Why Youth Athletes United Has Identified Nashville as its Top Target Market for Franchising

Youth Athletes United, the multi-brand franchisor behind youth sports and activities brands Soccer Stars, Amazing Athletes, TGA Premier Sport, Little Rookies Baseball and JumpBunch, is gearing up for major franchise growth following a banner year. Now, the brand has identified Nashville as a prime target market following the growth of other franchisees in the surrounding area and the recognition of an unmet demand in the city.

“Nashville is the No. 1 top growth market for Youth Athletes United, and we’ve already seen exceptional success in the market,” said Youth Athletes United President John Erlandson. “Anytime we see mid- to upper-income areas that are growing with a large family base, we know they are right in the sweet spot with a huge demand for the youth sports programming we offer.”

In Nashville, which has seen a population growth rate of almost double the U.S. average over the past decade, nearly one-fourth of all households have children. And those families typically have supplemental income as well, with the city’s average annual household income coming in at $92,486 — significantly higher than the national average.

“Generally our franchisees tend to do very well in these types of neighborhoods,” said Erlandson. “Those areas also have robust parks and rec programs and large school systems, which means a higher density of kids and more opportunities for franchise partners to become highly profitable and offer multiple services.”

Angela Dolan, a Tennessee-based Amazing Athletes franchise owner, agrees that the market is ripe with opportunities. “I live just south of Nashville, and our area is home to the stars and is the wealthiest county in the state,” Dolan said. “The kids have a wide array of interests, and our city features some of the top schools in the nation, so the amount of children in the school district is just huge. In addition, it is a great area for YAU because largely the preschools are private with only a few schools in the county having a public preschool on campus, so parents pay for their children's education, and they have the wealth to involve their kids in sports programs.”

Since investing in the brand in 2016, Dolan says she has seen a significant demand among parents in the Nashville area, who increasingly recognize the value of Youth Athletes United’s services. Not only are parents always willing to spend money on their children, but they are particularly drawn to youth sports activities, as physical education is largely neglected by schools in favor of academic work. As a result, youth sports present a near-recession-proof opportunity, and Youth Athletes United gives entrepreneurs a proven system to fill this void in the curriculum.

“If you have kids, in this day and age, there is less open play happening,” said Erlandson. “Life has become a lot more structured, for better or worse. Now, there is a constant need to put kids in new activities so they can learn new skills in a fun way. Whether we are in a school or providing programming on the weekends, we fill an important void for younger kids by giving them a platform to come play sports and have a great time. This allows franchisees to operate within a unique niche with a huge demand from parents.”

The Youth Athletes United franchise opportunity offers franchisees a low investment relative to return on capital, a high cash-on-cash return and the chance to buy into multiple units across multiple territories and brands. Looking ahead, Erlandson says the Youth Athletes United Team has identified three territories per brand available for development in Nashville.

“In Nashville and beyond, our ideal franchisee is high-energy, loves working with kids and is not afraid to go out, network and talk to people in the community,” said Erlandson. “We provide the proven model — they just need to bring a great personality. If you wake up every morning with a relentless attitude and a commitment to the business model, you can’t fail. It is just that type of business, with so much demand and need in cities like Nashville. Franchisees just need to show up to work everyday with a smile, and they’ll be sure to find success with Youth Athletes United.”

Amazing Athletes currently offers two franchise programs: The total investment to begin operation of this franchised business for the Complete AA Program ranges from $43,650 to $64,950, including between $35,450 and $43,450 that must be paid to the franchisor. The total investment to begin operation of this franchised business for the Basic Package ranges from $33,450 to $51,950, including between $27,950 and $33,450 that must be paid to the franchisor. For more information, visit https://amazingathletesfranchise.com/. 

The total cost to open a TGA Premier Sports franchise ranges from $42,700-$113,000, which includes a franchise fee of $30,000-$70,000. For more information, visit https://www.franchisetga.com/. 

Franchise opportunities for JumpBunch will begin in 2022. Learn more about the brand here: Learn more about franchising here: https://www.jumpbunch.com/franchise. 

Franchising opportunities for Soccer Stars will begin in 2022. Learn more about the brand here: https://newyork.supersoccerstars.com/.