American Youth Football

What American Youth Football does

American Youth Football, Inc. (AYF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation founded in 1996 that operates as a support services organization for youth football and cheer programs across the United States and 9+ international markets. Its core service is a membership model — local leagues, associations, and teams pay $40-$45 per team per season to receive 501(c)(3) subordinate tax-exempt status, discounted insurance through Sadler, volume pricing on Wilson footballs, OPRO mouthguards, and Rebel Athletics cheer uniforms, plus eligibility for eight regional tournaments and the annual AYF National Championships held at the Naples/Paradise Coast Sports Complex in Florida (football) and Kissimmee Sports in Florida (cheer).

The technology stack underpinning membership and game operations is built on third-party SaaS rather than proprietary AI: PlayAYF, the official registration and league management platform, is powered by NBC SportsEngine, and GameChanger serves as the official streaming and scoring platform. AYFcoaching.com, produced with Human Kinetics and ASEP, delivers required coach certifications, including the CDC Concussion course and NFHS tackling course for National Championship coaches. A member portal at myayf.com handles player registration, payment, league administration, and tournament brackets. Marketing and community engagement run through regional Facebook and Twitter accounts (eight US divisions plus international), the AYFtv YouTube channel, and flagship events including the Hall of Fame ceremony and 8th Grade All-Star Game.

The business model combines recurring membership subscription revenue, per-team tournament transaction fees across eight regional qualifiers and two national championships, and official sponsor partnerships with at least 11 named brand partners. AYF serves an SME base of approximately 30,000 member teams and 1,000,000+ youth participants coached and administered by an estimated 50,000 volunteers, supported by a paid headcount of 11-50. The parent organization underwrites a $15M donation, scholarship, and grant program for members. There are no private equity or venture capital investors, and revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

American Youth Football

Legal name

American Youth Football, Inc.

Website

https://americanyouthfootball.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

American Youth Football is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 1996 that supports roughly 30,000 youth football and cheer teams across 50 US states and 9+ countries through annual membership, regional qualifying tournaments, and National Championships in Florida.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Sports League Administration

NAICS

Spectator Sports (71121), Sports Teams and Clubs (711211)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Amateur & Grassroots Sport Associations (Community/Youth Governing Orgs) (MPAKAFAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth & Scholastic Sports Organizations (K–12, AAU, Club Leagues) (MPAKACAF), Sports Fundraising & Development Services (Foundations, NIL Collectives Support) (MPAKAKAK)

Keywords

• Youth football league
• Youth cheer programs
• Youth sports tournaments
• League membership services
• Youth sports administration

Headquarters

HQ city

College Corner

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Team Membership Fees: Annual membership fees charged to football teams ($45/team) and cheer squads for access to 501(c)(3) status, insurance discounts, training resources, tournament eligibility, and volume pricing on equipment and uniforms
2. Tournament Registration: Fees for regional qualifying tournaments and National Championships for both football and cheer divisions
3. Sponsor Partnerships: Revenue from official sponsors including Wilson (footballs), OPRO (mouthguards), Rebel Athletics (cheer uniforms), Sadler Insurance, and others who pay for official designations and access to the AYF membership base

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

American Youth Football is a 501(c)(3) non-profit support services organization that provides membership programs, age-based youth football and cheer divisions, regional and national tournament infrastructure, online registration and league management tools, coaching certification, insurance and equipment discounts, scholarships and grants, and an international division to community-based youth sports leagues, associations, and teams. Its core membership is sold at $45 per football/cheer team and $40 per flag/7-on-7 team annually, granting 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status and tournament eligibility.

Product overview

American Youth Football (AYF) operates a comprehensive youth sports organization offering football and cheer programs through multiple interconnected products. The core offerings include age-based Youth Football (Weighted, Unlimited, Flag, and 7-on-7 divisions) and American Youth Cheer (AYC) programs (Recreational, Elite, Step & Dance divisions). Supporting infrastructure includes the myayf.com member portal for online registration and league administration, PlayAYF registration system powered by NBC SportsEngine, and GameChanger streaming integration. The organization conducts National Championships (the largest youth football and cheer tournament), eight Regional Tournament Qualifiers, and the 8th Grade All-Star Game. Additional products include AYFcoaching.com training platform with certification courses, AYFtv YouTube channel, coaching resources (Coaching Youth Football book), award programs (Hall of Fame, Scholastic Awards), and international division programs. Membership provides access to insurance discounts, equipment pricing, and tournament participation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AYF Football Team Membership
• AYC Cheer Team Membership
• Flag & 7 on 7 Football Membership
• AYF National Championships
• Regional Tournament Qualifiers
• 8th Grade All-Star Game
• AYF Football & Cheer Camps
• AYFcoaching.com Training Platform
• International Division

