Key Takeaways
- Genesis Motor America split $65,000 across five coastal Georgia nonprofits, four of which run youth sports or youth development programs.
- Three recipients, Girls on the Run South Georgia, Savannah United, and First Tee Savannah, have received Genesis support since 2022 or 2023.
- The Genesis Gives initiative has donated more than $3 million nationally since 2022, according to the company.
Genesis Motor America announced $65,000 in contributions to five coastal Georgia organizations supporting youth sports and STEAM education, the company said in a September 15, 2026 release. Recipients are First Tee Savannah, the Frank Callen Boys & Girls Club, Girls on the Run South Georgia, Savannah United, and the Savannah College of Art and Design. The Genesis youth sports and education funding runs through Genesis Gives, the brand’s corporate social responsibility initiative, and arrived alongside a STEAM workshop the automaker hosted at Ebenezer Middle School.
Which Coastal Georgia Organizations Received Genesis Funding?
Four of the five recipients run youth programming. First Tee Savannah introduces young people to golf alongside life skills instruction and has partnered with Genesis since 2023, per the release. Girls on the Run South Georgia, a Genesis partner since 2022, pairs physical activity with confidence-building curriculum. Savannah United, also supported since 2022, operates youth soccer leagues, camps, and tournaments across the region. The Frank Callen Boys & Girls Club will use its contribution to expand STEAM programming, the company said. SCAD rounds out the list, with its donation directed toward scholarships and educational opportunities for art and design students.
Genesis did not disclose how the $65,000 was allocated among the five organizations.
A Multi-Year Footprint Around the Hyundai Metaplant
The release ties the giving to the region’s role as home to Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America, the group’s electric vehicle manufacturing facility in Bryan County, Georgia. Three of the five recipients have now received Genesis support for three or more consecutive years, per the company.
“Investing in young people today helps build stronger communities tomorrow,” said Brandon Ramirez, director of corporate social responsibility at Genesis Motor America.
Mary Crawford, CEO of Girls on the Run South Georgia, said the funding allows the organization to reach more girls as it grows.
The Ebenezer Middle School workshop, developed with Child Creativity Lab, had students explore vehicle design and build future mobility concepts from upcycled materials, according to the release.
Five Recipients, One Plant, $3 Million Since 2022
Genesis Gives has donated more than $3 million nationally since 2022, per the company, with a stated focus on access and performance in youth sports and STEAM education in under-resourced communities. Coastal Georgia now represents one of the program’s more durable regional commitments: three organizations on their third or fourth year of Genesis funding, all within driving distance of the plant that anchors the brand’s manufacturing footprint. The number left open is the one operators will want most: how the $65,000 splits across the five groups.
Source: Genesis Motor America, September 15, 2026, https://www.genesisnewsusa.com
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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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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.
