Key Takeaways
- Bank of America’s Sports with Us platform now operates in 15 countries and provides sports access to more than 1.2 million children, per the company.
- The bank is targeting more than 10,000 young people reached across 14 countries outside the US by the end of 2028.
- JOBLINGE, the German delivery partner, reports that more than 80 percent of its participants move into professional life after the program.
- Program modules in Germany cover leadership, wellbeing, nutrition and financial education, developed with global universities, according to the release.
What the Sports with Us Germany Launch Includes
Bank of America has launched Sports with Us in Germany and named nonprofit JOBLINGE as its delivery partner, the company announced from Frankfurt this week. The launch expands the bank’s global youth sports platform, which the company said now spans 15 countries and provides access to sport for more than 1.2 million children. Bank of America Sports with Us is positioned as part of the bank’s legacy commitment tied to its role as Official Bank of the FIFA World Cup 2026, per the release.
The German program will fund expansion of the JOBLINGE Soccer School, an existing initiative aimed at underserved young people. According to Bank of America, participants will take part in sport-based activities run by qualified local coaches and facilitators, paired with practical learning in leadership, teamwork, communication, wellbeing, nutrition and financial education. The company said those modules are bespoke to Sports with Us and were developed with global universities and educational institutions.
The announcement did not disclose a funding figure for the German launch, a participant target specific to Germany, or a timeline for the soccer school’s expansion.
Who Is JOBLINGE and What Does It Deliver?
JOBLINGE is a German nonprofit founded in 2008 that focuses on moving young people from school into vocational training and work. The organization said it operates with a network of more than 3,000 corporate partners and thousands of volunteers, and that more than 80 percent of its participants take the step into professional life with support from JOBLINGE staff.
Bank of America described the relationship as a longstanding partnership rather than a new one. Peter Kollmann, Vice Chair EU and Country Executive for Germany and Austria at Bank of America, said in the release that sport helps young people build confidence, resilience and skills that carry into every part of their lives. Kadim Tas, Chief Executive at JOBLINGE, said the launch would help young people gain skills and opportunities to succeed in education, employment and life.
The launch event was held at the Kickers Offenbach stadium near Frankfurt, where a clinic brought together roughly 20 young participants and program leaders, per the release.
Former Pros Front the German Rollout
Two former professionals are serving as role models for the German launch. Sebastian Rode, a former Bundesliga midfielder, said in the release that confidence, teamwork and the right support can change a young person’s path, and that not every young person starts with the same opportunities. Jermaine Jones, a former US men’s national team player who now works as a coach, called the pitch one of the most powerful classrooms a young person will experience.
For brands building youth sports platforms around the 2026 World Cup, the structure here is a familiar one: a global corporate program, a locally trusted nonprofit handling delivery, and recognizable athletes attached to the launch. What stands out in the Bank of America model is the explicit tie between on-field activity and financial education, a content area the bank controls directly.
14 Countries, 10,000 Young People and a 2028 Deadline
Germany is one piece of a larger international target. Bank of America said Sports with Us aims to positively impact more than 10,000 young people across 14 countries outside the US by the end of 2028. That figure sits alongside the platform’s broader access claim of 1.2 million children across 15 countries, which the company has not broken down by market or by level of engagement.
The German rollout adds a delivery partner with a measurable workforce track record to that effort. Whether the bank will report country-level participation numbers against the 10,000 goal remains unanswered, and the next proof point will be how far the JOBLINGE Soccer School actually scales before the 2028 target comes due.
Source: Bank of America Newsroom, November 2026, https://newsroom.bankofamerica.com/content/newsroom/press-releases/2026/11/bank-of-america-in-partnership-with-joblinge-brings-new-youth-sp
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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.
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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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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.
