Buying Sandlot: The Business of Youth Sports

Kyle Pagan and Kyle Scott sit down with Jeremy Goldberg, President of LeagueApps, Pete Frintzilas, CEO of TeamSnap, and Jared Cooper, Exec. Director of the FundPlay Foundation to talk The Strong Kids Act. We discuss why the coalition believes this legislation is necessary, the problems it is trying to solve, the grant and funding process, and what is next.

0:00 - What is the Fundplay Foundation?

9:58 - An Explainer on The Strong Kids Act

16:36 - The Funding & Grant Process

24:18 - Opportunities & Hurdles for the Bill

33:04 - Is There...

Kyle Scott and Kyle Pagan talk to Perfect Game CEO, Rob Ponger, about their recent media deals and how they help innovate broadcasts, why he believes youth sports remains one of the most overlooked marketing opportunities, the All-American Classic in Philadelphia, a defense of stay-to-play, and updates on international expansion.

0:00 - Perfect Game's All-American Classic

6:04 - The Plan to Integrate New Media Deals Into Broadcasts

21:09 - Major Brands Continue to Overlook Youth Sports

26:18 - Increasing Participation Through Softball & Rec

30:14 - Improving Old-School Bat Certifications

33:06...

SportIQ is a company that's turning an ordinary basketball into an AI-powered training platform. Every shot, every release angle, every make, every miss becomes data that helps athletes improve in real time. But this conversation goes way beyond a smart basketball. Kyle Pagan talks to CEO, Erik Anderson, about connected sports equipment could become as common as an Apple Watch, why basketball analytics have lagged behind sports like baseball and golf, and how SportIQ is trying to democratize elite-level player development for families instead of just professionals.

0:00 - Innovating Smart Basketball Tech

8:17...

Kyle Pagan talks to Co-Founder and CEO of Game1.ai Amir Donath. In the episode, Amir explains how Game1 differentiates between early and late bloomers, why AI should complement and not replace coaches and scouts, the role of biological age in TalentID, and why development, not just winning, should be the north star of every youth sports organization.

0:00 - How Game1.ai Identifies Soccer Talent

11:09 - Building Trust With Customers

19:50 - The Messaging Around Sports Specialization

24:07 - US Soccer's Own Scouting Tech

26:01 - Expanding Beyond Soccer

Check...

Kyle Pagan talks to Co-Founder and CEO of Game1.ai Amir Donath. In the episode, Amir explains how Game1 differentiates between early and late bloomers, why AI should complement and not replace coaches and scouts, the role of biological age in TalentID, and why development, not just winning, should be the north star of every youth sports organization.

0:00 - How Game1.ai Identifies Soccer Talent

11:09 - Building Trust With Customers

19:50 - The Messaging Around Sports Specialization

24:07 - US Soccer's Own Scouting Tech

26:01 - Expanding Beyond Soccer

Kyle Pagan and Kyle Scott discuss a jam packed week of news from the uncertainty around Norway’s youth sports model, D1 Training launches a new verified testing platform, USA Baseball changes the bat specs for high school, and more.

0:00 - USA Baseball's Changes Bat Specs

12:06 - The Norway Model Faces Uncertainty

28:06 - D1 Training's New Testing Platform

34:38 - Update: Stay To Play Lawsuit

38:22 - A Media Defense Of Private Equity In Soccer

44:44 - Postgame Show

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Kyle Pagan and Kyle Scott discuss a jam packed week of news from the uncertainty around Norway’s youth sports model, D1 Training launches a new verified testing platform, USA Baseball changes the bat specs for high school, and more.

0:00 - USA Baseball's Changes Bat Specs

12:06 - The Norway Model Faces Uncertainty

28:06 - D1 Training's New Testing Platform

34:38 - Update: Stay To Play Lawsuit

38:22 - A Media Defense Of Private Equity In Soccer

44:44 - Postgame Show

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Kyle Pagan and James Kratch talk to Co-Founder and CEO of Real America Freestyle Wrestling Chad Bronstein. RAF is a rapidly growing wrestling league that announced the launch of Next Gen, a national youth wrestling series that will stream on Fox Nation. Chad breaks down why he believes wrestling is on the verge of becoming America's next breakout sport, the Next Gen tournament, RAF's plans to acquire 30-40 wrestling clubs, emerging markets like Texas & Florida, and creating a "Disney World” atmosphere at events for wrestling families.

