What The SWAG (Soccer) does

The SWAG (legal name: The SWAG Soccer LLC) is a philanthropically funded, no-cost youth soccer development program serving over 2,000 young athletes ages 4 through 11 in Philadelphia's African-American and immigrant communities, primarily in North Philadelphia, West Philadelphia, Southwest Philadelphia, and Chester, PA. Launched as a pilot in 2018 by co-founders Steve Graham and Scott Spangler, the program scaled to large-scale operations in 2021 and is operated as a subsidiary of Charity for the Arts, Sports & Education (CHASE), a 501(c)(3) public charity founded in 2021. The SWAG's core offering is a tiered player pathway: SWAG Starter (entry-level community clinics), SWAG Select (placement-based development for U4-U8 invitees), and SWAG Academy (advanced U8-U11 track aligned to the Philadelphia Union Academy curriculum). Supplementary programming includes SWAG Impact (educational curriculum on literacy and African-descent professional soccer history) and the SWAG Private School Scholarship Program at Benchmark School, which combines private education with elite soccer training.

The business model is entirely donation-driven: all administrative costs are underwritten by supporting organizations (notably Graham Partners, Graham Capital, Silverback Foundation, and Harris Philanthropies), allowing 100% of public donations to fund direct soccer programming. Programming is delivered free to families, with practice shirts and uniforms provided to participants. There is no proprietary technology platform; operations rely on standard third-party tools (Slack, Zoom, TeamSnap, Stripe, Donately, WordPress). Enrollment occurs through SWAG Starter Days, Talent ID Clinics, school partnerships, and word-of-mouth, with Select/Academy placement by coach invitation only.

The program's defining commercial relationship is with the Philadelphia Union Academy (MLS), which endorses the curriculum and feeds 60-70% of its U12 inbound players from The SWAG pathway. Additional strategic partnerships include the Philadelphia Union Foundation, Benchmark School, WSFS Bank Sportsplex (primary training venue), and the Snow Bowl 2026 international tournament co-presented with YSC Academy. The organization has won back-to-back National 3v3 Championships (2021, 2022) and an IBERCUP World Championship. Headcount is 6 employees, with coaching capacity supplemented by volunteer professional and collegiate players via a Pro Athlete Advisory Council.

Name

The SWAG (Soccer)

Legal name

The SWAG Soccer LLC

Website

https://the-swag.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The SWAG is a philanthropically funded, no-cost youth soccer development program serving over 2,000 athletes ages 4-11 in Philadelphia's African-American and immigrant communities, operating a tiered pathway (Starter, Select, Academy) endorsed by the Philadelphia Union Academy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Soccer Development

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Development & Sports Outreach Programs (EDAIAGAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Recreational & Intramural Sports Programs (MPAKACAG)

Keywords

• Youth soccer development
• Community soccer program
• Free soccer training
• Talent identification clinics
• Youth sports nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Newtown Square

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Donations: The SWAG is fully funded through philanthropic donations and grants. All administrative costs are underwritten by supporting organizations, allowing 100% of donations to fund direct soccer programming. The program is completely free to participating families.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The SWAG provides free, year-round professional soccer coaching and player development for children ages 4–11 in Philadelphia's African-American and immigrant communities. Programming is delivered through a tiered pathway — Starter clinics, Select development teams, and Academy training aligned with the Philadelphia Union Academy — and is supplemented by an educational literacy program (SWAG Impact) and private school scholarships for top prospects.

Product overview

The SWAG is a philanthropically funded, no-cost youth soccer development program that operates as a tiered system of programs and educational initiatives. The core offerings include the SWAG Starter Program (entry-level introduction for ages 4-11), SWAG Select (placement-based developmental program for U4-U8 players), and SWAG Academy (advanced track for U8-U11 feeding into professional academy pathways). Supporting these are the SWAG Impact educational program (literacy and communication skills for primary students) and the SWAG Private School Scholarship Program (providing 8 students with combined private school education and elite soccer training). All programming is offered at no cost to families, with training at WSFS Bank Sportsplex in Chester, PA.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SWAG Starter: Entry-level introductory soccer program for young athletes ages 4-11, designed to build confidence, fundamentals, and joy for the game within local communities.
• SWAG Select
• SWAG Academy
• SWAG Impact
• SWAG Private School

Quantifiable outcome

• 60-70% of Philadelphia Union Academy U12 inbound players developed through The SWAG pathway
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration20 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, primary and secondary.

