Announcing JohnWallStreet's Youth Sports Summit Lineup

Announcing JohnWallStreet’s Youth Sports Summit Lineup

Youth sports was once a hyper-fragmented, community-driven industry. It has transformed into a high-growth, professionally managed business ecosystem. 

Industry analysts pegged domestic grassroots sports spend to be ~$37.5 billion in 2022. That figure is expected to climb to $69.4 billion by 2030.

Private capital is now backing training academies, tournament operators, and sports tech platforms. Local club franchises are being consolidated. 

These investments have brought structure, scale, and real financial stakes to the space. But as the money flows in, new questions are emerging. 

How do operators build sustainable models? Where are the real returns? And who is leading the next phase of growth?

JohnWallStreet’s Youth Sports Summit will bring together key stakeholders and prospective investors for a half-day of interactive conversation and high-level networking. We’ll unpack the latest trends, discuss new monetization strategies, and talk through best practices in a closed-door environment. 

This exclusive event will be held in New York City on the morning of October 8.

Ben Sherwood is going to kick off our half-day summit. The senior media executive (current The Daily Beast CEO, former Disney ABC Television Group President/Co-Chair of Disney Media Networks) and MOJO Sports founder will lead a conversation that focuses on the increasing convergence of media & technology in youth sports.

The loaded program will also feature deep-dive firesides on the following topics:

• Building the Operating System for Youth Sports

LeagueApps Co-Founder and CEO Brian Litvack will dive into the various ways digital infrastructure is helping to modernize the industry, while driving its consolidation.

• The Franchise Model: Scalable, Sustainable, and Still Misunderstood

Youth Athletes United Co-Founder and CEO Adam Geisler will explain why franchising makes sense in youth sports—and how the Amazing Athletes and Soccer Stars parent co. balances its needs for a centralized brand and systems with local ownership, trust, and delivery.

• A Realist’s View on Private Capital in Youth Sports

3Step Sports founder and former CEO David Geaslen will separate signal from the noise—what money can (and can’t) fix in youth sports and why many investors fail to understand the operational complexities that exist on the ground.

• Segments & Metrics Driving Top Returns

Not all youth sports assets or investment opportunities are created equal. Boxwood Partners Managing Director Brian Alas will discuss where smart money is flowing, the categories delivering the largest returns, and the valuation levers that can turn a good exit into a great one. 

There will be discussion on facilities (i.e. real estate as core asset or overhead), LOVB’s grassroots to pro pyramid, and future-proofing youth sports investments too.

Many of the industry’s key stakeholders will be in attendance. If you'd like to join them, you can express interest here.

As always, the conversation will be off record so guests can speak openly and honestly. 

If you would like to partner with us on this unique event, reach out to Jacie Brandes at [email protected].