Key Takeaways
- Contract manufacturing brought in $9.3 million during Cizzle’s first full quarter running its own plant, more than three-quarters of total company revenue.
- Revenue and gross profit have both more than doubled since Cizzle bought its co-manufacturing partner and renamed it the Cwench Hydration Factory.
- CEO John Celenza says grassroots deals with USA Hockey, USA Lacrosse and state-level associations are how Cizzle drives trial with families.
- Mordor Intelligence projects the U.S. sports nutrition market will reach $27.76 billion by 2031, up from $18.28 billion in 2025.
Cizzle Brands, the sports nutrition company behind Cwench Hydration, has more than doubled its revenue and gross profit since acquiring its co-manufacturing partner, according to a profile by CO- by U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The company’s youth sports nutrition strategy pairs better-for-you drinks and snacks with sponsorships of USA Hockey, USA Lacrosse and several state sports organizations.
Founder, Chairman and CEO John Celenza launched Cwench in 2024. He is a repeat founder in the category: he co-founded sports drink brand BioSteel in 2009 and sold it in 2019. He told CO- that hydration science had advanced since then and that he still saw room in the market for a healthier hydration option.
The Factory Now Out-Earns the Brands
Cizzle bought the co-manufacturer that produced its beverages and renamed it the Cwench Hydration Factory. In its first full quarter operating the plant, contract manufacturing for other brands generated $9.3 million, more than three-quarters of Cizzle’s total revenue for that period, according to the profile.
Celenza said the main lesson from growing BioSteel past $100 million in sales was that owning the supply chain puts a brand in a stronger position. He added that retailers favor suppliers who can prove they will scale alongside them.
The plant also solves a capacity problem tied to Cwench’s packaging. The drinks ship in Tetra Pak cartons rather than plastic bottles, and only a limited number of co-manufacturers can fill that format, the article reported.
How Big Is the U.S. Sports Nutrition Market?
U.S. sports nutrition sales totaled $18.28 billion in 2025 and are projected to grow from $19.6 billion in 2026 to $27.76 billion by 2031, a compound annual growth rate of 7.21%, according to Mordor Intelligence.
The same report found the buyer base has widened well beyond athletes and bodybuilders to include recreational exercisers, weekend warriors and lifestyle consumers, fueled by health awareness and higher disposable income. Celenza said families are putting more of that spending toward their own health and their children’s, and that better-informed consumers benefit his brands.
Youth Sports Nutrition Built Around Rinks and Fields
Cizzle’s lineup increasingly targets young athletes and their parents. Beyond Cwench drinks and powdered hydration mixes, the company sells Spoken Nutrition supplements and two food lines. HappiEats Sports Pasta debuted in September 2025, made from red lentil, white quinoa and white bean flour. SnakStars Sports Bites followed in 2026 as a nut-free, high-protein, high-fiber alternative to granola bars, offered in Frosted Vanilla and Apple Cinnamon.
Both lines run through what Celenza calls Cizzle’s youth grassroots programs, which include partnerships and sponsorships with USA Hockey, USA Lacrosse and several state-level sports organizations. Cwench also released Draft Day Blue, a drink promotion celebrating Gavin McKenna, the National Hockey League’s No. 1 draft pick.
“We’ve really targeted certain sports that we think speak to that premium consumer,” Celenza said, adding that those platforms help the company generate trial and educate buyers.
He said the opportunity became clear at youth sporting events, where families typically face fast food and vending machines with few healthier choices.
From Tournament Concessions to 100 Target Aisles
Cwench is sold online, in fitness centers and through other retailers across the United States and Canada. It recently expanded into more than 100 Target locations as part of a test that began this year, a rollout that came after the factory acquisition.
The open question is whether that Target test grows, and whether Cizzle’s consumer brands can eventually outpace a contract manufacturing business that currently generates most of its revenue.
Source: CO- by U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Mark Hamstra, September 29, 2026, https://www.uschamber.com/co/good-company/the-leap/sports-beverage-brand-cizzle
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Youth Sports Business Report (YSBR) is the largest and most trusted media platform covering the business of youth sports worldwide. YSBR delivers youth sports news, market intelligence, and original analysis daily across facilities, sponsorships, private equity, NIL, sports technology, and league operations. With more than 50,000 followers, YSBR is the leading source of youth sports industry news for the investors, owners, operators, and brands shaping the future of youth sports.
How big is the youth sports market?
American families spend approximately $54 billion annually on kids’ sports and recreation, according to the YSBR and Kinetica Group Youth Sports TAM & Parent Spending Report, with organized sports alone representing a $40 billion-plus market. The average family spent $1,016 on a child’s primary sport in 2024, up 46 percent since 2019, per the Aspen Institute’s Project Play, and market research projects the global youth sports market will reach approximately $114 billion by 2032 (Business Research Insights).
How many kids play youth sports in the United States?
Approximately 27.3 million children ages 6 to 17, or about 54.6 percent, played organized sports in 2022-2023, according to the National Survey of Children’s Health as reported by the Aspen Institute’s Project Play. High school sports participation reached a record 8.26 million athletes in 2024-25, per the NFHS.
Who founded Youth Sports Business Report?
Youth Sports Business Report was founded by Cameron Korab, a sports marketing veteran with more than a decade in the industry and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Korab also co-founded Vertical Sports, a sports marketing advisory serving brands across youth, college, and pro sports.
What does YSBR cover?
YSBR delivers original reporting and market intelligence on youth sports facilities, youth sports technology, sponsorship and brand partnerships, private equity and venture capital deals, NIL policy, coaching development, equipment and apparel, tournaments and events, and community sports initiatives. Readers include industry executives, investors, facility owners and operators, league administrators, and youth sports parents.
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Hosted by Cameron Korab, founder of Youth Sports Business Report, Jr. Sports Marketing features candid 1-on-1 conversations with the brands, athletes, leagues, and innovators building the future of youth sports. Each episode breaks down how the smartest brands are activating, building equity, and winning with youth sports families. If you’re an operator, founder, investor, or marketer trying to understand where this space is headed, this is your show.
Youth Sports Marketing Questions, Answered
Where can brands sponsor youth sports? Brands can sponsor youth sports through local leagues and clubs, tournaments and events, facilities and complexes, governing bodies, and national platform programs. Sponsoring a child’s own program is the most powerful entry point: 81 percent of parents say it captures their attention, outperforming TV, social media, and pro sports sponsorship, per a 2026 Priority Partnerships study conducted by YouGov Sport.
How much does youth sports sponsorship cost? Youth sports sponsorship costs range from a few thousand dollars for a local league or team sponsorship to six and seven figures for regional facility naming rights and national platform programs. The environment is welcoming at every level: 84 percent of parents hold net positive sentiment toward brands sponsoring youth sports, with negative sentiment under 5 percent, per YouGov Sport research. Most brands start with a pilot activation, measure engagement, then scale.
What is the ROI of youth sports marketing? The data is striking: 80 percent of parents say they would choose the brand that sponsors their child’s youth sports program when comparing two similar products, per a 2026 Priority Partnerships study by YouGov Sport. A 2026 EMARKETER and DICK’S Media survey found 84 percent of sports parents say that role influences their purchase decisions, and 60 percent spend more on game and practice days, driving loyalty across categories from dining to travel to automotive.
Ready to build a youth sports strategy? Vertical Sports is an Advisory+ delivering integrated expertise across all levels of sport. Youth, College, Pro. Every Fan, Every Level. Brands and youth sports organizations can reach the team at info@verticalsports.us.
