i9 Sports business model keeps kids healthy and sports fun
Youth sports have become increasingly competitive, and experts are warning that early sports specialization is hurting kids. The i9 Sports® model offers a safer and more balanced approach to youth sports. It’s one reason why the i9 Sports business model is as good for kids as it is for franchisees.
The dangers of specializing too early
For i9 Sports owners, it’s crucial to understand the importance of promoting participation in multiple sports. Having families enroll their kids in multiple leagues throughout the year is obviously great for business, but there are much more important benefits. Unfortunately, many kids specialize in a single sport too early, which can have unfortunate results:
- Kids burn out;
- Hypercompetitive leagues chase away the kids who are there to have fun;
- The travel and training involved in sports specialization can be expensive, placing a financial burden on families.
But the worst effect is that kids can do long-term damage to their bodies.
Long-term effects
According to ESPN, NBA commissioner Adam Silver says, “What our orthopedics are telling us is they’re seeing wear-and-tear issues in young players that they didn’t used to see until players were much older.”
For several years, NBA teams have used “load management” as a way to prevent injuries by limiting the number of games and minutes played by some stars. The concept has earned eye-rolls from a lot of fans who wonder why today’s athletes are so much less durable — or wimpier — than the athletes from 20-30 years ago.
But basketball is a foreboding example of the larger youth sports specialization trend. Kids start playing AAU ball as early as 7, and can log more than 1,000 competitive games by the time they’re 17. At 18, they have the wear-and-tear of a 12-year NBA veteran.
Dr. Neeru Jayanthi, the Director of Sports Medicine at Emory Healthcare, says “Kids are broken by the time they get to college.”
Basketball may be the most extreme example of this trend, but you see similar extremes of training and competition in baseball, softball, soccer — all kinds of travel leagues.
The i9 Sports business model
By playing different sports, children develop flexibility, improve coordination, and reduce the risk of overuse injuries. In addition to the physical benefits of sports participation, kids who play sports develop socially by making more friends and becoming more confident.
With i9 Sports, kids can try different sports and discover their favorites over multiple seasons. We offer leagues and programs for kids up to age 14 in flag football, soccer, baseball, tennis, basketball, volleyball, and lacrosse.
We offer a multi-sport program for kids ages 3 to 6 to try different sports in a single season and find the ones they like best. Kids get to play three popular sports: soccer, baseball, and flag football, which is another reason that the i9 Sports business model is as good for kids as it is for franchisees.
Why families choose i9 Sports
Families choose i9 Sports because we choose to emphasize fun and sportsmanship far more than wins and losses. For kids, sports should be play, not like work.
As an i9 Sports business owner, you will contribute to the overall well-being of young athletes by providing them with a diverse range of sports experiences that emphasize fun, skill development, and long-term athletic growth.
Benefits for i9 Sports owners
An advantage for i9 Sports owners is that our model generates great repeat business, thanks to our multi-sport model, word of mouth among families, and the kids who return to play over multiple seasons — and years.
Kids not only register to play different sports throughout the year, but also often recruit their friends to play with them. One of the significant advantages of the i9 Sports business model is offering such a number of sport leagues for kids to play in, unlike leagues that offer only a single sport.
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