Key Takeaways
- More than 80% of teachers in schools served by Good Sports pay for student sports supplies out of pocket, according to the nonprofit.
- TruGreen’s support flows through iHeartImpact, an iHeartMedia program that lets brands route advertising spend toward nonprofit partners.
- Good Sports reports delivering more than $137 million in new equipment to over 11 million kids since its 2003 founding.
- The initiative’s first public activation was a Play Day at Maplewood High School featuring flag football, soccer and volleyball drills.
Lawn care company TruGreen has partnered with Good Sports and iHeartMedia on a national youth sports equipment donation initiative for kids in high-need communities, the companies announced on October 2, 2026. The effort kicked off with a Play Day Celebration at Maplewood High School, where TruGreen volunteers presented new sports equipment to students. The companies did not disclose the dollar value of TruGreen’s commitment or how many programs will receive equipment.
How iHeartImpact Turns Ad Spend Into Youth Sports Funding
The partnership runs through iHeartImpact, which iHeartMedia describes as a community impact division built to help corporate brands support nonprofits through their advertising spend with the company. In this case, TruGreen’s media investment with iHeartMedia is directed toward Good Sports’ equipment programs.
According to the announcement, TruGreen’s investment is intended to help local organizations nationwide expand programming, lower participation costs, and give more kids access to the physical, social and emotional benefits of being active.
For brands, the structure ties a cause commitment to a media budget that already exists rather than requiring a separate philanthropic line item. For iHeartMedia, it adds a community component to its advertising sales.
“Youth sports is a pillar for so many of the communities and audiences we reach every day, including here in Nashville,” iHeartMedia’s Anne Marie Licata said in the release.
What Is the Equipment Gap in Under-Resourced Youth Sports?
Good Sports says the schools it serves face an equipment problem that rarely makes headlines. According to the nonprofit, the majority of programs at these schools use sports and recreation equipment that is more than 7 to 10 years old, and more than 80% of teachers spend their own money on student sports supplies.
The national nonprofit has been working on that gap since 2003. Good Sports reports it has delivered over $137 million in brand-new sports equipment, reaching more than 11 million kids across more than 7,000 youth programs in all 50 states. The organization has received Charity Navigator’s 4-star rating 13 consecutive times, according to its own boilerplate.
“Good Sports is grateful for TruGreen and iHeart’s commitment to helping us provide access to play to kids, no matter where they live,” said Melissa Harper, co-founder and CEO of Good Sports.
A Lawn Care Brand on the Field at Maplewood High School
TruGreen’s connection to youth sports runs through the playing surface. The company, founded in 1973, operates more than 290 locations across the United States and Canada with more than 14,000 employees, according to the release.
Brian Bugara, Senior Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer at TruGreen, framed the partnership around both fields and gear. “At TruGreen, we believe in Good Sports’ approach to ensure all kids have access to good fields and the equipment they need to play sports,” Bugara said.
At the Maplewood High School Play Day, TruGreen volunteers led the Panthers student athletes through activities using their new equipment, including flag football, a volleyball “keep the ball alive” drill, soccer, and a catchers relay race. Representatives from all three organizations attended the event.
One School Equipped, a National Rollout Still Unsized
The announcement describes the collaboration as national, but Maplewood High School is the only recipient named so far. Neither TruGreen nor iHeartMedia disclosed the size of the advertising commitment, the number of communities in line for donations, or a timeline for additional Play Day events. Good Sports’ own figures put the scale of need in perspective: its network already spans more than 7,000 youth programs, and the next public detail worth watching is how many of them this partnership reaches.
Source: TruGreen via PR Newswire, October 2, 2026, [URL]
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About Youth Sports Business Report
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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- Jobs: Browse the YSBR Youth Sports Job Board, the most comprehensive destination for careers in youth sports, with hundreds of active listings across facility management, league operations, coaching, sports technology, and marketing.
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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.
