Youth Athletes United

What Youth Athletes United does

Youth Athletes United is a multi-brand youth sports franchise platform formed in November 2021 to consolidate five established youth sports brands under a single corporate parent. The company's portfolio comprises Soccer Stars (youth soccer, ages 1-18), Amazing Athletes (multi-sport education across 10+ sports, ages 1-7), TGA Premier Sports (golf, tennis, and team sports, ages 6-16), JumpBunch (variety sports and fitness activities, ages 2-6), and Little Rookies Baseball (baseball fundamentals, ages 2-6). Programs are delivered in-person at schools, community centers, childcare facilities, and private venues under proprietary, age-specific curricula, with no brick-and-mortar retail footprint. The platform reaches over 200,000 children annually across 291 exclusive franchise territories in 36 states, supported by a network of 300+ franchisees and 54 corporately-owned Soccer Stars locations in major markets. The company's stated goal is to impact 1 million children per year.

The company operates a franchise-licensed GTM motion, recruiting entrepreneurs through a 3-step digital inquiry process, franchise expos, and brand ambassador partnerships with professional athletes including Trinity Rodman (soccer), Leylah Fernandez (tennis), Danny Guise (golf), and Ben Grieve (baseball). Revenue is generated through one-time initial franchise fees (ranging from $27,950 for the Amazing Athletes Basic Package to $70,000 for large TGA Premier Sports territories), ongoing royalty payments as a percentage of franchisee gross sales, and direct revenue from corporately-owned Soccer Stars operations. A 10% multi-brand or multi-territory discount encourages franchisees to stack brands within a geography. Total disclosed system-wide revenue reached $47 million, having roughly doubled in under three years through organic franchise growth and strategic brand acquisitions (Soccer Stars, Amazing Athletes, and JumpBunch in 2018; TGA in 2021; Little Rookies in June 2022).

The customer base is dual: (i) franchisee entrepreneurs, who are the primary B2B revenue source and are supported by 15+ national and regional preferred partner relationships with early-childhood education networks (Learning Care Group, Kiddie Academy, Big Blue Marble Academy, Ivybrook Academy, Champions, Celebree, Creme School, Lightbridge Academy, and others) that provide ready venue access; and (ii) end-consumer families with children ages 1-18, a long-tail B2C base purchasing programming at the class or season level. Leadership is co-founder-driven, with CEO Adam Geisler and President John Erlandson supported by CDO Carmen Bellavia, CFO Khalil Haddad, and CMO Dean Simpson. The company is privately held, headquartered in New York, and discloses no external funding rounds in the available source material.

Name

Youth Athletes United

Legal name

Youth Athletes United

Website

https://youthathletesunited.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Youth Athletes United is a New York-based multi-brand youth sports franchise platform operating five brands (Soccer Stars, Amazing Athletes, TGA Premier Sports, JumpBunch, Little Rookies Baseball) that deliver age-specific sports curricula to 200,000+ children annually across 291 franchise territories in 36 states, reaching franchisee entrepreneurs and end-consumer families.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Sports Franchise Services

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth & Scholastic Sports Organizations (K–12, AAU, Club Leagues) (MPAKACAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Licensing, Merchandising & Co-Branded Products (Sponsored Merchandise, Collabs) (MPAKALAE)

Keywords

• Youth sports franchising
• Sports enrichment programs
• Youth athletics education
• Multi-sport franchise
• Children sports training

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Franchise Fees: Initial franchise fees paid by new franchisees upon signing. Fees vary by brand: Amazing Athletes Complete Program ranges from $35,450-$43,450; Basic Package ranges from $27,950-$33,450; TGA Premier Sports franchise fee ranges from $30,000-$70,000.
2. Royalty Fees: Ongoing royalty payments from franchisees, typically calculated as a percentage of gross sales. The company reports 100% cash-on-cash return potential by end of first year for franchisees.
3. Multi-Unit Franchise Revenue: Revenue from franchisees who own multiple units across multiple territories and brands. The company offers a 10% discount on initial franchise fees for multi-brand/multi-territory purchases.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Youth Athletes United operates a multi-brand youth sports franchise platform selling franchise rights to entrepreneurs across five brands: Soccer Stars (youth soccer ages 1-18), Amazing Athletes (multi-sport education ages 1-7, 10+ sports), TGA Premier Sports (golf, tennis, and team sports ages 6-16), JumpBunch (70+ variety activities ages 2-6), and Little Rookies Baseball (ages 2-6). Franchisees deliver proprietary age-appropriate sports curricula at schools, community centers, and private venues, generating revenue for the franchisor through initial franchise fees ($27,950-$70,000) and ongoing royalties.

Product overview

Youth Athletes United operates a multi-brand youth sports franchise platform consisting of five distinct programs: Soccer Stars (soccer for ages 1-18), Amazing Athletes (multi-sport education for ages 1-7), TGA Premier Sports (golf, tennis, and team sports for ages 6-16), Little Rookies Baseball (baseball for ages 2-6), and JumpBunch (variety sports activities for ages 2-6). The platform offers franchise opportunities at investment levels under $100,000, with the goal of impacting over one million children annually through sports enrichment programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Soccer Stars: Youth soccer programs for children ages 1-18, offering the nation's most popular youth soccer programs with crib-to-college programming.
• Amazing Athletes
• TGA Premier Sports
• JumpBunch
• Little Rookies Baseball

