Key Takeaways
- Utah Youth Sports Giving Day targets $3 million for access-focused nonprofits between Sept. 12 and 26, with over $1.5 million in matching funds already pledged.
- The average American sports family spent 46% more on their child’s primary sport in 2024 than in 2019, per a 2025 Aspen Institute survey.
- The campaign is modeled on Colorado Youth Sports Giving Day, which has raised nearly $9 million and engaged 240+ nonprofits since 2024.
- More than 100 Utah nonprofits have registered ahead of the Sept. 1 deadline, exceeding the campaign’s initial participation goal.
The organizing committee for the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games announced its first community impact program on Aug. 22, partnering with Miller Sports + Entertainment to financially back Utah Youth Sports Giving Day. The statewide campaign, announced at The Ballpark at America First Square in South Jordan, aims to raise $3 million from Sept. 12 to 26 for nonprofits working to make youth sports more accessible.
An Olympic Committee Starts Its Legacy Work Eight Years Early
Utah 2034’s involvement puts an Olympic organizing committee behind a youth sports fundraising vehicle nearly a decade before its Games begin. Steve Starks, CEO of the Larry H. Miller Company and vice chairman of Utah 2034, framed the timing directly at the announcement: the legacy of 2034 does not have to wait for the three weeks the Games are in Utah, he said. It can start now.
Utah 2034 CEO Brad Wilson told the Deseret News that community impact is one of the committee’s pillars, and that this is the first of multiple programs, including an education initiative launching Sept. 1. Wilson said the goal is not producing future medalists but helping kids across the state experience sport, winter or summer.
The committee joins a donor group that includes America First Credit Union, SME Industries, Mountainland Supply, the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation, the Huntsman Family Foundation, Maverik, Ken Garff for Good, The Boyer Company, the Clark and Christine Ivory Foundation and the Forever Young Foundation. Together, those organizations have pledged more than $1.5 million in matching funds, including a dollar-for-dollar match on the first $1 million raised.
Why Cost Is the Central Problem the Campaign Targets
The economic case for the campaign comes from participation cost data. A 2025 Aspen Institute survey found the average American sports family spent 46% more on their child’s primary sport in 2024 than in 2019. Michelle Smith, president of Miller Sports + Entertainment, said those rising costs mean too many children are being left on the sidelines.
The initiative is supported by the Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation and the Daniels Fund, and the funds raised will flow to registered nonprofits focused on lowering barriers to participation. The campaign has already hit its goal of 100 registered nonprofits, and Smith expects that number to keep climbing before registration closes Sept. 1.
The Colorado Model Behind the Utah Launch
Utah’s campaign is a direct adaptation of Colorado Youth Sports Giving Day, which the Denver-based Daniels Fund launched in 2024. The Colorado program has raised almost $9 million and engaged more than 240 youth sports nonprofits since inception, according to the announcement. That track record gives Utah organizers a working benchmark: if the state matches Colorado’s per-campaign pace, the $3 million first-year goal is within reach.
Smith said organizers expected the campaign to be embraced but underestimated how quickly it would happen, calling Utah 2034’s support the perfect example of that reception.
Two Deadlines Before the Money Moves
The campaign now runs on a tight calendar. Nonprofit registration closes Sept. 1, the same day Utah 2034’s education program launches. The donation window opens Sept. 12 and closes Sept. 26, with the participating nonprofit list already live for donors to review. Smith’s ask ahead of launch: Utah residents should start game planning where they want to give now, so the matching funds start working the moment the campaign opens.
Source: Deseret News via Yahoo Sports, Krysyan Edler, August 22, 2026, https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/utah-2034-partners-utah-youth-231929354.html
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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.
