Youth Athletes United Takes ‘Swing’ Toward Becoming the Largest All-Encompassing Children’s Sports and Enrichment Franchise with Acquisition of 59-Unit TGA Premier Sports

With the acquisition of TGA Premier Sports, the largest golf and tennis franchisor in the country with 59 units in 23 states, Youth Athletes United took another step toward becoming the largest youth sports and enrichment brand in the country. With TGA Premier Sports, Soccer Stars, Amazing Athletes, Youth Athletes United now has 264 units across the country.

“We are on a mission to become the largest and most encompassing youth sports organization in the country, with the goal of positively impacting over one million kids each year” said Adam Geisler, CEO and co-founder of Youth Athletes United. “With the acquisition of TGA Premier Sports, we have taken another step forward with not only the addition of 40 franchise owners, but also an extended curriculum that impacts children of all ages.”

TGA Premier Sports focuses on athletes ages 6-14, providing introductory and recreational golf and tennis programs at schools, parks & rec, golf courses and tennis courts across the country. According to a study by the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, tennis and golf saw a 22.4% and 13.2% participation growth in the last year, respectively. The additional curriculum and franchisees with a focus in these sports will help Youth Athletes United capture more category market share, as families spend an average of $693 on one youth sport per year, driving the $19 billion youth sports market. 

 “As we think about our youth franchise platform, TGA Premier Sports is the perfect complement to Amazing Athletes and Soccer stars, “said John Erlandson, President and co-founder of Youth Athletes United. “Where most of our current programs focus on early childhood development and the fundamentals of sports, TGA provides a clear curriculum-based pathway for our older players to continue to learn sport-specific skills within our family of brands.”

The move will impact both consumers of the Youth Athletes United family, as well as franchise owners with TGA Premier Sports. As a part of the acquisition, franchisees will be met with opportunities like the latest in technological offerings, a flexible work schedule, no required brick-and-mortar site and a resilient business model that offers both afterschool and on-course/on-court classes — a valuable option in times of social distancing. Currently, TGA Premier Sports boasts 40 franchise owners and counting. 

“Eighteen years ago, TGA Premier Sports was founded with a vision that sports can change lives and a mission to create a pathway for our kids in communities nationwide to be introduced to the lifelong sports of golf and tennis,” said Joshua Jacobs, founder and board advisor at TGA Premier Sports. “Under Youth Athletes United, TGA franchisees, and current and future TGA athletes have a greater platform and more resources to continue growing both of these sports for the future.”

Laura Sappington, Senior Director of Operations for TGA Premier Sports, said “passion, integrity, communication and resilience have been integral to creating a successful franchisor-franchisee dynamic.”

“As a brand that caters to children, it is especially important that TGA Premier Sports has strong relationships with its franchisees,” Sappington said. What unites the brand’s corporate team and franchisees, she explained, is the “shared passion of making sports accessible for kids and the desire to make a positive impact on people and in communities.”

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/. 

For more information on Youth Athletes United’s additional franchising opportunities, visit https://youthathletesunited.com/.

Richard Bayer and Michael Einbinder of Einbinder & Dunn represented Youth Athletes United in the transaction while Andrew Apfelberg from Greenberg Glusker represented TGA Premier Sports.