0:00 - Next Gen Tournament & Club Wrestling Network

8:54 - Expanding Wr...

Kyle Pagan and James Kratch talk to Co-Founder and CEO of Real America Freestyle Wrestling Chad Bronstein. RAF is a rapidly growing wrestling league that announced the launch of Next Gen, a national youth wrestling series that will stream on Fox Nation. Chad breaks down why he believes wrestling is on the verge of becoming America's next breakout sport, the Next Gen tournament, RAF's plans to acquire 30-40 wrestling clubs, emerging markets like Texas & Florida, and creating a "Disney World” atmosphere at events for wrestling families.

0:00 - Next Gen Tournament & Club Wrestling Network

8:54...

Kyle Scott and Kyle Pagan interview Jeremy Goldberg, President & Co-Founder of LeagueApps, and Kate Quattlebaum, VP of Safety at NCSI, as LeagueApps announces they’ve acquired the background screening and compliance app. We discuss why LeagueApps made safety its next major investment, how they’ll integrate NCSI into the company, the conversation around athlete safety evolving, and their plans to simplify background checks and compliance for youth sports operators.

0:00 - LeagueApps Acquires NCSI

7:25 - NCSI's Role in Compliance

14:12 - Easier, Faster, & Securer Processes

17:33 - The Challenge of State Regulations

21:51 - Do...

Kyle Scott and Kyle Pagan interview Jeremy Goldberg, President & Co-Founder of LeagueApps, and Kate Quattlebaum, VP of Safety at NCSI, as LeagueApps announces they’ve acquired the background screening and compliance app. We discuss why LeagueApps made safety its next major investment, how they’ll integrate NCSI into the company, the conversation around athlete safety evolving, and their plans to simplify background checks and compliance for youth sports operators.

0:00 - LeagueApps Acquires NCSI

7:25 - NCSI's Role in Compliance

14:12 - Easier, Faster, & Securer Processes

17:33 - The Challenge of State Regulations

Kyle Pagan speaks with Paul Anton, CEO and Co-Founder of huupe, a company behind the world’s first smart basketball hoop. huupe uses an integrated screen, computer vision, and AI-powered training that transforms a driveway or gym into an interactive player development experience. We dive into the origins, their core products, why consumer expectations around sports training are changing, and the future of connected sports equipment.

0:00 - The Smart Basketball Huupe

2:36 - Tracking Stats, Highlights, & Shots

6:33 - Target Market & Proprietary Tech

14:27 - The Different Levels of Data Tracking

18:51 - Ga...

Kyle Pagan speaks with Paul Anton, CEO and Co-Founder of huupe, a company behind the world’s first smart basketball hoop. huupe uses an integrated screen, computer vision, and AI-powered training that transforms a driveway or gym into an interactive player development experience. We dive into the origins, their core products, why consumer expectations around sports training are changing, and the future of connected sports equipment.

0:00 - The Smart Basketball Huupe

2:36 - Tracking Stats, Highlights, & Shots

6:33 - Target Market & Proprietary Tech

14:27 - The Different Levels of Data Tracking

...

Kyle Scott and Kyle Pagan talk to the founder of 108 Performance, Eugene Bleecker, about 108's journey from a small training facility to MLB player clients, how the next generation of athlete development will combine software, education, products, and AI into a single ecosystem and we dive into his ambitious professional women's softball project in Knoxville, Tennessee.

0:00 - 108 Performance's Journey

4:23 - The Knoxville Miracle Opportunity

8:41 - A Unified Platform of Player Development and Media

15:01 - The Future, Raises, & Innovation

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Kyle Scott and Kyle Pagan talk to the founder of 108 Performance, Eugene Bleecker, about 108's journey from a small training facility to MLB player clients, how the next generation of athlete development will combine software, education, products, and AI into a single ecosystem and we dive into his ambitious professional women's softball project in Knoxville, Tennessee.

0:00 - 108 Performance's Journey

4:23 - The Knoxville Miracle Opportunity

8:41 - A Unified Platform of Player Development and Media

15:01 - The Future, Raises, & Innovation

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Kyle Pagan and James Kratch speak with President of U.S. Sports Camps, Justin Hoeveler, about their new partnership with UCLA Softball, the continued rise of girls sports, what the World Cup could mean for soccer participation, and whether flag football can avoid some of the pitfalls that other youth sports have experienced as they've scaled.

