ATLANTIC YOUTH SPORTS INC

What ATLANTIC YOUTH SPORTS INC does

Atlantic Youth Sports, Inc. (AYS Inc.) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2011 in West Gardiner, Maine, that operates year-round youth sports programs for boys and girls in grades K-12 across Central Maine. The organization was established by coach Shana Epperson and achieved independent nonprofit status in 2019. Programs span six sports — basketball, volleyball, lacrosse, softball, field hockey, and 3v3 leagues — and are organized under three sub-brands: Madness Select Programs (competitive travel and club teams), Madness Academy (camps, clinics, and individual training), and Madness League Programs (in-house recreational play). Competitive sub-brands include Maine Hype (national AAU/NCAA-certified high school travel basketball), MB Elites (regional AAU basketball), and MV Elites (regional volleyball competing in NERVA).

AYS Inc. runs its registration, scheduling, and parent communication on SportsEngine's Sports Relationship Management (SRM) software platform; the organization does not operate any proprietary technology. The physical footprint centers on the Madness Athletics facility at 353 Indiana Road, West Gardiner (an outdoor 75x100 fenced court built in 2021, batting cages and sand volleyball added in 2025), supplemented by rented venues at local schools including Gardiner Area High School, Laura E Richards School, and Cathance Fitness Center. Certifications include AAU (#W3E69D) and NCAA, supporting college recruiting exposure for the high school tier.

The revenue model is a hybrid of program registration fees, donations and corporate sponsorships (e.g., Maine State Credit Union as 2025 Ambassador Sponsor), and facility rentals. Pricing ranges from $20–$50 per clinic session to $700 for national Maine Hype teams and $700 for 18U MV Elites volleyball, with usage-based court rental ($25/hour) and monthly cage memberships ($100). The organization is governed by a volunteer executive and sport-specific boards with no paid staff headcount disclosed; founder Shana Epperson serves as CEO/President. A capital campaign ("Make Athletes Matter Together") is underway to fund an indoor gymnasium and outdoor sport fields.

Name

ATLANTIC YOUTH SPORTS INC

Legal name

Atlantic Youth Sports, Inc.

Website

https://aysinc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AYS Inc. is a Central Maine 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating year-round youth sports programs — competitive travel, club, academy, and league — across basketball, volleyball, lacrosse, softball, and field hockey for grades K-12.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Sports Programs

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940), Sports Teams and Clubs (711211)

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

Local Amateur Clubs & Community Sports Organizations (MPAKACAE), Youth & Amateur Sports Tournaments (MPAGAMAF), Club Sports Programs (EDALAIAB)

Keywords

• Youth sports programs
• Basketball leagues
• Volleyball training
• Skills development camps
• Sports facility rentals

Headquarters

HQ city

Gardiner

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, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Program Registration Fees: Primary revenue driver. Families pay registration fees to participate in competitive travel teams (MB Elites, Maine Hype, MV Elites), local club teams, recreational leagues (Summer In-House), academy camps/clinics, and individual development sessions. Fees vary by program level (new vs. returning player) and are non-refundable upon roster acceptance.
2. Donations and Sponsorships: AYS Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that relies on community sponsorships and donations through its 'Make Athletes Matter Together' fundraising campaign. Corporate sponsors (e.g., Maine State Credit Union as Ambassador Sponsor 2025) receive logo placement on social media. Donations support capital projects including outdoor fields and indoor gymnasium construction.
3. Facility and Equipment Rentals: Secondary revenue stream from renting the Madness Court facility and batting cages to outside groups. Rental pricing includes hourly rates, team block rates, monthly memberships, and additional charges for pitching machine use and coach-led sessions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Atlantic Youth Sports, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers year-round youth sports programming in basketball, volleyball, lacrosse, softball, and field hockey for grades K-12 in Central Maine. Offerings span recreational in-house leagues, local club travel teams, regional AAU teams, and AAU/NCAA-certified national travel teams (Maine Hype), plus academy clinics, individual 1v1 training, summer camps, and facility/cage rentals at the owned Madness Court.

Product overview

Atlantic Youth Sports, Inc. (AYS Inc.) operates as a portfolio of youth sports programs under the 'Madness' brand, offering recreational, competitive, and elite-level programming across five sports: basketball, volleyball, lacrosse, softball, and field hockey. The organization is structured around two primary program types: Madness Competitive Programs (including Madness Select/regional/national teams like Maine Hype, MB Elites, and MV Elites for travel competition) and Madness Academy programs (skill development camps, clinics, and individual training). The Madness League Programs offer in-house and 3v3 leagues for seasonal play. Facility rentals for courts and batting cages provide additional services. The organization utilizes SportsEngine's SRM platform for registration and program management, and operates from a multi-sport community hub in West Gardiner, Maine serving grades K-12.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Maine HYPE: National-level AAU certified basketball team for high school athletes (grades 9-12) competing in New England and beyond for college exposure.
• MB Elites
• MV Elites
• Summer In-House League
• Madness Academy

Products and services

• Madness Basketball Program
• Maine Hype (National AAU/NCAA Basketball Travel Team)
• MB Elites (Regional AAU Basketball Team)
• Club Basketball Team (Local Travel)
• Summer In-House Basketball League
• 3v3 Spring Basketball League
• Madness Volleyball Program
• MV Elites Volleyball (Regional Team)
• Volleyball Club Team (Middle School)
• Madness Lacrosse Program
• Lacrosse Academy (Camps, Clinics, Individual Development)
• Madness Softball Program
• Softball Academy (Camps and Clinics)
• Field Hockey Program
• Field Hockey Academy (Clinics)
• Basketball Academy (1v1, Camps, Clinics, Dr. Dish Shooting)
• Volleyball Academy (Camps and Clinics)
• Facility Rentals (Madness Court and Batting Cages)
• Women's Madness Basketball Annual Tournament

