Since the acquisition of both Soccer Stars and Amazing Athletes, Youth Athletes United has doubled its revenue in less than three years via organic growth and strategic advertising. With the addition of TGA Premier Sports, JumpBunch, and Little Rookies to the platform, the company now stands at $47 million in system-wide revenue.
The popular youth sports training and activity programs combined forces under the umbrella of newly formed parent company Youth Athletes United earlier this year.
Under the direction of its co-founders — CEO Adam Geisler and President John Erlandson — it’s a perfect time for Youth Athletes United to emerge as a key player in the multi-brand franchisor category.
Most importantly, with over 290 franchise units and counting, and with Soccer Stars, JumpBunch, and Little Rookies launching as additional franchise options in 2022, Youth Athletes United is getting closer every day to reaching its goal of impacting more than one million kids every year.
“With the only real costs incurred being equipment, our franchisees are really set up to succeed and be profitable in the first 90 days,” said Erlandson. “There’s a 100% cash-on-cash return potential by the end of the first year in business, which is hard to find in other opportunities today.”
Youth Athletes United Brings Together 5 Top Youth Sports Brands
After a long career in sports business development, Geisler and his team came across the opportunity to combine each of the five brands, starting in September 2018. Almost exactly three years later, in September 2021, the team created now-parent company Youth Athletes United in an effort to streamline the franchise opportunities and maximize the brands’ reach. Youth Athletes United is working to complete its mission of creating the largest youth sports franchise platform in the country, where every child can enjoy learning the fundamentals of the sport while having fun.
All brands under the Youth Athletes United umbrella are well-established with sports-specific vertical curricula, a strong customer base and 15 to 20 years of operation each.
Founded more than 20 years ago in Manhattan and just now preparing to launch a franchise option with Youth Athletes United, Soccer Stars is the largest corporate-run youth sports program in the U.S. for kids ages 2 and up. After more than 18 years in operation, TGA Premier Sports is the No. 1 golf and tennis enrichment brand in the country. Amazing Athletes is the largest multi-sport sports education program in the country, where instructors teach sports fundamentals, nutrition and muscle groups in this preschool-based program. Similar to Amazing Athletes and with 20 years in operation, JumpBunch offers an opportunity to run sports and fitness activity programs for children in preschools, schools, camps and for birthday parties across micro-territories. Little Rookies is a youth baseball program that teaches athletic skills and supports physical and personal development, empowering children ages 2 to 6 through the sport of baseball.
Through these five verticals, families have the opportunity to nurture a child’s love of sports from the age of two through middle school, something that sets Youth Athletes United apart from the competition and empowers life-long athletes.
“The most telling event, I think, was when our U14 [soccer] team won nationals in 2018,” said Dean Simpson, Chief Programs Officer. “The majority of those kids started with us [at Soccer Stars] at age three or four. It really shows that sports at that age need to be more than just running around and chasing a ball. Learning cues at that early stage are important. As it stands now, most kids typically stop playing sports at 6-8 years old. Children need to have a supportive outlet and the confidence to get out and play, so we are really working to undo this statistic.”
Why Youth Athletes United Franchisees Can Anticipate a Boom in Growth In 2022
Families spend an average of $693 on one youth sport per year, driving the $19 billion youth sports market. Youth Athletes United owners are well-positioned to capture a share of this market, with evolving programs that have pivoted seamlessly through challenging economic conditions.
During the first year of COVID-19, nearly 50% of Youth Athletes United’s revenue came from private groups. In the previous year, that number was only 3%. As they look ahead to next year, the Youth Athletes United team believes they’ll still continue to see an increased number of private groups, with projections accounting for about 10% to 15% of their revenue.
Top growth markets for 2022 include major cities in Connecticut, Virginia, Maryland, Tennessee, Nevada, and Texas — but Youth Athletes United isn’t limiting its expansion to major markets.
“There is a McDonald’s in every small town in America, and there is no reason that there shouldn’t be a small business owner there making a good living with Youth Athletes United,” Geisler said. “There’s something special in even the smallest of markets.”
The leadership team says the ideal Youth Athletes United franchisee is one who buys multiple brands across multiple territories, regardless of distance. They’re business-minded and willing to invest. For example, someone might own two brands across verticals spanning preschool to elementary school-aged kids within the same territory — a natural progression for a youth athlete. For this option, Youth Athletes United extends a 10% discount on its initial franchise fee.
Youth Athletes United goes above and beyond to support its owners, who are promised instant access to anybody on the corporate team at any time. They provide operational support manuals to clearly lay out what a franchisee should do, and they’re constantly investing in software and tech with a relentless desire to innovate.
How Youth Athletes United Has Shown Resilience and Modernization Amid the Pandemic
Youth Athletes United franchisees will be met with opportunities, like the latest in technological offerings, a flexible work schedule, no required brick-and-mortar and a resilient business model that offers both group and private lessons — a valuable option in times of social distancing.
“Before we established Youth Athletes United, there was little to no modernization to our industry, whether in the curriculum, the technology or the product itself,” said Geisler. “We’ve found new and unique ways to service curriculum and activities that haven’t been done before that allow us to meet families where they are rather than force them to meet at one singular location. So whether we’re doing private groups at people’s homes, or we’re running classes inside of malls or at the local field, we look at how we can continue to provide more programming content to more kids to reach our million-kids-a-year goal for our business.”