0:00 - U.S. Sports Camps Partners with UCLA Softball

8:48 - NIL Opportunities & AI in a Service Heavy Business

13:29 - Importance of In-Person Experiences

16:04 - Can Flag Football Avoid Pitfalls?

20:46 - World Cup Impact...

Kyle Pagan and James Kratch speak with President of U.S. Sports Camps, Justin Hoeveler, about their new partnership with UCLA Softball, the continued rise of girls sports, what the World Cup could mean for soccer participation, and whether flag football can avoid some of the pitfalls that other youth sports have experienced as they've scaled.

0:00 - U.S. Sports Camps Partners with UCLA Softball

8:48 - NIL Opportunities & AI in a Service Heavy Business

13:29 - Importance of In-Person Experiences

16:04 - Can Flag Football Avoid Pitfalls?

20:46 - World...

Kyle Scott, Kyle Pagan, and James Kratch discuss their takeaways from the "Field of Fees: Private Equity’s Role in the Commercialization of American Youth Sports" hearing on Capitol Hill. Is the Let Kids Play Act in jeopardy? How are conversations being led by misleading numbers? What should private equity be liable for? We're even seeing one PE firm go on the offensive. Kyle Scott also submitted a statement after originally being asked to be a witness.

We want to thank BlackMagic Design Cameras for sponsoring the show! Whether you're a sports facility, club, school or coach, Bl...

Kyle Scott, Kyle Pagan, and James Kratch discuss their takeaways from the "Field of Fees: Private Equity’s Role in the Commercialization of American Youth Sports" hearing on Capitol Hill. Is the Let Kids Play Act in jeopardy? How are conversations being led by misleading numbers? What should private equity be liable for? We're even seeing one PE firm go on the offensive. Kyle Scott also submitted a statement after originally being asked to be a witness.

We want to thank BlackMagic Design Cameras for sponsoring the show! Whether you're a sports facility, club, school or...

Kyle Pagan is joined by two leaders helping shape the future of club baseball. Jack Cressend, founder of Knights Knation Baseball and Tyler Naquin, Director of Baseball Operations. Knights has built one of the most successful club baseball organizations for nearly two decades. They’ve produced more than 1,000 college players, over 100 MLB Draft picks, and have a growing network of programs across the South. During the episode they announce a new partnership with Curve Sports, discuss what the future of club baseball looks like, how data is changing recruiting, and why relationships still matter.

0:00 - Knights Knation An...

Kyle Pagan is joined by two leaders helping shape the future of club baseball. Jack Cressend, founder of Knights Knation Baseball and Tyler Naquin, Director of Baseball Operations. Knights has built one of the most successful club baseball organizations for nearly two decades. They’ve produced more than 1,000 college players, over 100 MLB Draft picks, and have a growing network of programs across the South. During the episode they announce a new partnership with Curve Sports, discuss what the future of club baseball looks like, how data is changing recruiting, and why relationships still matter.

0:00 - Kn...

Kyle Scott and Kyle Pagan talk about Unrivaled Sports' latest baseball move for Ripken Nationals while we wonder if they will build a LLWS competitor, FlexWork and ProCamps merge, which could create an opportunity for pro teams to leverage new revenue streams. Also a streaming message comes out of Cannes.

0:00 - Will Unrivaled Build A LLWS Competitor?

14:46 - Youth Sports Camp Operators Merge

19:49 - Pro Teams Leverage Youth For Different Rev Streams

37:19 - Youth Sports Messaging Still Needs Work

43:51 - A Message For Streamers Comes Out Of Cannes

Kyle Scott and Kyle Pagan talk about Unrivaled Sports' latest baseball move for Ripken Nationals while we wonder if they will build a LLWS competitor, FlexWork and ProCamps merge, which could create an opportunity for pro teams to leverage new revenue streams. Also a streaming message comes out of Cannes.

0:00 - Will Unrivaled Build A LLWS Competitor?

14:46 - Youth Sports Camp Operators Merge

19:49 - Pro Teams Leverage Youth For Different Rev Streams

37:19 - Youth Sports Messaging Still Needs Work

43:51 - A Message For Streamers Comes Out Of...

In this episode we discuss trends we saw from a World Cup experience, recap the insights gathered from our interview with Nina Johnson and Rep. Chris Deluzio, Perfect Game announces their next media rights move, and another facility sells their naming rights.

