Key Takeaways
- Youth Inc. and League One Volleyball (LOVB) are partnering to create original volleyball content distributed across both organizations’ platforms, targeting youth athletes, parents, and coaches
- LOVB operates 90 clubs serving 26,000 athletes and 3,500 coaches, with 400 tournaments reaching hundreds of thousands of additional players annually
- The partnership includes The Courtney Thompson Show, on-site event coverage starting with the Triple Crown/LOVB Classic, and first-person storytelling from LOVB club players and coaches
- LOVB has invested over $20 million in club facilities over the past three years and provided $1 million in financial aid to more than 500 athletes in 2025
- Youth Inc. brings access to a 65-million participant youth sports audience, allowing LOVB to reach families outside the volleyball community
Youth Inc., the digital media network founded by former NFL player and broadcaster Greg Olsen, and League One Volleyball (LOVB), the nation’s first professional volleyball league built from the club up, announced a multi-year strategic partnership focused on developing and distributing content for the girls’ volleyball community.
In an exclusive conversation with YSBR, LOVB executives (Mike Bufano, CFO and President of LOVB Clubs and Matt Wickline, VP of Media and Content Business Development) outlined how the partnership addresses a core challenge in youth volleyball: reaching families and stakeholders beyond the sport’s existing audience while building infrastructure that serves athletes at every stage of development.
Breaking Out of the Echo Chamber
The partnership represents a deliberate distribution strategy for LOVB, which operates the largest youth volleyball club network in the country but has struggled with the limitations of owned-and-operated content channels.
“When our only mechanism for reaching youth athletes is through owned and operated social media, newsletters, etc., it can become an echo chamber that limits our exposure to the volleyball world,” said Matt Wickline, VP of Media and Content Business Development at LOVB. “What Youth Inc allows us to do is put a flag down as the voice of volleyball to the entire youth sports ecosystem. Our mission, our values, and our message are compounded because we come alongside a voice that already earned the trust of the youth sports community across a number of other verticals.”
Youth Inc. brings Greg Olsen’s platform, NFL crossover appeal, and access to families participating across multiple youth sports. For LOVB, that represents an opportunity to compete for attention, sponsorship dollars, and participation in a crowded youth sports marketplace where volleyball often fights for visibility against more established properties.
Tim Murphy, Co-Founder of Youth Inc., framed the partnership around a content gap in the volleyball market. “Girls’ volleyball is growing fast, and the community is hungry for content that actually helps, whether that’s skill development, perspective, or simply seeing the game presented in a way that feels current and relatable,” Murphy said. “LOVB brings unmatched access across the volleyball pathway, and Youth Inc. knows how to turn that access into content that serves athletes, parents, and coaches alike.”
The Club-Up Model Meets Media Infrastructure
LOVB’s structure is unusual in professional sports. Rather than launching a pro league first and building youth programs later, the organization started with clubs and tournaments, then launched its professional league in January 2025. The approach was designed to create what LOVB calls “clarity and continuity” for athletes navigating the volleyball pathway.
That model now extends to content. The partnership with Youth Inc. includes three core content pillars:
- The Courtney Thompson Show, a recurring video series hosted by two-time Olympic medalist and LOVB’s Head of Player Experience Courtney Thompson, will feature conversations with players, coaches, and volleyball leaders focused on skill development, mindset, and the realities of the volleyball pathway.
- Event coverage begins with the Triple Crown/LOVB Classic in Kansas City (February 13-16), where Youth Inc. will produce on-site content including interviews, mic’d-up moments, and behind-the-scenes access designed to help young athletes learn and parents better understand the club experience.
- First-person storytelling will invite LOVB players and coaches to share practical insights, drills, routines, and lessons learned through mobile-first video submissions.
Mike Bufano, CFO and President of LOVB Clubs, explained how the content strategy connects to the organization’s youth operations. “The athlete’s experience will first change through the impact of the investments LOVB makes in facilities and coach development. Over the last three years, we have invested over $20 million back into our clubs. That means athletes are able to train in modern, safe facilities.”
LOVB’s scale provides the access Youth Inc. needs to produce consistent content. With 90 clubs, 26,000 athletes, 3,500 coaches, and 400 tournaments annually, the organization has built-in distribution and storylines across multiple markets. The club network also feeds the professional league, which features Olympic medalists and international talent across seven teams, with expansion markets in Los Angeles, Minnesota, and San Francisco.
