East Side Youth Sports Foundation

What East Side Youth Sports Foundation does

East Side Youth Sports Foundation (ESYSF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2014 (originally as the East Side Hockey Foundation) and headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, with a staff of 6. The organization's mission is to expand youth sports access on Detroit's eastside, with hockey as its anchor program. ESYSF serves over 1,000 children annually through a portfolio of programs including the 8U Learn to Play Hockey and Learn to Skate initiatives, the Bulldogs Hockey Club (14 teams, 400+ members), needs-based scholarships (132 recipients totaling $124,000), and free 'Try Hockey for Free' events. The foundation distributes over 500 sets of hockey equipment to children ages 3-9 and operates the wholly-owned East Side Hockey (ESH) Ice Arena, which received over $1 million in facility upgrades.

ESYSF generates revenue through charitable donations (accepted via the Network for Good platform), grants, and fundraising events — most notably a November 2024 charity hockey game at Little Caesars Arena featuring the Shoresy cast against Red Wings Alumni, which raised $22,000. The foundation is governed by a Board of Directors (President Brian Francis, Treasurer Tony Zoia, Secretary Paul Fayad, plus six trustees and advisors) and partners with USA Hockey, the NHL, the Center for Success, and multiple local Detroit community organizations. There is no proprietary technology product; the technology footprint is limited to a WordPress website (esysf.com), social media profiles, and contact forms.

The business model is mission-driven rather than profit-driven: services are provided at no cost to qualifying low-income and underprivileged families, with scholarship funds covering registration, ice fees, and equipment. ESYSF's go-to-market relies on community events, charity games at major venues, word-of-mouth within Detroit's eastside neighborhoods, and partnerships with local organizations. Geographic scope is regional, concentrated in metro Detroit, with no disclosed international or multi-market presence.

Name

East Side Youth Sports Foundation

Legal name

East Side Youth Sports Foundation

Website

https://esysf.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

East Side Youth Sports Foundation (ESYSF) is a Detroit-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides youth hockey programs, scholarships, equipment, and arena access to over 1,000 children annually on Detroit's eastside, serving low-income and underprivileged families at no cost.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Sports Programs

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Recreational & Intramural Sports Programs (MPAKACAG), Sports Fundraising & Development Services (Foundations, NIL Collectives Support) (MPAKAKAK)

Keywords

• Youth sports programs
• Youth hockey development
• Youth sports scholarships
• Community sports access
• Ice hockey programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Detroit, Michigan

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, ESYSF generates revenue primarily through charitable donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations. The foundation hosts fundraising events including charity hockey games that generate significant proceeds.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

East Side Youth Sports Foundation (ESYSF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides youth sports programs—primarily hockey—on the eastside of metropolitan Detroit. The foundation delivers equipment, scholarships, grants, and subsidized rink time to remove financial barriers to sports participation, serving over 1,000 children annually through ESH Ice Arena, the Bulldogs Hockey Club, and partner organizations. It also runs free introductory events such as 'Try Hockey for Free' to expand access to organized sports.

Product overview

East Side Youth Sports Foundation (ESYSF) operates as a unified nonprofit service offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The organization provides a portfolio of interconnected youth sports programs centered on hockey, including Learn to Play Hockey 8U, Learn to Skate, and Bulldogs Hockey Club (with 14 teams and over 400 members). These programs are supported by Needs Based Scholarships covering registration, ice fees, and equipment, as well as the Jack McSorley College Scholarship for academic achievement. The foundation also provides equipment provision (500+ gear sets to date), grants to youth programs, subsidized rink time at ESH Ice Arena, and 'Try Hockey for Free' events. All offerings work together to remove financial barriers and expand youth sports access on Detroit's eastside.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bulldogs Hockey Club: Youth hockey club under ESYSF with over 400 members and 14 teams, offering programs at all skill levels. Renamed from Grosse Pointe Hockey Association in 2016.