0:00 - Trends from World Cup Experience

6:29 - Insights from Bananas Interview

16:06 - Insights from Rep. Deluzio Interview

22:42 - Perfect Game's Next Media Rights Move

26:38 - How Will Data Rights Play Out?

34:58 - Another Facility Naming Rights Deal

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In this episode we discuss trends we saw from a World Cup experience, recap the insights gathered from our interview with Nina Johnson and Rep. Chris Deluzio, Perfect Game announces their next media rights move, and another facility sells their naming rights.

0:00 - Trends from World Cup Experience

6:29 - Insights from Bananas Interview

16:06 - Insights from Rep. Deluzio Interview

22:42 - Perfect Game's Next Media Rights Move

26:38 - How Will Data Rights Play Out?

34:58 - Another Facility Naming Rights Deal

...

Rep. Chris Deluzio joins the show to discuss what inspired the framework of The Let Kids Play Act, the biggest debates surrounding the bill, and why the legislation targets "vulture practices" that he argues are driving up costs and limiting access.

0:00 - Reactions & Progress of the Let Kids Play Act

5:47 - Addressing the Vulture Practices

13:00 - Fors & Against of Stay To Play

18:33 - Redirecting Funds to Community Programs

21:54 - Sponsorship as a Solution

24:03 - Balancing Control & Investment

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Rep. Chris Deluzio joins the show to discuss what inspired the framework of The Let Kids Play Act, the biggest debates surrounding the bill, and why the legislation targets "vulture practices" that he argues are driving up costs and limiting access.

0:00 - Reactions & Progress of the Let Kids Play Act

5:47 - Addressing the Vulture Practices

13:00 - Fors & Against of Stay To Play

18:33 - Redirecting Funds to Community Programs

21:54 - Sponsorship as a Solution

24:03 - Balancing Control & Investment

Follow Us:

...

Banana Ball Chief of Staff, Nina Johnson, dives into how the Savannah Bananas are approaching youth camps and tournaments, what a future Banana Ball youth league could look like, the challenges facing community-based programs, and how parents a lot of times shape sports decision-making.

0:00 - Bananas Vision for Youth Programming

10:26 - Maintaining Control Over the Experience

20:27 - Scaling Banana Ball Through Acquisition

25:54 - Balancing Accessibility & Affordability

30:47 - Rec Leagues vs. Organized Experience

42:13 - Parents & Community Role In Sports

47:13 - "Sandlot" Style Intiatives

49:54...

Banana Ball Chief of Staff, Nina Johnson, dives into how the Savannah Bananas are approaching youth camps and tournaments, what a future Banana Ball youth league could look like, the challenges facing community-based programs, and how parents a lot of times shape sports decision-making.

0:00 - Bananas Vision for Youth Programming

10:26 - Maintaining Control Over the Experience

20:27 - Scaling Banana Ball Through Acquisition

25:54 - Balancing Accessibility & Affordability

30:47 - Rec Leagues vs. Organized Experience

42:13 - Parents & Community Role In Sports

47:13 - "Sandlot" Style Intiatives

We're joined today by RCX Sports' CEO, Izell Reese, and Brand Velocity Group Founding Partner, Austin Ramos. We discuss BVG’s recent acquisition of RCX, why they believe youth sports remains a compelling investment opportunity, how RCX grew NFL FLAG into the largest youth flag football league in the world, why affordability and accessibility remain at the center of their mission, general thoughts on private equity’s role in youth sports and if The Let Kids Play Act had any effect on the sale, and global expansion plus what comes next.

0:00 - Inside The BVG/RCX Sports Deal...

We're joined today by RCX Sports' CEO, Izell Reese, and Brand Velocity Group Founding Partner, Austin Ramos. We discuss BVG’s recent acquisition of RCX, why they believe youth sports remains a compelling investment opportunity, how RCX grew NFL FLAG into the largest youth flag football league in the world, why affordability and accessibility remain at the center of their mission, general thoughts on private equity’s role in youth sports and if The Let Kids Play Act had any effect on the sale, and global expansion plus what comes next.

0:00 - Inside The BVG/RCX...

Today we're talking about a bill in Massachusetts that wants to establish a state governing body for youth sports, the MLB draft proposal could have some drastic effects on youth baseball, news releases in the age of The Let Kids Play Act, and a youth Whiffle Ball League is a point for organized pick up.

