Key Takeaways
- Five youth sports coaches will each drive home a new Mazda CX-90, selected through a nomination contest running through October 18
- Any coach who buys a new Mazda gets $250 off, and Mazda sends a matching $250 donation to that coach’s team
- TeamSnap brings 30 million parents, players, and coaches to the program, per the company’s stated figures
- Mazda cites Project Play data showing nearly 70% of kids quit organized sports by age 13, most saying it stopped being fun
Mazda North American Operations launched “Coaches Who Move Us” on September 16, 2026, a national program built with TeamSnap to recognize volunteer and community youth sports coaches. The centerpiece is a giveaway of five Mazda CX-90 SUVs, one to each of five coaches nominated by families and revealed through a partnership with Good Morning America. Alongside the contest, Mazda is offering every youth sports coach a $250 incentive on a new vehicle purchase, matched by a $250 donation from Mazda to fund that coach’s team.
Five Coaches Surprised on Good Morning America
The program debuted on air. In a Good Morning America segment sponsored by Mazda, five coaches from across the country were honored for their impact on their communities and surprised on camera with the keys to a new Mazda CX-90. Mazda said the five were selected for the positive, transformational experiences they create for young athletes and their families.
Tom Donnelly, CEO of Mazda, framed the effort around coaches who prioritize development over results. “At Mazda, we believe great coaches make an impact not through winning, but through genuine care for their athletes, building life-long confidence and character that carries far beyond the game,” Donnelly said in the release.
How Does Mazda Coaches Who Move Us Work?
The program has two tracks, according to the release.
The first is the contest. From September 16 through October 18, families can nominate a coach they believe goes beyond the basic duties of the role. Five winners will be selected and each awarded a new Mazda CX-90, the brand’s three-row SUV. Mazda said the winners will be recognized through its partnership with Good Morning America.
The second track is open to any coach, not just the five winners. A youth sports coach who purchases a new Mazda at a local dealership receives a $250 vehicle incentive. Mazda then adds a separate $250 donation to that coach’s team, which the company said is intended to cover essential team needs and everyday coaching costs. Mazda North American Operations sells through approximately 795 dealers across the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Colombia, per the company’s boilerplate.
Tom Donnelly, CEO of Mazda, framed the effort around coaches who prioritize development over results. “At Mazda, we believe great coaches make an impact not through winning, but through genuine care for their athletes, building life-long confidence and character that carries far beyond the game,” Donnelly said in the release.
The Participation Drop Mazda Is Pointing To
Mazda tied the program to youth sports attrition data from Project Play. According to the Project Play report cited in the release, more than 45 million youth athletes ages 6 to 18 participate in organized sports in the United States. The same report, per the release, found that nearly 70% of children drop out of organized sports by age 13, with most citing that it is “no longer fun.”
The release attributes that decline in part to the increasing professionalization of youth sports, and positions coaches as the variable most likely to keep kids playing.
Peter Frintzilas, CEO of TeamSnap, made that argument directly. “Coaches play an enormous role in whether kids stay engaged in sports,” Frintzilas said. He added that TeamSnap’s focus is on supporting coaches who devote significant time and energy to their teams, and called Mazda’s investment in the community a natural fit for the partnership.
TeamSnap’s Role in the Partnership
TeamSnap provides the audience. The company describes itself as the #1 sports management platform, operating for more than 15 years across more than 100 sports and activities. Per TeamSnap, the platform powers 19,000+ organizations and reaches more than 30 million parents, players, and coaches.
The company also disclosed a figure relevant to anyone selling into youth sports: brands have invested more than $20 million in youth sports sponsorships through TeamSnap, according to the company. Mazda is the latest national advertiser to use the platform as a route to sports families.
Neither company disclosed the financial terms of the partnership or the total budget for the giveaway and incentive program.
Five Keys to Hand Out After October 18
For the next month, the program runs on nominations. Families submit coaches through October 18, and Mazda and Good Morning America select five winners from that pool. The dealer incentive and matching donation carry on independently of the contest, tied to any new Mazda purchase by a youth sports coach.
What Mazda has not said is how long the $250 incentive and $250 match will remain in place, or how many coaches it expects to take it. For now, the confirmed numbers are five CX-90s, a 32-day nomination window, and a $500 combined value for every coach who walks into a dealership.
Source: Mazda North American Operations and TeamSnap press release, September 16, 2026
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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.
What does YSBR cover?
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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Hosted by Cameron Korab, founder of Youth Sports Business Report, Jr. Sports Marketing features candid 1-on-1 conversations with the brands, athletes, leagues, and innovators building the future of youth sports. Each episode breaks down how the smartest brands are activating, building equity, and winning with youth sports families. If you’re an operator, founder, investor, or marketer trying to understand where this space is headed, this is your show.
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.
