Sportball
Sportball is a franchise-based youth sports education company operating 900+ locations across Canada, the US, Singapore, and India. It delivers research-backed multi-sport programs for children ages 16 months to 12 years using a proprietary Sportball Methodology developed over 30 years.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1995
- HeadquartersThornhill, Canada
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Sportball does
Sportball is a franchise-based youth sports education company founded in 1995 in Toronto by Carmella and Mark Gelgor. It delivers structured, non-competitive sports programs for children ages 16 months to 12 years, covering eight sports (Soccer, Basketball, Football, T-Ball, Hockey, Volleyball, Golf, and Tennis) through its proprietary Sportball Methodology. The methodology integrates developmental science, physical literacy, and early childhood education principles, with a multi-level coach certification program requiring 100-200+ supervised hours. The company is supported by University of Toronto research showing measurable improvements in motor skills among participants.
The business operates through a franchise model with 900+ independently owned and operated locations across Canada, the United States, Singapore, and India, and has served over 700,000 children cumulatively since founding. Revenue streams include recurring weekly class subscriptions (registered per season), sports camps during school breaks, birthday party packages, private/custom programs, and franchise licensing fees. Programs are delivered in three go-to-market motions: direct-to-consumer registration via the Sportball website/app, channel partnerships with schools, community centers, and daycares for on-site programming, and event-driven private coaching for birthdays and custom groups. The company is privately held under the legal entity Sportball Systems Inc. (Canada) and Sportball Systems USA, LLC, with no public revenue disclosure.
Sportball's recent strategic activity includes a 2025 expansion into India, a corporate rebrand, leadership team additions, and a financial investment intended to support global expansion. The product portfolio spans the signature Multi-Sport program, eight sport-specific programs, seasonal camps, birthday parties, private programs, and adapted programming for children with additional needs. Distribution combines franchise, community partnerships, and direct-to-consumer registration, with marketing executed through content marketing, organic social, email, and trial-class offers.
Sportball firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sportball
- Legal name
- Sportball Systems Inc.
- Website
- https://sportball.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1995
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Sportball is a franchise-based youth sports education company operating 900+ locations across Canada, the US, Singapore, and India. It delivers research-backed multi-sport programs for children ages 16 months to 12 years using a proprietary Sportball Methodology developed over 30 years.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sportball industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Children's Sports Programs
- NAICS
- Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sport-Specific Skills Coaching (e.g., soccer, basketball, tennis) (HSADAEAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Youth & Scholastic Sports Organizations (K–12, AAU, Club Leagues) (MPAKACAF)
Keywords
Where Sportball is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Thornhill
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices15 records
Markets served
Sportball business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Weekly Sports Classes: Recurring revenue from weekly multi-sport and sport-specific programs delivered year-round. Classes run once per week with seasonal sessions (spring, summer, fall, winter). Parents register per season.
- Sports Camps: Half-day and full-day camp programs during school breaks (Spring Break, Summer). One-time per-session fees for camp attendance.
- Birthday Parties: One-time event packages for sports-themed birthday parties with coaches delivering activities at customer locations.
- Private Programs: Custom 1-on-1 planned programs for groups, delivered at customer-preferred locations (home, park, facility). Charged hourly or per child.
- Franchise Fees: Revenue from franchise opportunities - entrepreneurs license the Sportball brand and methodology to operate local programs in their territory.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Program registration fees vary by location |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels9 records
Sportball product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sportball is a method-backed children's sports program franchisor that delivers multi-sport and sport-specific coaching for kids aged 16 months to 12 years through weekly classes, seasonal camps, birthday parties, private programs, and adapted programming. Programming is delivered by certified coaches using a proprietary curriculum covering eight sports (soccer, basketball, football, T-ball, hockey, volleyball, golf, tennis) anchored in a research-backed developmental methodology. The business operates through 900+ independently owned and operated franchise locations across Canada, the United States, Singapore, and India.
