Local budget cuts are reducing or eliminating physical education and sports programs in public schools and parks and recreation departments. Some school teams are only surviving on financial donations from parents, and those donations are drying up. With childhood obesity rates at all-time highs, parents have the daunting task of finding ways to keep their kids active and engaged.
To make matters worse, local parents looking for fun, organized sports alternatives for children often find local athletic leagues can lack both fun and organization. Half of all kids quit a sports team by age 12 due to cutthroat competition, pressure to excel, injury, or unsustainable demands on time and money.
i9 Sports, a new local concept in youth sports, is on a mission to buck this trend by providing families with the ideal balance of fun, safety, convenience and affordability.
“We have created an exciting new model for youth sports that resonates with families who are tired of the uncertainty of school sports and the all-or-nothing culture of competition our children are often thrown into,” says Brian Sanders, president and COO of i9 Sports, the nation’s first and fastest growing youth sports franchise with 110 franchises in 26 states and one in your area. “Kids shouldn’t have to wonder if there will even be a school team or if they’ll make that school team. We give everyone a chance to play because there is much more to gain from sports than just winning.”
Why i9 Sports is Different:
• Practices and games are held together, one day a week – great for working parents because it cuts down on driving, gas money, and interruptions to family life and school work.
• Enrollment is inexpensive, with a low, one-time fee. No tournament travel, coach and referee fees, trophy expenses, fundraising or parent volunteering required.
• The emphasis is on fun. Every child makes the team and plays equally.
• Parents sign a pledge to be a model of good sportsmanship. After each game, a child earns a sportsmanship award for showing great conduct with teammates and opponents.
• Leagues are available for children with disabilities or special medical needs.
• After background checks, all coaches and league officials are trained and certified.
Consider This: • Charlotte, North Carolina – School board voted to eliminate all middle school athletic programs. One thing saving some programs from the budget ax for now is a $250,000 donation from Michael Jordan and the Charlotte Bobcats!
” Every parent is concerned about budget cuts when it involves physical education ” says Denise Wilcox, a mother of two boys in i9 Sports and the PTA president of an elementary school in a suburb of Atlanta. “With the rise of childhood obesity we parents will doing anything we can to keep our kids active. One school system here has already eliminated 60 physical education teacher positions; it’s a problem that’s not going away. “ 
• Enrollment is inexpensive, with a low, one-time fee. No tournament travel, coach and referee fees, trophy expenses, fundraising or parent volunteering required.
• The emphasis is on fun. Every child makes the team and plays equally.
• Parents sign a pledge to be a model of good sportsmanship. After each game, a child earns a sportsmanship award for showing great conduct with teammates and opponents.
• Leagues are available for children with disabilities or special medical needs.
• After background checks, all coaches and league officials are trained and certified.
Consider This: • Charlotte, North Carolina – School board voted to eliminate all middle school athletic programs. One thing saving some programs from the budget ax for now is a $250,000 donation from Michael Jordan and the Charlotte Bobcats!
” Every parent is concerned about budget cuts when it involves physical education ” says Denise Wilcox, a mother of two boys in i9 Sports and the PTA president of an elementary school in a suburb of Atlanta. “With the rise of childhood obesity we parents will doing anything we can to keep our kids active. One school system here has already eliminated 60 physical education teacher positions; it’s a problem that’s not going away. “
