Key Takeaways
- FIBA and Nike used the FIBA Women in Basketball Forum in Berlin to examine how coaching shapes long-term development for girls in the sport.
- Delegates came from three development initiatives: the FIBA Youth Leaders Program, WiLEAD Europe and Adelante, alongside international coaches and emerging leaders.
- FIBA Hall of Famer Amaya Valdemoro told attendees that sponsors, players, coaches and media all need the same information as the women’s game grows.
The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and its global partner Nike hosted a leadership session on coaching pathways for women in basketball during the FIBA Women in Basketball Forum in Berlin, according to Ministry of Sport. The session examined how inclusive, evidence-based coaching can build long-term developmental foundations for young female athletes, with a theme that ran from grassroots participation through to executive leadership.
Who Led the FIBA and Nike Session in Berlin
Dan Burrows, general manager of Future of Youth Sport at Nike, facilitated the program, per Ministry of Sport.
The panel included Dr. Sergio Lara Bercial of Leeds Beckett University and ICOACHKIDS, former German national team player and HereToHoop community coach Ireti Amojo, Berlin Basketball Association leader Franziska Keich, and FIBA Hall of Famer Amaya Valdemoro.
In the audience were emerging leaders, international coaches, and delegates from the FIBA Youth Leaders Program, WiLEAD Europe and Adelante. Ministry of Sport reported that the group addressed workforce and coaching pipelines across the sport.
Coaching Pathways for Women in Basketball Start With Belonging
Panelists focused on what coaches build in girls at the grassroots level: confidence, a sense of belonging, and resilience, according to Ministry of Sport.
That emphasis puts retention, not just recruitment, at the center of the coaching conversation. For operators running girls’ programs, the session tied coach education directly to whether young players stay in the sport long enough to reach elite or leadership roles. Nike’s involvement through its Future of Youth Sport group links corporate investment to that participation goal.
Valdemoro’s Message to Sponsors, Coaches and Media
Valdemoro drew on her own playing career to describe how coaches should work with young players.
“I was once a little girl dreaming to be an Olympic medalist,” she said, per Ministry of Sport.
She also made the case for keeping commercial and sporting stakeholders in the same conversation. “It is important to have these conversations because women’s basketball is growing and it is important for everyone to have this information: the sponsors, the players, the coaches and the media,” Valdemoro said.
“Every year we are getting a step ahead. The balance is becoming equal. Women’s basketball is now globalised,” she added, crediting social media as a contributing factor.
Ministry of Sport’s report did not include funding commitments, program targets or timelines from the Berlin session, which leaves open what FIBA and Nike will put behind the coaching frameworks discussed.
Source: Ministry of Sport, MOS Editorial Team, September 18, 2026, https://ministryofsport.com/fiba-and-global-partner-nike-convene-leaders-in-berlin-to-advance-coaching-pathways-for-women-in-basketball/
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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.
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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.