• Benchmark SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Benchmark School in Media, Delaware County, PA partners with Philadelphia Union and The SWAG for a specialized educational and soccer training program. The SWAG Scholarship program currently provides 8 students with specialized education along with world-class soccer training at Benchmark School, combining private school education with morning training by SWAG and Philadelphia Union Academy coaches.
• Philadelphia Union FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partnership with Philadelphia Union Foundation to encourage Philadelphia's most vulnerable youth to develop a passion for soccer and lead them on a successful path to healthier lifestyle, educational opportunities, and college scholarships.
• Philadelphia Union AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe SWAG is endorsed by the Philadelphia Union Academy, the #1 ranked youth soccer program in the United States. The Union Academy provides oversight to The SWAG's curriculum and training model. 60-70% of Union Academy U12 inbound players come through The SWAG pathway. The SWAG's focus is on providing Philadelphia's young athletes with accelerated technical development and professional coaching in alignment with Union Academy standards.
• WSFS Bank SportsplexprimaryOthersHome of the Philadelphia Union, WSFS Bank Sportsplex in Chester, PA is the primary training location for The SWAG's training sessions and games. The facility hosts the Snow Bowl 2026 tournament.
• SGB Events, LLCsecondaryImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSGB Events, LLC is referenced in player registration and waiver documentation as the entity managing event-related aspects of soccer programming, including use of video and photographic material for promotional purposes.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Street Soccer USA: National nonprofit providing free soccer programming and competitive play to underserved youth and adults across multiple U.S. cities. Same donation-funded, mission-driven, community-outreach model targeting populations excluded from traditional pay-to-play soccer.
• Soccer Without Borders: Nonprofit combining free soccer programming with English language and education support for refugee and immigrant youth. Directly comparable mission: using soccer to remove barriers for underserved newcomer communities, similar demographic targeting (95%+ African descent/immigrant at SWAG) and youth-development orientation.
• America SCORES: National affiliate network (DC SCORES and others) providing after-school soccer plus poetry/writing literacy programming for underserved elementary students. Highly comparable integrated sports-plus-education model and demographic targeting.
• South Bronx United: Free youth soccer and education program serving immigrant and low-income youth in the South Bronx, including academic support and college access. Mirrors SWAG's free youth soccer + education scholarship + professional academy pathway (athletic and academic) model.

Broad incumbents

• American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO): Largest volunteer-driven youth soccer organization in the United States offering recreational and select soccer programs nationwide. Provides broad industry context but operates a paid-registration, parent-coached model rather than SWAG's free, professionally-coached mission.
• U.S. Soccer Foundation: National foundation distributing grants and resources to grow soccer access in underserved U.S. communities, including field-building programs. Direct grantor and ecosystem funder whose initiatives define the funding landscape SWAG operates in.
• CONCACAF Foundation: Confederation's charitable arm funding soccer-for-social-impact programs across North America, Central America and the Caribbean. Comparable in mission-driven youth soccer access focus, with potential to be a major grantor and tournament partner for SWAG.
• MLS WORKS: Major League Soccer's social responsibility platform aggregating all 29 clubs' community programs, including youth soccer access. Relevant as the league-level peer whose attention and grants distribute resources to club-based initiatives like SWAG.

Emerging players

• Jermaine Jones Foundation / Black Players for Change: Player-led nonprofit collective focused on racial equity in soccer, education access, and increasing Black representation across the sport. Mission-aligned organization addressing related gaps in the soccer ecosystem that SWAG also targets at the youth level.

Regional players

• Philadelphia Union Foundation: Charitable arm of SWAG's primary strategic partner, the Philadelphia Union. Funds community-based youth soccer outreach across the same Philadelphia market and is a current SWAG partner, making it both funder and adjacent program operator.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@theswagsoccer
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheSwagSoccer
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-swag-soccer
• Instagraminstagram.com/theswagsoccer

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The SWAG (Soccer)