Key Takeaways:
- P.L.A.Y.S. has been operating since 2013 and currently serves students across all 78 Chicago neighborhoods, making the McDonald’s-backed expansion the next phase of a 13-year-old program.
- 92% of participating students reported P.L.A.Y.S. helped them do their best in school, and 90% of parents reported a positive impact on their child’s behavior at home (2025 data).
- The scaling model leans on tenured coaches serving as program ambassadors and informal recruiters, not net-new hires for every new school.
- Chicago Fire Foundation Executive Director Jessica Yavitz positions P.L.A.Y.S. as a community impact and academic outcomes program, not a talent pipeline to the Chicago Fire Academy.
- McDonald’s presenting sponsorship activates in 2027, giving the foundation roughly 18 months to scale from 70 to 140 schools before McDonald’s Park opens in 2028.
A few weeks ago, YSBR reported on McDonald’s becoming the official naming rights partner of Chicago Fire FC’s new $750 million stadium, with the deal anchored by a four-fold expansion of the club’s P.L.A.Y.S. youth soccer program from 70 to more than 280 Chicago Public Schools.
We sat down with Jessica Yavitz, Executive Director of the Chicago Fire Foundation and Chicago Fire FC Vice President of Community Relations, to go deeper on how the foundation plans to scale, what the partnership actually unlocks, and where P.L.A.Y.S. fits within Chicago’s broader youth soccer ecosystem.
Inside the Scaling Model: Coaches as Ambassadors
P.L.A.Y.S. launched in 2013 and today operates across all 78 Chicago neighborhoods. The expansion to 280+ schools and 125,000 students represents the largest scale shift in the program’s history.
Yavitz pointed to the existing coaching base as the operational backbone of that expansion.
“Many of our tenured coaches have become brand ambassadors, sharing the positive impact of our work, introducing us to new schools, and serving as an expanded support system for coach recruitment,” Yavitz said. “We will continue to build on the strong training system and recruiting pipelines that we have in place.”
On curriculum consistency, she said the foundation works with experts in social-emotional learning and soccer to maintain a standardized coaching framework “so every student receives the same opportunity across all school locations.”
Why the Outcomes Data Matters More Than Talent ID
Asked whether P.L.A.Y.S. is designed to feed the Chicago Fire Academy, Yavitz redirected. The program, she said, is built around academic performance and social-emotional learning outcomes, with soccer as the delivery vehicle.
She cited 2025 program data. 92% of participating students reported P.L.A.Y.S. helped them do their best in school, and 90% of parents reported a positive impact on their child’s behavior at home.
“This program is positioned to help holistically develop our youth of today and long term, providing them with greater life chances and opportunities,” she said.
The positioning is worth noting. The Fire is framing P.L.A.Y.S. as community infrastructure, not as a low-cost talent identification layer for the Academy. For sponsors and partners, that anchors the impact story to outcomes data rather than pro pathway storytelling.
What McDonald’s Unlocks Beyond Funding
Yavitz framed the McDonald’s partnership less as a fundraising win and more as an infrastructure unlock.
“This new partnership collectively reinforces the shared commitment from both brands to build a better Chicago together, and unlocks the ability to accelerate expansion to far more students and communities,” she said. “Operationally, it gives us the ability to scale infrastructure, invest more deeply in coaches and program delivery, and expand access in a sustainable way.”
The emphasis on coach investment and infrastructure, rather than school count alone, tracks with the operational model she outlined. Scaling a program that depends on tenured coach quality requires deeper per-school investment, not just broader distribution.
What to Watch as P.L.A.Y.S. Scales Through 2028
McDonald’s activates as presenting sponsor of P.L.A.Y.S. in 2027, a year before McDonald’s Park opens. That gives the foundation roughly 18 months to scale from 70 to approximately 140 schools before the stadium opening milestone.
Two operational questions will matter for that runway. First, whether the coach ambassador model can produce enough qualified new coaches at pace, or whether the foundation will need to shift toward a more centralized hiring and training model. Second, whether the standardized curriculum holds up across a doubled and eventually quadrupled school footprint.
