Why We Started Sponsa: Fixing a Broken Youth Sports Sponsorship Game.
Youth Sports: The Heartbeat of Every Community
Drive through any town on a Saturday morning, and you’ll hear it and see it — the laughter, the cheers, the sound of a ball hitting the bat or a whistle blowing from the sidelines, families with their kids afterwards getting food or icecream.
Youth sports aren’t just games or activities to keep kids busy. They’re the heartbeat of our communities.
From soccer fields tucked behind schools to baseball fields under the glow of evening lights, youth sports bring people together and they teach our kids more than how to dribble, pitch, or score a goal. They teach resilience, teamwork, respect, build character and the courage to dream big. They give kids a place to thrive & communities to gather.
But the truth is, youth sports is expensive and isn’t getting any cheaper.
The Growing Challenge of Funding Youth Sports
It’s no secret that the cost of youth sports is rising — equipment, uniforms, travel, tournament fees, facility rentals. Even for recreational teams, the price tag can put a strain on families and, in many cases, stand in the way of kids getting to play at all.
In fact, parents now spend an average of $1,500 annually per child just for sports participation — up 46% since 2019. A separate survey showed that 64% of parents say costs have increased. Meanwhile, over half of all parents with children in sports worry they can’t afford to keep their kids enrolled next year.
Traditionally, sponsorships have been the lifeline that keep youth sports alive. Local businesses and generous community members have stepped in to help cover costs, often in exchange for their logo on a banner or a spot in the team program.
But here’s the problem: the system is outdated, inconsistent, and incredibly draining for the coaches on the front lines who don’t have the time or resources to do it.
The Burden on Coaches and Volunteers
Ask any youth sports coach how much time they spend coaching versus fundraising, and you might be surprised by the answer.
Many coaches — the very people who should be focused on training and mentoring kids — are stuck making cold calls to businesses, sending out sponsorship letters, and chasing down payments. Then they need to activate those sponsorships and manage them. Some have to organize endless small fundraisers: car washes, bake sales, raffles, coupon books, candy bars.
These efforts take enormous time and energy, often with inconsistent results. And it’s not just about raising the money — it’s managing it, tracking it, and making sure sponsors actually see value in what they’ve contributed to.
The truth is, coaches shouldn’t be burdened with spending so much time raising funds and securing sponsors. They should be focused on helping kids develop on and off the field.
An Old System That Hasn’t Kept Up
If you think about it, the sponsorship model hasn’t really changed in decades.
It still largely depends on “who you know” — which means some teams have more access to funding simply because a parent knows a business owner. Others go without because they don’t have the same connections or the capacity to do it.
Sponsors don’t always know what impact their support has made. Teams don’t have an easy way to activate, manage or measure sponsorships. And too often, kids themselves end up doing the heavy lifting — selling candy, discount cards, or raffle tickets — when they should be focused on playing, learning, and having fun.
It’s a broken, outdated system — and the ones who suffer most are the kids who miss out because the funding isn’t there.
The Other Side of the Problem: Businesses Want to Help
On the flip side, there are so many local businesses and larger brands who genuinely want to give back and see the significant value in community based marketing — they just don’t have a clear, easy or centralized way to do it.
Right now, their giving is often limited to the teams that reach out directly or have some direct connection to the business or brand. That means their support is random and limited, rather than part of a bigger, more impactful community movement.
And when they do contribute, they rarely get clear reporting or real insight into how their dollars are helping. It’s hard for them to see — and share — the good they’re doing.
And for small business owners, their plate is already full, so unless there’s an easy and impactful way to do so it doesn’t get done.
That’s a missed opportunity for everyone. Teams don’t get the funding they deserve. Businesses and brands miss out on a high impact grassroots marketing channel.
Enter Sponsa: A Better Way Forward
That’s where Sponsa comes in.
We believe youth sports deserve a sponsorship system as strong, dynamic, and inspiring as the games themselves. One that removes the stress from coaches, opens doors for more kids, and gives businesses and brands a powerful, easy way to give back to the community and builds engagement, trust and loyalty.
We’re building a platform where:
Teams have access to opportunities based on need and merit — not just connections.
Coaches can spend more time coaching and less time fundraising.
Sponsors get transparency, impact tracking, and real recognition for the difference they make.
Communities can rally together to keep kids playing, learning, and thriving.
Everyone can play their part and be rewarded!
A Movement Worth Joining
Sponsa isn’t just a tool — it’s a movement to change the way we fund and support youth sports.
We’re here to rally teams, coaches, businesses, and everyday supporters to come together and make sure no kid has to sit out because of money.
This is about more than sponsorship. It’s about keeping the heartbeat of our communities strong. It’s about giving kids the chance to dream bigger, work harder, and experience the lessons only sports can teach.
Whether you’re a coach trying to stretch your team’s budget, a parent who wants to see more kids on the field, or a business owner looking for a way to give back — Sponsa is for you.
Join us and together, we can make sure youth sports stay strong for the next generation — and every generation after that.
Sign up at Join.Sponsa.ai
Stay tuned for news, launch updates and rewards!
Co-Founder of Sponsa
Oren Langberg