Products and services

• Soccer Stars Franchise Franchise opportunity for the largest corporate-run youth soccer program in the U.S., offering crib-to-college soccer programming for children ages 1-18 with age-specific curricula. Franchisees deliver programs in their exclusive territories at schools, community centers, and private venues.
• Amazing Athletes Franchise Franchise opportunity for the largest multi-sport education program teaching 10+ sports (soccer, hockey, volleyball, basketball, tennis, lacrosse, football, track and field, baseball, golf) to children ages 1-7 with nutrition and muscle education. Offered in Complete Program ($35,450-$43,450 franchise fee) and Basic Package ($27,950-$33,450) tiers.
• TGA Premier Sports Franchise Franchise opportunity for the only youth sports franchise specializing in golf and tennis enrichment, plus team sports (volleyball, cheerleading, ultimate, floor hockey, lacrosse, flag football) for children ages 6-16. Programs can be delivered in any open environment without requiring access to a course or court. Franchise fees range $30,000-$70,000.
• JumpBunch Franchise Franchise opportunity for an enrichment-based sports and fitness program offering more than 70 different activities for children ages 2-6, with new activities each week focused on variety, movement, and active play.
• Little Rookies Baseball Franchise Franchise opportunity for a youth baseball program teaching proper fundamentals of throwing, catching, hitting, fielding, and baserunning in age-appropriate groupings (Parent & Me for age 2, Minors ages 3-4, Majors ages 5-6).

Quantifiable outcome

• System-wide revenue of $47 million, doubled in less than 3 years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Ben GrievecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 April 2022Former MLB All-Star (Oakland A's, Tampa Bay Rays) serves as Brand Ambassador. Helps impact Little Rookies Baseball, Amazing Athletes, and JumpBunch franchisees through local programming, clinics, and baseball knowledge sharing.
• Danny GuiseflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 February 2022Professional golfer and former Wake Forest University player serves as TGA Premier Golf ambassador. Works with TGA franchisees through social media, digital class content, clinics, and personal appearances. Qualified for Sony Open on PGA Tour in January 2023.
• Leylah FernandezflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022Professional tennis player (WTA ranking No. 24) and 2021 Canadian Press Athlete of the Year serves as youth sports ambassador. Promotes YAU efforts on social media and through digital content, hosting tennis clinics for young players.
• Trinity RodmanflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerProfessional soccer player and 2021 NWSL Rookie of the Year serves as Brand Ambassador for Youth Athletes United. Rodman, who was a participant in Amazing Athletes as a child, promotes all YAU brands through social media, video content, local franchise clinics, and personal appearances. She co-brands clinics with Amazing Athletes and Soccer Stars franchisees.
• Big Blue Marble AcademycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNational early childhood education provider that welcomes Youth Athletes United programming in its facilities. Part of preferred partner network for school and facility relationships.
• Ivybrook AcademycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEarly childhood education network that hosts Youth Athletes United sports enrichment programs. Part of preferred partner network.
• Learning Care GroupcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLarge national early education provider that offers Youth Athletes United programming at its facilities. Part of preferred partner network.
• Kiddie AcademycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNational childcare provider that hosts Youth Athletes United sports enrichment programs. Part of preferred partner network.
• ChampionscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSchool-age childcare provider that offers Youth Athletes United programming as part of its enrichment offerings.
• United States Tennis Association (USTA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSTA worked with TGA to create the only youth sports franchise model in tennis. Strategic partnership to develop and promote youth tennis programming.
• TGA Sports FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation arm of TGA Premier Sports that provides access for all children and promotes physical, educational, social, and character-building elements of sports. Extends programming reach beyond standard franchise territories.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Skyhawks Sports Academy: Youth sports franchise offering multi-sport programs (soccer, basketball, baseball, volleyball, tennis, golf, flag football) for ages 4-14. Delivers programming through schools, parks, and community centers using a franchise model that closely parallels YAU's mobile, no-facility approach.
• Goldfish Swim School: Largest franchised children's swim school in North America, offering swim lessons for ages 4 months to 12 years. Competes for the same family's discretionary enrichment dollars, with a similarly low investment threshold and a strong franchise-industry profile.
• My Gym Children's Fitness Center: Franchised children's fitness and movement program offering structured classes for ages 6 weeks to 10 years. Competes for the same parent-of-young-children customer segment and operates in a similar low-cost franchise investment tier.
• The Little Gym: Globally franchised children's motor-skills and gymnastics program for ages 4 months to 12 years. While delivered in proprietary studios rather than mobile, it targets the same young-child sports enrichment buyer and is a leading comparable in the children's sports franchise category.
• i9 Sports: Multi-sport youth sports franchise offering flag football, soccer, basketball, baseball, cheerleading, and volleyball programs for ages 3-13. Operates a similar franchise-driven, mobile (non-facility) delivery model targeting parents of young athletes, making it the closest direct comparable to Youth Athletes United's franchise platform.
• Lil' Kickers: Franchised youth soccer program for ages 18 months to 9 years, with curriculum-driven classes. Directly comparable to YAU's Soccer Stars brand in target age, content, and franchise structure.
• Gymboree Play & Music: Franchised play, music, and movement classes for ages 0-5. Targets the same early-childhood enrichment parent and operates a comparable franchise fee structure, making it a strong comparable for the ages-1-7 portion of YAU's portfolio.

Emerging players

• British Swim School: Franchised swim school for children and adults, operating through partner pools (mobile model). Shares the franchise-driven, low-investment children's enrichment positioning but is single-sport rather than multi-sport.
• US Sports Camps (Nike Sports Camps): Operator of youth sports camps across multiple disciplines under the Nike brand. Shares YAU's multi-sport, age-segmented approach but is camp-based rather than recurring-class-based.

Broad incumbents

• YMCA: Largest community-based youth sports provider in the U.S., offering multi-sport programming through local branches. Represents the non-franchise, broad-based incumbent against which YAU competes for parents, schools, and community venue access.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/youth-athletes-united

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Youth Athletes United