Key Takeaways
- Shore Capital Partners partnered with New York Empire Baseball to launch RISE Partners, a national youth sports platform
- New York Empire Baseball operates 64+ teams serving over 1,000 players annually through camps, training, and competitive programs
- The platform targets the $54 billion youth sports market through organic growth and targeted acquisitions of like-minded organizations
- Jordan Baltimore, who founded New York Empire in 2009, continues as CEO of the expanded platform
- RISE Partners plans to expand beyond baseball into a multi-sport offering across new geographic markets
Building a National Platform from Manhattan Roots
Shore Capital Partners announced a growth partnership with New York Empire Baseball, forming RISE Partners (Relentlessly Inspiring Sports Experiences), a platform designed to scale operations in the youth sports industry.
The partnership keeps Jordan Baltimore, New York Empire’s founder, as CEO of the new platform. Baltimore started the organization in 2009 and built it into a comprehensive youth baseball program operating in New York.
New York Empire Baseball serves more than 1,000 players annually across 64+ teams. The organization offers camps, classes, private instruction, after-school programs, travel teams, and recreational teams through The Club League. It operates The Arena, a two-story indoor training facility in Manhattan.
Values-Based Approach to Youth Development
Baltimore described the organization’s methodology in the announcement. “Our mission has always been to train, motivate, prepare, and inspire baseball players at every age and skill level,” he said. “Our values-based culture, science-based content, and process-based positive coaching are unique in youth sports.”
The organization also emphasizes professional development for coaches and staff members, a factor Shore Capital identified as a differentiator in the market.
Shore Capital Partner Brad Morehead, who leads the firm’s Business Services investments, noted the organization’s position in the market. “New York Empire Baseball is an established leader in a rapidly growing, fragmented $30 billion youth sports market,” Morehead said. “Jordan and Jaclyn have built an outstanding brand with a proven track record of training, coaching, and community engagement.”
Expansion Through Acquisition and Organic Growth
RISE Partners will pursue both organic expansion and acquisitions to build its platform. Early priorities include adding leadership positions and executing a merger and acquisition strategy focused on youth sports organizations that share similar operating principles.
The platform plans to expand beyond baseball into additional sports. Rory Kenny, Partner at Shore Capital, stated: “This partnership represents a unique opportunity to create the nation’s leading youth sports platform, beginning with a proven innovator in the industry.”
Shore Capital brings capital and operational resources to support the expansion. The Chicago-based private equity firm, which also has offices in Nashville, focuses on lower middle-market companies across Healthcare, Food and Beverage, Business Services, Industrial, and Real Estate sectors. The firm manages approximately $13 billion in assets under management.
Strategic Positioning in Fragmented Market
The youth sports industry represents a $30 billion market characterized by fragmentation and regional operators. RISE Partners enters this market with an established New York operation and plans to replicate its model in new cities.
The platform’s stated focus includes partnering with organizations, coaches, and facilities that prioritize skill development, long-term athletic health, and positive culture. This approach targets families seeking structured development programs beyond recreational leagues.
Shore Capital has received recognition from Inc Magazine as a five-time Top Founder Friendly Investor from 2020 to 2024. Pitchbook Research credited the firm with leading U.S. private equity deal volume for the past decade, from 2015 to 2024.
via: morning star
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