0:00 - Buying Sandlot Premium Update

5:51 - Youth Sports Regulation in New England

11:28 - Benefits & Challenges of Regulation

35:07 - MLB Draft Plan Could Bring Major Change

49:10 - The Case for Sponsorship in an Age of...

Today we're talking about a bill in Massachusetts that wants to establish a state governing body for youth sports, the MLB draft proposal could have some drastic effects on youth baseball, news releases in the age of The Let Kids Play Act, and a youth Whiffle Ball League is a point for organized pick up.

0:00 - Buying Sandlot Premium Update

5:51 - Youth Sports Regulation in New England

11:28 - Benefits & Challenges of Regulation

35:07 - MLB Draft Plan Could Bring Major Change

49:10 - The Case for Sponsorship in an...

On today's episode Quinten Griffiths, CEO of Sportball, one of the largest rec sports providers in North America talks about why Sportball believes the future of youth sports starts before kindergarten, how the company is helping parents navigate specialization in sports, why Quinten sees a massive opportunity for non-competitive youth sports in America, and he gives his thoughts on the Let Kids Play Act targeting private equity’s growing interest in the industry.

0:00 - Sportball Is Betting Big on Texas

6:35 - Unique Coach, Business, & Culture Model

24:42 - Government & PE's Role in Youth Sports

On today's episode Quinten Griffiths, CEO of Sportball, one of the largest rec sports providers in North America talks about why Sportball believes the future of youth sports starts before kindergarten, how the company is helping parents navigate specialization in sports, why Quinten sees a massive opportunity for non-competitive youth sports in America, and he gives his thoughts on the Let Kids Play Act targeting private equity’s growing interest in the industry.

0:00 - Sportball Is Betting Big on Texas

6:35 - Unique Coach, Business, & Culture Model

24:42 - Government & PE's Role in Yo...

On today’s episode we check back in on the Youth Sports predictions we made in January, now that we’re at the halfway point. How many did we get right and how many have we been flat out wrong about so far? We look into the state of international expansion, government legislation, flag football infrastructure, and the SportsEngine sale. Later in the episode, we'll have more predictions for rest of 2026 centered around The Savannah Bananas, interoperability, sports academies, and plenty more.

0:00 - Youth Sports Expands Internationally

7:52 - An Elite High School Football Platform Launches

On today’s episode we check back in on the Youth Sports predictions we made in January, now that we’re at the halfway point. How many did we get right and how many have we been flat out wrong about so far? We look into the state of international expansion, government legislation, flag football infrastructure, and the SportsEngine sale. Later in the episode, we'll have more predictions for rest of 2026 centered around The Savannah Bananas, interoperability, sports academies, and plenty more.

0:00 - Youth Sports Expands Internationally

7:52 - An Elite High School Football Plat...

A former hacker and DARPA program manager Jason Syversen launched SportsVisio after an 8-figure exit from his cybersecurity company. SportsVisio brings computer vision and AI to youth sports and helps teams, clubs, schools, and facilities automatically capture games, generate highlights and box scores, and track stats typically only available to the highest levels. We talk about the product, democratizing sports analytics, why AI-generated highlights are becoming a must-have rather than a nice-to-have, trends in youth sports & facilities (he also owns a 30,000 sq. ft. sports complex), the role youth sports plays in national security, and future funding plans.

0:00...

A former hacker and DARPA program manager Jason Syversen launched SportsVisio after an 8-figure exit from his cybersecurity company. SportsVisio brings computer vision and AI to youth sports and helps teams, clubs, schools, and facilities automatically capture games, generate highlights and box scores, and track stats typically only available to the highest levels. We talk about the product, democratizing sports analytics, why AI-generated highlights are becoming a must-have rather than a nice-to-have, trends in youth sports & facilities (he also owns a 30,000 sq. ft. sports complex), the role youth sports plays in national security, and future funding plans.

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Huck Sorock, Co-Founder and CEO of Refr Sports, is one of the fastest-growing companies in the officiating technology space. A former hockey player and referee, Huck experienced firsthand the challenges officials face—from inefficient scheduling and long payment delays to the broader referee shortage impacting youth sports across the country. We talked about how technology is changing officiating, the referee shortage, why assigners hold so much influence, and why Huck believes officials represent one of the biggest infrastructure opportunities in the entire sports industry.

0:00 - Identifying Tech Inefficiencies in Reffing

8:04 - Market Data: Age, Pay, Ga...