Bloomington Knockers

What Bloomington Knockers does

Bloomington Knockers is a non-profit youth football and cheerleading organization founded in 1957 and operating in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois. The organization delivers three core programs: Tackle Football for athletes ages 8 through 8th grade across five age-based levels (3 practices per week plus 8 Saturday games), Flag Football for boys and girls K through 8th grade delivered in partnership with the Bloomington-Normal YMCA (Central Illinois' largest flag football league, 2 practices per week plus 6 Saturday games), and Cheerleading for K through 8th grade split into Tackle Cheer and Flag Cheer tracks. The legal entity is Bloomington Knockers Youth Football and Cheer, governed by a volunteer board and led by Board President Brian Segobiano and Program Director Nick Cottone, both former Knocker athletes and products of the program's multi-generational community lineage.

The technology stack is intentionally minimal and entirely composed of consumer-grade SaaS tools: a Wix-hosted website (bloomingtonknockers.com), JotForm for 2026 season registration across all programs, Square checkout for donations, Inksoft for the Knocker Apparel online merchandise store, and Facebook for community engagement. There are no proprietary platforms, no mobile applications, no API surface, and no AI/ML capabilities. Headcount is listed at 11-50, but operations are predominantly volunteer-driven by coaches and board members rather than paid staff.

The business model combines one-time registration fees (Tackle $125, Flag Football $100, Tackle Cheer $100, Flag Cheer $75) processed through JotForm, donations processed via Square, and merchandise sales through Inksoft. Equipment (pads, helmets, uniforms) is bundled into the registration fee, lowering friction for families. Customer segments are individual youth athletes and their parents/guardians, acquired through community referrals, local school partnerships, and the YMCA relationship. Annual participation has grown from approximately 100 athletes in 2015 to over 230 today under the current leadership, with no external investors, parent company, or funding rounds disclosed.

Name

Bloomington Knockers

Legal name

Bloomington Knockers Youth Football and Cheer

Website

https://bloomingtonknockers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1957

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bloomington Knockers is a non-profit youth football and cheerleading organization founded in 1957 in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois, serving over 230 K-8th grade athletes annually through tackle football, flag football (in partnership with the local YMCA), and cheerleading programs funded by registration fees, donations, and merchandise.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Sports Programs

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394)

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)

SECONDARYHSADABAK

Sports-Specific Group Conditioning

Home & Personal Services/Fitness, Wellness & Personal Training/Group Fitness & Bootcamps

SECONDARYEDAJAJAL

School Spirit & Events Programs (Pep Rally, Homecoming, Assemblies)

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/K–12 Extracurriculars & Athletics (School-Run)

SECONDARYMPAKAJAM

Sports Combine, Tryout & Showcase Programs

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Sports Camps, Academies & Training Centers

Keywords

• Youth football programs
• Youth cheerleading
• Youth sports leagues
• Flag football league
• Youth athletics

Headquarters

HQ city

Bloomington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Registration Fees: Annual registration fees charged per participant for youth football and cheerleading programs. Tackle Football $125, Flag Football $100, Cheerleading $100, Flag Cheer $75. $25 non-refundable deposit to hold spot with full payment due by July.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Bloomington Knockers runs organized youth football and cheerleading programs for children in kindergarten through 8th grade in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois. The Tackle Football program operates across five age-based levels with three weekly practices and eight Saturday games, the Flag Football league (largest in Central Illinois, in partnership with the Bloomington-Normal YMCA) holds two weekly practices and six Saturday games, and the Cheerleading program covers both Tackle and Flag game-day sideline cheering. The organization also sells branded apparel through an online storefront.

Product overview

Bloomington Knockers is a youth football and cheerleading organization offering three core programs: Tackle Football (ages 8 to 8th grade, 5 age-based levels, 3 practices/week, 8 Saturday games), Flag Football (K-8th grade, largest in Central Illinois, 2 practices/week, 6 Saturday games), and Cheerleading (K-8th grade with Tackle and Flag divisions). The organization also operates an apparel store through Inksoft. Founded in 1957, it is the longest-running youth football program in Central Illinois, serving over 230 athletes annually with programs designed to teach teamwork, fundamentals, and character development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tackle Football Program Organized tackle football for youth ages 8 to 8th grade, organized into five separate age-based levels. Includes three practices per week and eight Saturday games. Registration of $125 per participant covers pads, helmet, game uniform, and practice pants. Designed for youth athletes in Bloomington-Normal, IL.
• Flag Football Program Central Illinois' largest Flag Football League for boys and girls in Kindergarten through 8th Grade, delivered in partnership with the Bloomington-Normal YMCA. Includes two practices per week and six Saturday games. Registration of $100 per participant includes shorts and t-shirt uniform to keep. Designed as an entry-level football experience emphasizing fundamentals, teamwork, and fun with reduced contact.
• Cheerleading Program Youth cheerleading for K-8th grade athletes supporting Bloomington Knockers football game days. Tackle Cheer ($100 per participant) practices twice weekly and cheers at 8 Saturday Tackle games; Flag Cheer ($75 per participant, K-3rd grade) practices once weekly and cheers at 6 Saturday Flag games. Includes game uniform and hair bow.
• Knocker Apparel Online Store Online merchandise store powered by Inksoft selling Knocker-branded apparel with direct shipping to customers. Operates as a supplementary revenue channel supporting the nonprofit's youth programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 230+ athletes annually participating across all programs
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Bloomington-Normal YMCAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the Bloomington-Normal YMCA for the Flag Football program. The Knockers operate Central Illinois' largest Flag Football League in partnership with the YMCA, with practices and games coordinated through this relationship.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• NFL FLAG: NFL-affiliated flag football league network for boys and girls ages 5-14; competes head-to-head in the flag football segment and offers similar registration, practices, and weekend game play to the Knockers' flag program.
• Upward Unlimited (Upward Flag Football): National flag-football franchise program with strong YMCA church-and-community distribution; directly comparable to the Knockers' flag football offering in structure, age band, and partnership-led scale model.
• i9 Sports: Multi-sport youth league franchise (flag football, cheer, basketball, soccer) targeting K-8 kids via Saturday formats — directly comparable to the Knockers' tackle/flag/cheer mix and community-registration model.
• Pop Warner Little Scholars: The largest national youth tackle football and cheer organization in the U.S., with the same age range (K-8th), tackle/cheer program structure, and seasonal Saturday game model — operates at vastly greater scale with franchised local associations comparable to Bloomington Knockers.
• American Youth Football (AYF): National sanctioning body for youth tackle football leagues; local AYF-affiliated leagues run nearly identical programs (tackle football + cheer, seasonal registration, weekend games) for the same K-8 demographic.

Broad incumbents

• USA Football: National governing body for amateur football and the sport's USOPC-recognized federation; sets rules, coaching certification, and Heads Up Football standards that shape programs like the Knockers.
• National Alliance of Youth Sports (NAYS): National organization offering coach training, safety certifications, and program resources (including flag football) for community-based youth sports leagues operating with a similar volunteer-coach model.

Others

• YMCA of the USA: Existing core partner of the Bloomington Knockers for flag football — operates national youth sports programming (including flag football and youth leagues) through local branches with comparable pricing and age bands.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Bloomington-Knockers-138983416137999
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bloomington-knockers-youth-football-program

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Bloomington Knockers