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• AAU (Amateur Athletic Union)coreOthers · 1 January 2026AYS Inc. holds AAU Certification (#W3E69D) under Atlantic Youth Sports, Inc., enabling its competitive travel teams (Maine Hype national teams, MB Elites regional teams) to compete in AAU-sanctioned tournaments across New England and beyond. AAU certification is required for team participation in Zero Gravity, NEAAU, and other AAU tournaments.
• SportsEnginecoreTechnology or IntegrationSportsEngine provides the Sports Relationship Management (SRM) software platform that powers aysinc.org, including program registration, team management, communication, scheduling, and the mobile app used for all parent/athlete notifications. AYS Inc. is subject to SportsEngine's privacy policy and terms of service.
• NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association)coreOthersAYS Inc. holds NCAA Certification under Atlantic Youth Sports, Inc., enabling Maine Hype national teams to participate in NCAA-certified events that provide official college recruiting exposure for high school athletes in grades 9th through 12th.
• NERVA (New England Volleyball Regional Association)coreOthersMV Elites volleyball teams compete in NERVA events (2-3 per season). MV Elites players are required to register for NERVA individual membership ($60). NERVA organizes regional Sunday tournaments for New England club volleyball, with events in CT, MA, and RI.
• Maine Hoops (Zero Gravity/3 Step)majorOthersMaine Hoops, part of the Zero Gravity/3 Step organization, operates youth basketball leagues across New England. AYS Inc. Club Teams and Maine Hype teams compete in Maine Hoops leagues and tournaments. Maine Hoops provides the league app, scheduling, and tournament infrastructure. Families pay $10-$12/person/day admission to tournaments.
• Maine State Credit UnionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMaine State Credit Union (mainestatecu.org) served as AYS Inc.'s Ambassador Sponsor for 2025. The sponsor relationship includes logo placement on AYS Inc.'s website and social media platforms as part of the 'Make Athletes Matter Together' campaign.
• Turner PublishingminorOthersTurner Publishing featured AYS Inc. and its 'Make Athletes Matter Together' campaign in an April 2021 news article (turnerpublishing.net), providing earned media coverage for the nonprofit's community mission and capital campaign.
• WGME (CBS 13 Portland)minorOthersWGME (a CBS affiliate in Portland, Maine) covered AYS Inc.'s construction plans for the new sports complex in West Gardiner, providing broadcast media visibility for the organization's expansion and capital campaign.
• Local Central Maine Schools and Community VenuesmajorOthersAYS Inc. partners with local schools and community facilities for practice and competition venues: Gardiner Area High School (basketball, lacrosse, softball, field hockey), Laura E Richards School (Gardiner), Cathance Fitness Center (Bowdoin), Wiscasset Community Center, and other Central Maine venues. These partnerships enable program delivery across multiple sports.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• YMCA of Central Maine: Established multi-sport community youth organization operating in the same Central Maine geography as AYS Inc. Offers overlapping youth sports, recreation, and facility access but as part of a broader wellness portfolio rather than a sport-specific nonprofit.
• Zero Gravity Basketball: Larger New England-wide AAU tournament circuit and program operator that runs the tournaments where AYS Inc.'s teams have won multiple state and regional championships. Operates at broader geographic scale across multiple states.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Maine: Regional youth development organization serving overlapping K-12 populations in Southern and Central Maine. Competes for the same family-time and activity-share wallet but with a broader youth-development mission beyond athletics.

Regional players

• NEAAU (New England AAU): New England regional arm of the AAU governing body that sanctions tournaments in which AYS Inc.'s AAU-certified teams participate. Functions as a regional governing peer for amateur basketball competition.

Others

• NCAA: National collegiate athletic association that certifies AYS Inc.'s Maine Hype national teams, enabling them to participate in NCAA-certified events that provide official college recruiting exposure for grades 9-12 athletes.
• SportsEngine: Technology platform provider powering AYS Inc.'s registration, scheduling, communication, and mobile app through its Sports Relationship Management (SRM) software. Serves as the operational backbone of AYS's direct-to-consumer GTM motion.
• AAU (Amateur Athletic Union): National amateur sports governing body under which AYS Inc. holds certification (#W3E69D). Provides the certification framework enabling AYS teams to compete in AAU-sanctioned tournaments across the country.

Direct peers

• NERVA (New England Regional Volleyball Association): Regional volleyball governing body that organizes Sunday tournaments for New England club volleyball, in which AYS Inc.'s MV Elites 16U/18U teams directly compete. Requires AYS players to register for NERVA individual membership.
• Maine Hoops: Maine-based youth basketball league and tournament operator that AYS Inc. competes in directly via its Maine Hype and club teams. Operates Central and Southern Maine leagues with overlapping athlete pool and scheduling infrastructure.
• Maine Amateur Basketball: Maine-based amateur basketball organization that operates state championship tournaments where AYS Inc.'s MB Elites teams have won multiple Girls 6/7 and 8/9 Grade state championships. Direct competitive peer in the same state geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/atlantic-youth-sports-inc

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 ATLANTIC YOUTH SPORTS INC