For sponsors watching how corporate naming rights deals increasingly include community programming commitments, the Chicago Fire structure is worth tracking. A 13-year-old program with published outcomes data and a clear delivery model is the kind of foundation that lets a presenting sponsor commit at scale without taking on early-stage execution risk.
Source: Chicago Fire FC Communications, May 13, 2026 | Interview conducted by YSBR with Jessica Yavitz, Executive Director, Chicago Fire Foundation and Chicago Fire FC Vice President of Community Relations.
YSBR provides this content on an “as is” basis without any warranties, express or implied. We do not assume responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, legality, reliability, or use of the information, including any images, videos, or licenses associated with this article. For any concerns, including copyright issues or complaints, please contact YSBR directly.
About Youth Sports Business Report
What is YSBR? Youth Sports Business Report (YSBR) is the largest and most trusted source for youth sports industry news, insights, and analysis in the United States. Founded by Cameron Korab, YSBR is the premier B2B publication dedicated to the $54 billion youth sports market. With over 50,000 followers and millions of monthly views and impressions, YSBR publishes daily across its blog, weekly newsletter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X, and Substack.
What does YSBR cover? YSBR delivers original reporting, market intelligence, and business analysis across youth sports facilities, sponsorship and brand partnerships, private equity and venture capital investments, NIL policy and compliance, coaching development, sports technology platforms, equipment and apparel innovation, tournaments and events, community sports initiatives, and parent resources. YSBR is read by industry executives, facility operators and developers, institutional investors, league administrators, sports technology founders, and youth sports parents who rely on accurate, sourced reporting to make informed business decisions.
Who reads YSBR? YSBR is read by youth sports industry executives, institutional investors, facility operators and developers, brand and sponsorship professionals, league administrators, youth sports parents, and sports business professionals shaping the future of youth athletics.
Subscribe to Youth Sports HQ, the largest and most trusted newsletter covering the business of youth sports. Thousands of industry leaders rely on Youth Sports HQ for curated news, analysis, and business intelligence delivered weekly. Youth Sports HQ is the most-read newsletter in the youth sports business space.
Looking for your next role in youth sports? Visit the YSBR Youth Sports Job Board, the most comprehensive job listing destination for careers in youth sports. Browse open positions across facility management, league operations, coaching, sports technology, marketing, and more from organizations hiring across the $54 billion youth sports industry.
Follow Youth Sports Business Report (YSBR) across platforms: LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | X | Substack
Are you a brand looking to tap into the world’s most passionate fanbase… youth sports?
Introducing Vertical Sports, an Advisory+ delivering integrated expertise across all levels of sport. Youth, College, Pro. Every Fan, Every Level.
About Vertical Sports
Vertical Sports is an Advisory+ delivering integrated expertise across all levels of sport. Youth, College, Pro. Our mission is to simplify and navigate the ecosystem for clients. Complete visibility. Optimal paths. Maximum efficiency. EVERY FAN. EVERY LEVEL.
Why Sponsor Youth Sports?
Youth sports represents one of the most engaged and passionate audiences in sports marketing. With over 70 million young athletes and their families participating annually, the youth sports industry offers brands unparalleled access to motivated communities with strong purchasing power and loyalty. Youth sports sponsorship is one of the fastest-growing segments in sports marketing, giving brands the ability to connect with families at the local, regional, and national level.
Are you a brand looking to invest in youth sports? Please reach out to info@verticalsports.us.
Common Questions About Youth Sports Marketing
Where can I sponsor youth sports? How do I activate in youth sports? What is the ROI of youth sports marketing? How much does youth sports sponsorship cost?
We have answers. Reach out to info@verticalsports.us to learn how Vertical Sports can help your brand navigate the sports marketing landscape.
If you are a youth sports organization interested in sponsor or partnership opportunities please reach out to learn about our accreditation process.