Products and services

• Youth Hockey Programs
• Needs Based Scholarships
• Jack McSorley College Scholarship Award
• Equipment Provision
• Bulldogs Hockey Club
• Subsidized Rink Time
• Try Hockey for Free Events
• Grants to Youth Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• 500+ sets of equipment provided to children ages 3-8
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Red Wings Alumni AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 November 2024Red Wings Alumni participated in landmark charity hockey game at Little Caesars Arena benefiting ESYSF. Alumni players faced off against Shoresy cast in November 2024 event that raised $22,000 for youth hockey programs.
• Little Caesars ArenacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 November 2024Major Detroit venue hosted the charity game event featuring Shoresy cast and Red Wings Alumni. The partnership provided access to professional-caliber facilities for the youth hockey fundraiser.
• Shoresy Cast and CrewcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 November 2024Jared Keeso and the Shoresy cast conducted a six-city tour with a special Detroit stop at Little Caesars Arena. Proceeds from the charity game benefited ESYSF youth hockey programs.
• Center for Success (CFSN)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Community organization uniting literacy and education to empower students. ESYSF partners to connect sports with educational development through mentoring programs.
• Bulldogs Hockey ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016ESYSF acquired and operates the Bulldogs Hockey Club (formerly Grosse Pointe Hockey Association), which has 400+ members across 14 teams serving youth at all skill levels.
• USA HockeycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014National governing body for hockey in the United States. ESYSF operates under American Development Model guidelines and partners to increase youth hockey participation.
• NHL (National Hockey League)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Partnership to support youth hockey development and increase participation among underprivileged youth in the Detroit area.
• MorningsideminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Local Detroit organization partnering with ESYSF to bring sports camps and free play opportunities to children in Morningside community.
• East English VillageminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Local community organization partnership to provide youth sports access and programming to East English Village neighborhoods.
• Cornerstone Community AdvocatesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Community advocacy organization partnering with ESYSF to expand youth sports opportunities in underserved areas.
• Eagle SportsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Local sports organization partnership to deliver sports camps and programs to children who otherwise wouldn't have the opportunity.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit: Detroit-area nonprofit providing youth recreation, sports, and fitness programming. Comparable in geography, beneficiary base, and breadth of recreational programming.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan: Regional youth-development nonprofit operating in metro Detroit with sports and recreation programming for underprivileged children. Comparable mission and geographic footprint, though broader than hockey.

Others

• NHL/NHLPA Goals & Dreams Fund: Joint NHL/NHLPA program that donates hockey equipment to underprivileged children worldwide. Directly comparable in equipment-provision output (ESYSF has provided 500+ sets vs. Goals & Dreams' global footprint), but functions as a funder/distributor rather than direct program operator.

Direct peers

• Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation: Philadelphia-based nonprofit that provides free hockey equipment, ice time, and programming to underserved youth. Closely mirrors ESYSF's hockey-equity mission, equipment-provision model, and scholarship-funded access model.
• Detroit PAL (Police Athletic League): Detroit-based 501(c)(3) providing youth sports access to underprivileged children in the metro area. Directly comparable in mission, geography, and beneficiary demographic, serving a similar role as a community-based youth sports nonprofit in Detroit.
• Little Caesars Amateur Hockey League: Detroit-area youth hockey organization operating programs and leagues for youth players. Directly comparable in geography and sport focus, with overlap in the same beneficiary pool as ESYSF.

Emerging players

• Black Girls Hockey Club: Nonprofit rallying support for Black women in hockey and increasing diversity in the sport. Overlaps with ESYSF's youth-access and diversity objectives but operates as an advocacy/community organization rather than a facility-based program.
• Hockey Diversity Alliance: Coalition of current and former NHL players focused on eliminating racism and increasing diversity in hockey. Shares ESYSF's mission of broadening hockey access to underrepresented communities, but operates as an advocacy coalition rather than direct program provider.

Broad incumbents

• NHL Foundation: Charitable arm of the National Hockey League supporting youth hockey access nationally. Existing ESYSF partner; serves a similar beneficiary mission at much larger scale and geographic breadth.
• USA Hockey: National governing body for amateur hockey in the United States and an existing ESYSF partner. Sets American Development Model guidelines and is the umbrella organization within which ESYSF operates.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/east-side-youth-sports-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries2 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 East Side Youth Sports Foundation