In a new Sports Business Journal op-ed, Youth Enrichment Brands CEO Rob Price explains what it takes to keep kids in sports, and why the i9 Sports model is built for it.
At the end of every i9 Sports game, parents line up on both sides of the field and form a tunnel. Every child runs through it and gets cheered, whether they scored three goals or spent most of the game watching the clouds.
In his Sports Business Journal op-ed, Rob Price, CEO of i9 Sports parent company Youth Enrichment Brands, says that moment shows what youth sports is supposed to do, and why it matters more than ever.
The New Competition
Cost, early specialization, and sideline pressure all drive kids out of sports. But Price argues the biggest competitor today is the device in every child’s pocket, which is built to be more instantly rewarding than almost anything else a kid could do.
“We won’t out-engineer the device. We won’t make showing up more convenient than staying home,” Price writes. “But we can make it more meaningful, and for families weighing their options, that’s the only argument that wins.”
What Screens Can’t Do
A screen can’t give a child the feeling of belonging to a team. It can’t build the confidence that comes from stepping up to bat with people watching, or from making a mistake in front of teammates and coming back the next week anyway.
That’s exactly what i9 Sports delivers:
- Belonging from day one. Every child plays, with no tryouts and no labels.
- Fun comes first. Fun is the goal, not a consolation prize for not winning.
- Room to try. Kids can play multiple sports before they specialize.
- Easy for families. Practice and game on the same day, once a week.
Why It Matters for Owners
Parents are looking for real-world experiences that pull their kids away from screens and away from résumé-building pressure. The programs that win, Price writes, are the ones that understand what they’re up against. i9 Sports owners get a proven model designed around that need, backed by a national brand that’s leading the conversation.
Want to give kids in your community a reason to put the screen down? Learn about owning an i9 Sports franchise →