In an era where parents are spending massive amounts of money on their children, youth sports present a near-recession-proof opportunity. With the chance to buy into multiple units across multiple territories and brands, a Youth Athletes United franchise opportunity boasts a low investment relative to return on capital.
Many schools and even daycare centers are incentivized to prioritize academic work, leaving physical education largely neglected. Youth Athletes United addresses this gap in the curriculum. As reported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “adolescents who play sports are eight times more likely to be physically active at age 24 than those who do not play sports,” making the skills taught by the Youth Athletes United team a part of the foundation for healthy habits that can last a lifetime. The same report credits youth sports with increased life skills, leadership qualities, self-esteem and lower rates of anxiety and depression.
Today, Youth Athletes United has 134 franchise owners in more than 290 territories across 36 states in the U.S. The entire Youth Athletes United team shares the belief that every child is an athlete, and it has the ultimate goal of giving kids of all ages an engaging, supportive experience that will keep them in sports their whole lives.
“There isn’t really a space in child athletics that involves such a robust curriculum and organized progression,” Geisler said. “We’ve always worked to meet the parents and their children where they are, even if it meant amping up our small group sessions throughout COVID. We aim to be the premier youth sports organization in the nation.”
Amazing Athletes currently offers two franchise programs: The total investment to begin operation of this franchised business ranges from $33,550 to $64,950, including between $27,000 and $40,000 that must be paid to the franchisor. For more information, visit https://amazingathletesfranchise.com/.
The total cost to open a TGA Premier Sports franchise ranges from $42,250-$112,550, which includes a franchise fee of $30,000-$80,000. For more information, visit https://www.franchisetga.com/.
Franchise opportunities for JumpBunch will begin in 2022. Learn more about the brand here: Learn more about franchising here: https://www.jumpbunch.com/franchise.
Franchising opportunities for Soccer Stars will begin in 2022. Learn more about the brand here: https://soccerstars.com/.
Franchising opportunities for Little Rookies will begin in 2022. Learn more about the brand here: https://littlerookies.com/
About Youth Athletes United
Established youth sports and activities brands Amazing Athletes, Soccer Stars, TGA Premier Sports, JumpBunch, and Little Rookies Baseball come together under parent company, Youth Athletes United. With 15 – 20 years of success for each individual brand, a total 290+ units and 250,000+ children instructed nationwide each year, Youth Athletes United has earned trust in each community they touch. The brand’s overarching mission is to empower kids through sports by teaching them how to have fun while learning the fundamentals, with a goal of positively impacting one million kids annually through their programming.
About Amazing Athletes
Amazing Athletes, founded in 2003, uses a multi-sport program to benefit children physically, mentally, socially, and emotionally. The program introduces the fundamentals of 10 different sports (soccer, hockey, volleyball, basketball, tennis, lacrosse, football, track and field, baseball, and golf) in a non-competitive environment. Children in Amazing Athletes routinely gain greater confidence, learn to combine fitness with fun, and develop 6 key motor skills: balancing, running, jumping, throwing, catching and kicking. For more information and to find out about franchise opportunities, currently covering 30 states and over 50,000 kids annually, visit www.amazingathletes.com.
About Soccer Stars
New York-based Soccer Stars was founded in 2000 and is the largest corporately run youth soccer program in the country. Soccer Stars’ goal is to use the soccer ball as a vehicle to help children improve their soccer skills while at the same time building self-confidence, enhancing gross motor skills, honing socialization skills, and developing physical literacy. Dynamic local and international coaches work with small groups of boys and girls to develop these skills and teamwork in a fun, non-competitive, educational environment. Soccer Stars operates in over 25 major markets reaching over 110,000 children each year. Additional information is available at http://www.soccerstars.com.
About TGA Premier Sports
TGA Premier Sports (TGA) is a leading introductory and recreational youth sports programming company specializing in golf, tennis and team sports (cheerleading, flag football, floor hockey, lacrosse, ultimate and volleyball). Through an innovative franchise business model, TGA empowers passionate entrepreneurs to impact the lives of youth and families by bringing youth sports enrichment programs into their communities.
TGA franchises can be found in more than 77 markets across 23 states (plus Washington D.C.), as well as in Canada. Its continued growth has impacted 825,000+ youth and made these sports available to 1.75 million families through its education-based programs and the TGA Sports Foundation, which provides access for all children and promotes the physical, educational, social, and character-building elements of these sports.
Entrepreneur Media, through its magazine and website, has recognized the company as a Top Low-Cost Franchise, a Top 10 Franchise Value, included TGA in the Franchise 500® and named TGA Premier Golf as one of the Hottest Franchises in recent years. For more information about TGA Premier Sports, visit www.playtga.com.
About JumpBunch
Founded in 1997, established youth sports and activities brand JumpBunch has more than 20 years of success. JumpBunch is an enrichment-based program for kids ages 4 through 6 to participate in more than 70 activities. With a focus on variety, kids experience something new every week. JumpBunch programming is focused on movement, having fun and being active.
About Little Rookies
The first step in a child’s journey through the sport of baseball, Little Rookies aims to positively impact children and support their physical and personal development, teaching proper fundamental baseball techniques for throwing, catching, hitting, fielding, and baserunning, all while having fun. Beyond establishing a foundation for proper baseball techniques, the youth baseball program is designed to help children build self-confidence, embrace teamwork, develop sportsmanship and learn the importance of physical activity.
