Howard County Youth Program

What Howard County Youth Program does

Howard County Youth Program (HCYP) is a nonprofit, volunteer-run youth sports organization founded in 1952 in Howard County, Maryland. Originally established as Howard County Little League with 60 boys on four teams, it has evolved into a multi-sport organization offering baseball, basketball, and softball leagues across recreation, middle school, and travel divisions for youth ages 5-18, serving families in Howard County and the broader Baltimore-Washington area. HCYP delivers all programming from Kiwanis-Wallas Park, a 17-acre facility in Ellicott City, Maryland that the organization leases from Howard County and exclusively manages; the complex comprises 9 baseball fields (5 lighted), 3 softball diamonds (2 lighted), batting cages, restrooms, a covered pavilion, and a snack bar/grill.

The organization is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors (President Bernie Dennison, Vice President Heather Costigan, and directors for each sport) and funded entirely through program registration fees, concession sales, and a scholarship program that ensures no child is turned away for financial reasons. HCYP mandates background screenings for all volunteers and partners with the Howard County Department of Recreation & Parks for capital improvements, while remaining independently operated and not funded by county government. The business is functionally a community-cooperative model: zero paid headcount, no external investment, and no technology product beyond basic websites and registration platforms. Forward-looking activity is concentrated in a collaboration with Howard County to expand Kiwanis-Wallas Park with five additional fields and a field house.

Name

Howard County Youth Program

Legal name

Howard County Youth Program

Website

https://hcyp.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1952

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Howard County Youth Program (HCYP) is a volunteer-run nonprofit founded in 1952 that operates baseball, basketball, and softball youth leagues for children ages 5-18 in Howard County, Maryland from its 17-acre Kiwanis-Wallas Park facility.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Sports Programs

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAKACAF

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

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Collegiate & Amateur Sports Organizations (NCAA, Federations, Clubs)

SECONDARYMPAKACAG

Recreational & Intramural Sports Programs

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Collegiate & Amateur Sports Organizations (NCAA, Federations, Clubs)

Keywords

• Youth baseball programs
• Youth basketball leagues
• Youth softball leagues
• Community youth sports
• Nonprofit youth athletics

Headquarters

HQ city

Ellicott City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Program Registration Fees: Revenue generated from youth sports program registration fees for baseball, basketball, and softball leagues. The organization also provides scholarship programs based on financial need.
2. Concessions and Facilities: Revenue from snack bar and grill operations at Kiwanis-Wallas Park during games. The park also has a grill and snack bar open during most games.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Howard County Youth Program provides organized youth baseball, basketball, and softball programs for children ages 5-18 in Howard County and the surrounding Baltimore-Washington area. Programs are delivered directly at Kiwanis-Wallas Park in Ellicott City, Maryland, run entirely by volunteers, and supported by a need-based scholarship program that ensures no child is turned away for financial reasons.

Product overview

Howard County Youth Program (HCYP) is a non-profit youth sports organization offering three core sports programs: Baseball, Basketball, and Softball. The organization operates from its headquarters at Kiwanis-Wallas Park in Ellicott City, Maryland, a 17-acre facility with 9 baseball fields and 3 softball diamonds. HCYP provides support services including a Scholarship Program for financial assistance and mandatory Background Screening for volunteers. All programs are run entirely by volunteers with the goal of teaching sportsmanship, fair play, and providing safe recreational activities for Howard County youth.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Baseball Programs Youth baseball programs for children ages 8-12 and older, conducted at Kiwanis-Wallas Park using 9 baseball fields (5 lighted) with grass infields and raised dirt mounds; includes Recreation, Middle School, and Travel league options.
• Basketball Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• Never turned away a child due to financial limitations
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Howard County GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1990Howard County purchased Wallas Park from Kiwanis Club and leased it back to HCYP. The Howard County Department of Recreation & Parks oversees HCYP's management of Kiwanis-Wallas Park. HCYP is collaborating with Howard County government to expand fields at Kiwanis-Wallas Park to include five additional fields and a field house. HCYP is not funded or managed by Howard County.
• Kiwanis Club of Ellicott CitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKiwanis Club of Ellicott City accepted Anton Wallas' donation of approximately 11 acres of land on Maryland Route 144 for use of the children of Howard County. During the early 1990s, Kiwanis Club determined owning Wallas Park was no longer in their financial best interest, leading to the county purchase.
• Howard County Department of Recreation & ParkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOversees HCYP's management of Kiwanis-Wallas Park. Capital improvement funding has been provided by both Howard County and HCYP, with fields solely maintained by HCYP.
• Special OlympicscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHCYP hosts the Special Olympics each spring as part of their philanthropic commitment to the community.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Babe Ruth League: National youth baseball and softball league operator with Cal Ripken (younger ages) and Babe Ruth (older ages) divisions. Operates the same community-based, volunteer-run league model for the same youth baseball/softball customer base that HCYP serves.
• PONY Baseball and Softball: National youth baseball and softball league operator (Protect Our Nation's Youth). Competes for the same community-league participation market with similar age-tiered league structures across baseball and softball.
• Pop Warner Little Scholars: National youth football and cheerleading nonprofit league operator. Operates on the same community-based, volunteer-run, scholarship-inclusive model for youth sports that HCYP applies to baseball, basketball, and softball.
• Little League International: National governing body for youth baseball and softball leagues. HCYP was founded in 1952 directly inspired by Little League founder Carl Stotz and operates community youth baseball/softball leagues in the same model, making Little League the closest direct peer at the league-operator level.

Others

• USA Baseball: National governing body for baseball in the U.S., including amateur and youth development pathways. Adjacent rather than directly competitive: USA Baseball sets rules and develops players but does not operate community leagues like HCYP does.

Broad incumbents

• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National nonprofit youth-development organization operating youth athletic and recreational programs through local clubs. Comparable in mission (youth development, access-for-all, community-embedded) and nonprofit volunteer-supported model, but at broader scale and additional service lines.
• AAU (Amateur Athletic Union): National organization offering youth competitive sports programs across basketball, baseball, volleyball, and more. Overlaps with HCYP in youth basketball and baseball programming but operates at broader scale and at a more competitive (vs. recreational) tier.
• USSSA (US Specialty Sports Association): National amateur sports sanctioning body running youth baseball, softball, basketball and other leagues/tournaments. Competes with HCYP for youth registration dollars, particularly in Travel-tier offerings.
• YMCA: National community-based nonprofit offering youth sports programming including basketball, baseball, and soccer. Operates on the same inclusive, scholarship-supported, volunteer-augmented nonprofit model as HCYP and competes for the same local youth-sports participant pool.

Emerging players

• Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation: Nonprofit focused on building youth character through baseball and softball programs, particularly for underserved youth. Operates in the same space as HCYP's inclusive-scholarship mission and Special Olympics-style community engagement.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/howard-county-youth-program-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Howard County Youth Program