This is Buying Sandlot — the only newsletter that focuses solely on the business of youth sports.
Massive send today.
In the email today:
🏈 Under Armour Teams Up With NFL Flag
The apparel giant announced it is a new official sponsor of NFL Flag as part of the rollout for its new “We Are Football” campaign.
UA’s new ad features youth 7-on-7 players, Minnesota Vikings star Justin Jefferson and several other NFL players, women’s flag football standout Diana Flores, and other celebrities and influencers.
Ad Age covered UA’s new approach with Gen Z through flag football here (paywall).
The NFL Flag partnership is UA’s latest investment in the youth football space:
Partnered with Unrivaled Sports on its flag football operations
Hosts the Future 50 7-on-7 event at IMG Academy (which it has a long-term apparel deal with)
Supports several dozen girls HS flag teams in Maryland and Washington D.C. with the Commanders and Ravens
UA will exclusively outfit Team USA men’s and women’s flag football at the 2028 Olympics.
Toyota also leaned in on youth flag football when it launched its NFL campaign last night during the Cowboys-Eagles opener. The “All In, All Season” ad included shots of a girls practice and Eli Manning handing out jerseys to kids.
Toyota will sponsor over 300K NFL Flag scholarships this year, according to AdWeek.
The roughly 700 dealerships nationwide donate over $3M annually and contribute in varying ways — registration fees, new program launches, equipment and jersey funding.
Toyota will also host the Toyota Glow Up Classic again after Super Bowl LX in the Bay Area — an event where players compete in glowing jerseys under blacklights. A similar event was held earlier this year in New Orleans.
🏟️ The Shopify of Youth Sports Tournaments*
There are only a handful of companies that deserve the moniker: The Shopify of [X].
That’s because it’s rare when one platform can cover all of a business’ needs in a single interface.
EventConnect is the Shopify of sports tournaments.
It’s the leading no-cost platform built specifically for organizers who juggle schedules and hotel blocks in the same breath.
registration
rostering
payments
real-time performance reports
lodging and more
Their proprietary HousingConnect tech bolts room blocking and booking straight onto checkout, delivering the best online group rates while parents still have their credit cards out.
This means up to:
30% more room night reservations
24% savings on team hotel costs
EventConnect already powers 9,000 events, taps 30,000 hotels across 800 destinations, and backs it all with class-leading customer support.
Want to join them?
*Sponsor
🍺 Youth Sports Complex Gets Alcohol Sales OK
The Huntington Beach (Calif.) Sports Complex received city approval to sell beer and wine despite local pushback about mixing booze and youth sports.
Consumption and sales are confined to two outdoor dining areas
Drinks must be consumed at a table— no sales before noon
Complex management must have security on hand and “solid barriers” separating the areas
The Los Angeles Times reported “dozens” of people spoke out against the proposal before it received sign-off, arguing the areas are too close to playgrounds inside the complex and expressing concerns about violence and drunk driving.
The complex said it expects to generate $500K in revenue annually.
The complex also hosts adult sports.
I am working to report more on alcohol sales at youth sports complexes and facilities.
I would love to hear from you — [email protected] — if you have experience or expertise.
🏐 SportsEngine Links With Major Volleyball Club
The NBC-owned youth sports technology platform has signed a multi-year deal with Juniors Volleyball Club.
JVC said it serves over 20K families in three Midwestern states - Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin - and is one of the nation’s fastest growing youth sports organizations.
JVC’s affiliated clubs will use SportsEngine to manage operations
SportsEngine’s Advanced Event Systems will be used exclusively to operate JVC tournaments
AES will handle management, registration and scheduling
JVC has nine clubs in its footprint offering year-round training for athletes ages 8-18— it also hosts 50+ days of tournament events each year that it says drive millions in local economic impact.
AES has managed almost 30K volleyball events since 2015, according to SportsEngine.
⚽️ MLS Team Makes 3-Year Academy Commitments
Chicago Fire FC will guarantee all new academy players at least three years in its program.
Most academies nationwide offer one-year registrations
Renewals are based on annual assessments and other metrics
Chicago FC’s U13 players will be registered through their U15 season starting this year
Players receive another three-year commitment — through U18 competition — if retained
The model “emphasizes security, trust and mental well-being,” according to the club.
Two takeaways here — one surface-level and one more in-depth.
1) Youth sports are becoming more professionalized. No one wants to play (or coach or GM) on one-year deals at the highest level. Why should youth athletes and families be any different? This seems like a natural place for things to move.
2) One of the big issues a recent academic review of Canada’s national soccer systems mentioned was how talent ID and development programs often work against late bloomers.
The approach the Fire is taking does a good deal to protect against that inefficiency.
It won’t be perfect — there will be U15 players that are let go and then come into their own elsewhere. But it will improve long-term outcomes on the whole. As will the emphasis on mental health, etc.
⚾️ Perfect Game Partners With BatWraps
Perfect Game has teamed up with BatWraps, the custom-designed bat wrap maker owned by Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts.
BatWraps will be PG’s official bat wrap provider — the latest in a series of drip partnerships that include Bruce Bolt batting gloves, Pioneer belts and SQAIRZ cleats, among others.
BatWraps products and live customization stations will be present at major PG events
BatWraps is working with PG’s operations team to ensure its wraps meet all in-game use requirements.
Each wrap has a clear inspection window — allowing umpires to verify bat specifications without compromising compliance or safety.
🧢 Youth Sports News & Notes
The NFL’s Chicago Bears donated $50K to the Rockford Park, Illinois, school district to fund a new middle school girls flag football league. The team was involved in launching a high school league in the area back in 2022. The Bears also donated turf previously used in their indoor complex to create a warm-up area at a youth sports complex in the district.
A state legislator in Pennsylvania had her sign on the fence at a youth sports complex vandalized. The lawmaker alleges the incident was politically motivated.
The largest youth group organization in Washington D.C. is embroiled in a salacious legal battle. A former DC Soccer Club director is alleging his boss harassed him while the club is countersuing, accusing the ex-employee of trying to form a rival club in violation of his contract.
📋 Job Alert: Coordinator, Rugby Growth & Community Outreach -- Anthem Rugby Carolina
This job is a bit different, as experience playing or coaching rugby is required. But if that is you, Major League Rugby's franchise in Charlotte is hiring a new coordinator for community outreach and growth initiatives.
This role will focus on introducing rugby to local schools, supporting existing youth and adult programs, and building strong connections between the community and the professional club.
Another note: Anthem RC is funded by USA Rugby and World Rugby and has a fully domestic roster to help the U.S. men’s national team qualify for the 2027 World Cup and be prepared to host the 2031 World Cup.
The full job posting can be found on LinkedIn.
🔗 Youth Sports Links
Girls hoops participation drops in another state (reminder: per a 2024 report, girls high school basketball is down 20% over the last two decades— now the fourth most popular girls high school sport)
We’re new— help us build up our social media accounts by following along:
Good game.