
The complex would be equipped to host regional tournaments — an issue in the El Paso, Texas, area since the closest metropolitan areas are at least four hours away.
10 turf fields
Capacity to serve up to 3K youth athletes and families
Playgrounds, splash pad
Running loop
Concessions
Expanded parking
Potential for indoor fieldhouse
Environmental work is already underway. Several potential private funding partners have been identified; the base is also seeking grants.
Economic impact would largely hinge on how many tournaments the complex could host in its first year, officials said. But optimistic projections suggest it could generated over 1K jobs and over $16M in combined federal and state taxes (part of Fort Bliss is in New Mexico) with an economic output of up to around $130M.
⚾️ Perfect Game Headed To Philly
The 2026 Perfect Game Dick’s All-American Classic will be played at Citizens Bank Park this August, about a month after the stadium hosts the MLB All-Star Game.
It’s the first time the baseball developmental platform has brought the event to the East Coast in 21 years.
CBP will also host this year’s MLB All-Star Game.
PG All-Star Game, Aug. 14 at 11 a.m. ET
Launch Hydrate Home Run Challenge, Aug. 15 at TBA
All-American Classic, Aug. 16 at 5 p.m. ET
The All-American Classic features 60 of the nation’s top high school players. Former Phillies manager Charlie Manuel has been named the event’s honorary chairman.
A sign of how PG and the event have grown over the last two decades: The 2005 edition was played at a minor league park in Aberdeen, Maryland.
🧱 Facilities Arms Race Update: Chattanooga, Tenn.
Hamilton County officials are being urged to build an indoor complex with 10-12 basketball courts and 20-24 (!) volleyball courts.
A study commissioned by Chattanooga’s parks and outdoors department and KemperSports concluded the region is losing millions in sports tourism revenues without an indoor venue. The estimated price tag for the project would be in the $53M to $62M range.
The study also advocated for existing outdoor facilities to be overhauled. The county’s mayor has already made it clear he supports the projects.
There are a lot of cities and towns in America with dreams of becoming a youth sports mecca.
But Chattanooga is one that is justified to think big.
It’s the nation's No. 86 media market and a top-100 greater metro area.
Atlanta, Birmingham, Knoxville and Nashville are all a two-hour drive away.
Three interstates run through the city and you can fly direct to over a dozen different East Coast and Midwest cities from its airport.
In other words: There may be some substance to the feasibility study sizzle.
🏢 More Youth Sports Facilities News
Baltimore: Mayor Brandon Scott has earmarked $20M in the city’s annual budget for a complex. But he declined to offer specifics when asked by reporters, only saying the facilities would be controlled by the city.
Northlake, Texas: The $45M Children’s Health StarCenter Multisport facility has opened. It has two NHL-size rinks and eight basketball courts/16 volleyball courts. It is part of the Dallas Stars’ controversial network of public-private ice venues.
Ontario, Canada: The provincial government has pledged $300M in funds to build and upgrade sports and recreational facilities. The move comes after an initial round of $200M in investments.
Pittsburgh: The city has received $600K in donations to upgrade its baseball fields. The Pirates will spend $300K on laser-grading equipment and a labor group will buy $300K in new scoreboards.
📺 The Real Housewives of Travel Ball
Paramount+ has greenlit “Team Moms,” a reality series following the coaches, athletes and families of Legendary Prep Academy, an elite baseball program in Scottsdale, Arizona.
The logline, via Variety:
Willing to do whatever it takes for their children to excel at America’s favorite pastime, the intensity of the program is only paralleled by the fervor of its athlete’s parents, who will stop at nothing to ensure their kids make it to the big leagues.
Kim Kardashian is an executive producer. Her production house will collaborate with Paramount Sports Entertainment and ITV America on the project.
🔗 Youth Sports Links
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Good game.