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1 million youth members participate annually through member organizations
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• WilsoncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Football of AYF - Wilson supplies official footballs for all AYF tournaments and competitions. The Wilson AYF logo'd football is the exclusive football used in AYF tournament play.
• GameChangercoreTechnology or IntegrationOfficial Streaming & Scoring Platform of AYF - Provides free live streaming and intuitive scorekeeping for AYF games on iOS and Android devices.
• OPROcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Mouthguard of AYF - Largest mouthguard brand in the world, partnering with over 70 sporting associations globally including UFC and USA Rugby.
• Sadler SportscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEndorsed Insurance Provider of AYF - Offers discounted insurance products to AYF member organizations.
• Rebel AthleticscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Cheerleading Uniform of AYC - Provides cheerleading uniforms and poms with exclusive member discounts for AYF/AYC members.
• PlayAYF (NBC SportsEngine)coreTechnology or IntegrationOfficial online registration system and league management platform powered by NBC SportsEngine technology for member organizations.
• Guardian SportsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGuardian Caps - Concussion-reducing helmet attachments with AYF discounted pricing available through partnership.
• DoubleGoodminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVirtual fundraising app - Teams and school groups can use for fundraising, keeping 50% of sales with no minimums or fees.
• Naples/Paradise Coast Sports ComplexcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHome of AYF National Championships in Naples, Florida - State-of-the-art facilities hosting the annual football national championships.
• Kissimmee Sports/Experience KissimmeecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost of AYF National Championships venue in Kissimmee, Florida for cheer competitions, part of the Orlando tourism region with Universal Studios and Disney World.
• Northwest DesignsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAYF/AYC Logo Apparel - Official branded merchandise provider for AYF merchandise.
• Human KineticscoreTechnology or IntegrationSports education content provider - Produces coaching courses and books including 'Coaching Youth Football' authored by Joe Galat, available through AYFcoaching.com.
• NFHS (National Federation of State High School Associations)coreTechnology or IntegrationFree tackling course and safety training - AYF requires coaches participating in National Championship tournament to complete CDC Concussion course and NFHS Football and Cheer Training courses.
• NFLPA (National Football League Players Association)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerFriends of AYF - Professional players association supporting youth football development.
• Varsity BrandscoreTechnology or IntegrationCoaching certification partner - Collaborated with ASEP on book and online course for AYC coaches, including e-book 'Coaching Youth Cheerleading'.
• ASEP (American Sport Education Program)coreTechnology or IntegrationCoaching certification - Developed youth cheerleading course in conjunction with AYC and Varsity, covering coaching principles, safety, and cheer techniques.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• USA Football: USA Football is the national governing body for amateur football in the US and a direct counterpart in the youth football ecosystem, offering coaching certification, safety programs, and league resources. Highly comparable on mission (youth football development), training standards, and governing-body positioning.
• Babe Ruth League: Babe Ruth League is a youth baseball/softball governing body operating on a similar membership federation model with regional and World Series national championships. Highly comparable as a same-model non-profit youth sports federation competing for the same families and sponsors.
• US Youth Soccer: US Youth Soccer is the largest youth soccer federation in the US, operating the same membership-federation model with regional and national championships. Highly comparable structurally (membership, regional qualifiers, nationals) and as a competing destination for youth sports participation and sponsor dollars.
• Pop Warner Little Scholars: Pop Warner is the most direct competitor to AYF in the US youth tackle football space, operating a similar membership-based federation model with national championships, age-based divisions, and scholastic emphasis. Comparability is highest on product (youth football), customer (local associations), and business model (non-profit membership federation).
• AAU (Amateur Athletic Union): AAU is a longstanding multi-sport youth sports federation that operates as a membership-based organization hosting national championships across multiple sports, including football. Comparability centers on the membership federation model, national championship infrastructure, and youth athlete development mission.

Broad incumbents

• Varsity Spirit: Varsity Spirit (part of Varsity Brands) is the dominant commercial force in school and youth cheerleading with camps, uniforms, competitions, and the Varsity TV media platform. Comparable via partnership (ASEP/Varsity cheer coaching course) and direct overlap in the cheer competition and uniform markets.
• Little League Baseball: Little League is a 501(c)(3) youth sports governing body with comparable scale, mission, and non-profit membership federation structure. Although it focuses on baseball, it competes for the same youth sports participation, parent mindshare, and corporate sponsor budgets.
• National Cheerleaders Association (NCA): NCA is one of the oldest and largest cheerleading sanctioning bodies in the US, running national competitions across skill levels. Directly comparable in cheer competition infrastructure and federation-style governance, though AYF's AYC is recreational-leaning while NCA targets competitive cheer.

Emerging players

• USASF (U.S. All Star Federation): USASF governs all-star cheerleading and is a peer in the youth cheer ecosystem, focusing on the elite/all-star competitive segment rather than recreational sideline cheer. Highly comparable in cheer sanctioning body role, though AYF's AYC spans recreational and elite while USASF focuses on all-star.

Others

• NFHS (National Federation of State High School Associations): NFHS sets rules and training standards for high school sports and is a comparable youth/high school sports governing entity partnered with AYF on tackling/safety courses. Relevant as an enabler/standard-setter rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses6 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutu.be/IuSWLBP1jyA
• Facebookfacebook.com/AtlanticAYF
• Xx.com/ayf

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 American Youth Football