Product overview
Sportball is a method-backed sports program company offering structured kids sports programs for children ages 16 months to 12 years. The core product is the Multi-Sport Program, which covers 8 sports (soccer, baseball, basketball, football, hockey, volleyball, golf, and tennis) in one comprehensive offering. Supporting this are sport-specific programs for each individual sport (Soccer, T-Ball, Basketball, Volleyball, Tennis, Hockey, Golf, Football), plus Seasonal Camps (Spring Break and Summer), Birthday Parties, and Private Programs & Events. Adapted Programming is available for children with additional needs. All programs are delivered using the proprietary Sportball Methodology, a research-backed approach rooted in early childhood education that emphasizes Physical Literacy, Social Skills, and Personal Growth through five teaching pillars: Fun, Sports, Early Childhood Education, Creativity, and Building Blocks. Programs are delivered through a franchise model with 900+ locations across Canada, USA, Singapore, and India.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Multi-Sport Program Sportball's signature program covering eight sports (soccer, baseball, basketball, football, hockey, volleyball, golf, tennis) in one comprehensive offering for children aged 16 months to 12 years; kids try a different sport each week, building overall athleticism.
- Soccer Program High-energy soccer sessions for kids aged 16 months to 12 years, teaching fundamentals through imaginative play and age-appropriate drills using the Sportball methodology.
- T-Ball Program Baseball 101 for children aged 16 months to 12 years, teaching batting, throwing, catching, and base-running fundamentals through imaginative coaching.
- Basketball Program Basketball program for children aged 16 months to 12 years, teaching dribbling, shooting, and passing through imaginative activities like pretending balls are raindrops.
- Volleyball Program Volleyball program for children aged 16 months to 12 years, teaching bumping, setting, spiking, and serving through age-appropriate imaginative activities.
- Tennis Program Tennis program for children aged 16 months to 12 years, teaching serves, backhands, forehands, and volleys through high-energy activities and the Sportball methodology.
- Hockey Program Floor hockey program for children aged 16 months to 12 years, teaching stickhandling, passing, and shooting without requiring ice or skates.
- Golf Program Indoor and outdoor golf program for children aged 16 months to 12 years, teaching putting and driving fundamentals using age-appropriate activities and double-sided youth clubs.
- Football Program Non-contact football fundamentals program for children aged 16 months to 12 years, focusing on throwing, catching, kick-offs, and agility.
- Sport Camps Half-day and full-day sports camps for children ages 4 to 12, including Spring Break and Summer camps with activities drawn from the eight Sportball sports.
- Birthday Parties Sports-themed birthday party packages for children ages 16 months to 12 years, including all programming, custom equipment, and customizable invitations, delivered at customer-chosen locations.
- Private Programs & Events Customizable private sports programs and events for children ages 2-12, with options for single-sport, multi-sport, camps, clinics, skill-building, special events, and birthday parties delivered at the customer's preferred location.
- Adapted Programming Specialized programs for children with additional needs, focused on enhancing attention, listening, social skills, physical literacy, and self-confidence; available with parent/caregiver participation or drop-off options.
- Sportball Franchise Opportunity Licensing of the Sportball brand, proprietary methodology, and certified-coach training program to qualifying entrepreneurs who operate their own local Sportball franchise; available in multiple territories across Canada, the US, Singapore, and India.
Quantifiable outcome
- Children in Sportball programs showed significant improvements in balance, coordination, hopping, jumping, and ball skills compared to control groups after 8-week programs (University of Toronto research with Masters of Science Occupational Therapy researchers)
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Sportball
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Sportball technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Sportball partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators6 records
Recent moves11 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Sportball competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Sportball social profiles
Digital presenceSportball financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sportball leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Sportball funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sportball M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sportball
What does Sportball do?
Sportball is a method-backed children's sports program franchisor that delivers multi-sport and sport-specific coaching for kids aged 16 months to 12 years through weekly classes, seasonal camps, birthday parties, private programs, and adapted programming. Programming is delivered by certified coaches using a proprietary curriculum covering eight sports (soccer, basketball, football, T-ball, hockey, volleyball, golf, tennis) anchored in a research-backed developmental methodology. The business operates through 900+ independently owned and operated franchise locations across Canada, the United States, Singapore, and India.
Is Sportball a public or private company?
Sportball is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Sportball founded?
Sportball was founded in 1995. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Sportball based?
Sportball is headquartered in Thornhill, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Sportball make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Weekly Sports Classes are the primary driver. The others are sports Camps, birthday Parties, private Programs and franchise Fees.
Does Sportball have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sportball.
What industry is Sportball in?
Sportball's product category is Children's Sports Programs. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSADAEAA, Sport-Specific Skills Coaching (e.g., soccer, basketball, tennis), with a secondary code of MPAKACAF, Youth & Scholastic Sports Organizations (K–12, AAU, Club Leagues). Its NAICS code is 61162 and its SIC code is 7997.