What Changes for Youth Athletes and Families
The partnership announcement emphasizes “clarity and continuity” for athletes, but the practical application comes down to resources and visibility.
Bufano outlined how LOVB’s club-up model translates to youth player development. “We provide national college recruiting resources to help athletes and their families understand the recruiting process and how to navigate it more smoothly, especially with the ever shifting NIL and NCAA landscapes. When college coaches are on the road, we make sure our athletes get exposure at tournaments, camps, and college showcases.”
LOVB also operates Whole Athlete Training (WAT), a program integrated with professional athletes that helps youth players train for the mental side of sports and life through videos, journaling, and team discussions. The program represents one example of how LOVB uses its professional league infrastructure to support club operations.
Financial accessibility remains a priority. Between the LOVB Foundation and individual clubs, the organization provided $1 million in financial aid to over 500 athletes in 2025. Bufano framed that support as central to the organization’s mission: “We are committed to using LOVB’s resources to give more athletes access to club volleyball.”
The Youth Inc. partnership extends that accessibility logic to content and information. By distributing volleyball content through a platform that already serves families across multiple sports, LOVB can reach parents evaluating youth sports options or looking for guidance on development pathways.
Reshaping the Volleyball Ecosystem
LOVB’s ambitions go beyond operating clubs and producing content. The organization sees itself as a connective force in a fragmented youth volleyball landscape defined by regional circuits, independent clubs, and varying levels of access.
“The mission of the LOVB Youth business is to drive better life outcomes for our athletes, coaches and staff through a differentiated volleyball experience while sustainably growing our business,” Bufano said. “We are in this to build community and grow the sport. That starts with connecting our 90 clubs, 26,000 athletes, and 3,500 coaches with each other and offering them the best volleyball training for their needs. Through our 400 tournaments and our other programming, we are able to reach hundreds of thousands more athletes and thousands more coaches. We believe this gives us a chance to reshape the volleyball ecosystem for the better.”
The Youth Inc. partnership supports that reshaping effort by giving LOVB a content platform that extends beyond tournament results and highlight reels. Wickline emphasized the importance of including multiple perspectives in volleyball content. “The common ground we have with Youth Inc., when it comes to content, is allowing the youth sports participants and their parents to have an equal say to instructors and organizers. We will continue to round out the conversation in a way that gives everyone a seat at the table.”
That approach reflects a broader shift in youth sports content, where families expect access to information that helps them make decisions rather than promotional material designed to drive registrations. For LOVB, the partnership with Youth Inc. represents both a distribution opportunity and a content evolution.
Why This Partnership Matters Now
Girls’ volleyball is one of the fastest-growing youth sports in the United States, but the sport still faces challenges around visibility, funding, and prioritization compared to more established youth sports properties. LOVB’s partnership with Youth Inc. addresses those challenges by positioning volleyball content alongside coverage of football, basketball, baseball, and other sports that dominate youth sports conversations.
Raquel Braun, Chief Media Officer at LOVB, framed the partnership as an extension of the organization’s mission. “At LOVB our mission has been to serve the volleyball community at every level, building a unique ecosystem that intentionally bridges the gap between a young athlete’s first serve and their professional dreams. The partnership with Youth Inc. allows us to create a powerful platform to tell the stories of this community, allowing youth athletes, parents, and coaches to see themselves in our content and feel inspired by the clear, connected pathway we are building for the future of the sport.”
The multi-year partnership will feature content distributed across Youth Inc. and LOVB owned-and-operated platforms, as well as select social channels. Over time, the collaboration is expected to expand in cadence, formats, and on-site activations.
For Youth Inc., the partnership represents a strategic entry into girls’ volleyball at a time when the sport is experiencing significant growth but lacks the media infrastructure of other youth sports verticals. For LOVB, it’s an opportunity to compete for attention, sponsorship dollars, and participation in a crowded marketplace by leveraging a platform that already has trust and reach across the youth sports ecosystem.
The partnership reflects a shared bet: that volleyball content can resonate beyond the existing volleyball community, and that better storytelling, distribution, and access can drive both participation and investment in the girls’ game.
Source: Youth Inc. and League One Volleyball
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