Key Takeaways
- Red Bulls Youth Programs serves more than 50,000 players and families annually, all of whom will now register through a single LeagueApps hub
- The migration adds camp management, health and compliance tools, automated family communications, and player evaluation functionality, per the announcement
- LeagueApps becomes the official online registration partner for the youth arm of an MLS charter club that has operated since 1996
Red Bull New York announced Monday a partnership with LeagueApps, naming the youth sports management platform the official online registration partner for Red Bulls Youth Programs. The deal moves the entire registration ecosystem for a program serving more than 50,000 players and families each year onto a single youth soccer registration platform, according to the club’s announcement.
For LeagueApps, the agreement adds one of the most visible youth development operations in American soccer to a customer base the company says already includes thousands of clubs, leagues, and organizations serving millions of athletes and families annually.
What the LeagueApps Partnership Covers
The migration goes beyond a payment and sign-up form swap. According to the announcement, Red Bulls Youth Programs will use LeagueApps for streamlined camp management, integrated health and compliance tools, automated family communications, and player evaluation functionality.
That last item is worth noting. Player evaluation tools inside a registration platform put assessment data in the same system that tracks enrollment history, which matters for a program explicitly designed to move talent upward.
“Providing the best possible registration experience for our members and participants is top priority for Red Bulls Youth Programs,” said David Jervis, Head of Youth Programs at Red Bull New York, in the release. Jervis cited LeagueApps’ dedicated youth sports focus and feature set as the deciding factors.
LeagueApps CEO Brian Litvack said the company is pairing its technology platform and business services with a club that continues to raise the bar for youth soccer development, parent communications, and community engagement.
How Big Is Red Bulls Youth Programs?
The club describes Red Bulls Youth Programs as the nation’s leading MLS player development system, serving over 50,000 players and families annually. The structure runs from local soccer partnerships across New York and New Jersey through Regional Development Schools and up to the Red Bulls Academy teams, giving community-level participants a stated pathway into the professional pipeline.
Red Bull New York is one of ten charter clubs of Major League Soccer and has competed in the league since its founding in 1996. The club, owned by Austrian beverage company Red Bull, plays home matches at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey, and has won three MLS Supporters’ Shields.
For LeagueApps, the partnership is a reference client at the top of the market. The company has built its position on youth sports operations software covering registration, payments, scheduling, safety, and communications, alongside industry initiatives like its NextUp leadership development platform and the FundPlay Foundation.
50,000 Families, One Registration Hub
The operational logic here is consolidation. A program spanning community partnerships, development schools, and an academy accumulates registration systems the same way it accumulates rosters. Moving all of it onto one platform gives the club a single view of every family in the pipeline, from first-time camp registrant to academy prospect.
For operators elsewhere in youth sports, the deal is a signal about where MLS clubs are investing on the back end. Registration is the first touchpoint most families have with a program, and Red Bull New York just made it a named partnership with a press release rather than a line item in an operations budget.
The announcement did not include financial terms or a timeline for completing the migration. The number to watch is whether the 50,000-family figure grows once the new registration hub is live.
Source: Red Bull New York Communications, August 24, 2026
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Youth Sports Business Report (YSBR) is the largest and most trusted media platform covering the business of youth sports worldwide. YSBR delivers youth sports news, market intelligence, and original analysis daily across facilities, sponsorships, private equity, NIL, sports technology, and league operations. With more than 50,000 followers, YSBR is the leading source of youth sports industry news for the investors, owners, operators, and brands shaping the future of youth sports.
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.
