Perfect Game Sees Prosperity Thanks To New Investments In Youth Sports

Four years ago, the global pandemic forced youth sports to confront an uncertain future amid widespread cancellations and public health concerns. Fast forward to the present day and there is a voracious appetite for investing in youth sports as evident in recent announcements by Unrivaled Sports and Perfect Game. Four distinct types of investors are bullish about the future of youth sports beginning with professional sports franchise owners, professional athletes, sports and entertainment executives, and private equity firms.

According to Maia Research referenced by Sports Business Journal, youth sports are a $37.5 billion global industry with 60 million young athletes in the United States of America based on data provided by the National Institutes of Health. In March 2024, Major League Baseball proudly promoted the Sports & Fitness Industry Association’s (SFIA) Topline Participation Report for 2023 as participation is nearly at 16.7 million in the United States of America. A record-breaking achievement for Major League Baseball since the SFIA began conducting surveys of more than 120 sports in 2008, participation in casual play also reached an all-time high at 8.9 million in America’s national pastime.

David Blitzer and Josh Harris are accomplished professional sports franchise owners. While the duo is synonymous with the New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia 76ers among other sports properties and global brands, they have been building an impressive youth sports portfolio that boasts the likes of Ripken Baseball, Cooperstown All Star Village, We Are Camp, and Sports Force Parks just to name a few. Their latest business endeavor, Unrivaled Sports, promotes accessibility and inclusivity in youth sports blended with unparalleled experiences. Blitzer and Harris are joining forces with The Chernin Group as a trio of controlling partners. They have hired Andy Campion as chairman with nearly three decades of experience at Nike
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and Disney while bringing on high-profile partners such as Baseball Hall of Famer Cal Ripken, Jr., former major league ball player Bill Ripken and three-time Olympic gold medalist Shaun White.

Perfect Game has undergone significant changes since the August 2022 announcement of new leadership in chief executive officer Rob Ponger and chairman Rick Thurman. The world’s premier youth and high school diamond sports platform, Perfect Game is in the trusted hands of Ponger, a former chief financial officer at IMG Media, and Thurman, an agent who co-founded the Beverly Hills Sports Council. They have just announced an investor group which includes 21 current and former major league ball players and Perfect Game’s commissioner, Dennis Gilbert. Baseball Hall of Famer Trevor Hoffman headlines a distinguished group of investors who have combined for 44 All-Star selections and 16 World Series championships.

An ambassador for Perfect Game over the past decade, Hoffman values the professional relationship he has built with Thurman over the past 25 years. “It was a neat opportunity to invest in a company that I felt had a lot of upside,” said Hoffman. He plans on being an active investor while becoming familiar with all aspects of the business. Even though his point of reference with Perfect Game has primarily been working with high school athletes, Hoffman looks forward to engaging with young athletes who have just graduated from tee ball.

Hoffman’s enthusiasm and perspective makes him a valued asset. He confronts unrealistic expectations and parents living vicariously through their children by extolling the importance of community, competition, shared family experiences, mental health and the benefits of being a multi-sport athlete. “I’m passionate about the youth spectrum as it’s something that needs a lot of attention and I’m willing to help in that area,” said Hoffman.

Ponger and Thurman’s vision for Perfect Game goes well beyond domestic showcases, scouting and tournaments. It’s about becoming a global company committed to product diversification, technology, digital media and creating a lifestyle for youth sports. “We want to become a content machine. It’s not just about how hard you are throwing, but we really want to shine a spotlight on the kids and give them an opportunity to create their own brand as well,” said Ponger. Perfect Game sees a unique opportunity to provide young athletes with a platform that allows them to build their personal brands while attracting the interest of sponsors in an era of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL).

Thurman believes in two fundamental principles when it comes to youth sports. “We want to have kids not only go to an event, but we want to make it an experience and memory for them,” said Thurman. He expects Perfect Game’s new investors will easily integrate into the company’s culture by being accessible and serving as a source of knowledge. It could be a simple act of kindness such as Hoffman teaching a group of young athletes how to throw a changeup while answering their questions.

Major League Baseball’s latest efforts regarding globalization have not been lost on Ponger and Thurman. As Perfect Game has expanded their domestic presence to 41 states, they are now in 12 foreign countries. Besides global showcases and tournaments already held in Canada, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Spain, Curaçao, and the Czech Republic, Perfect Game will be expanding into Australia, Japan and South Korea over the next two years. “We want to continue growing the footprint of baseball in these particular places which also allows us to sell our apparel and other products while expanding Perfect Game’s footprint and ecosystem,” said Thurman.

Baseball is presently the primary focus of Perfect Game’s business model, but Thurman says they will likely use some of the new money to invest in softball with soccer on their list as a potential business endeavor. Growth is also expected when it comes to their media platform, apparel and consumer products. “Who’s to say we’re not going to have our own spike pretty soon, running shoe, batting gloves and things of that nature,” says Thurman.

The recent influx of experienced and high-profile investors into youth sports sends a strong message regarding the overall health of the industry. “It’s good for the youth business to have professional, institutional type of investors,” said Ponger. He continued by saying, “I believe the investors, which will also lead to the sponsors, are now recognizing that Generations Alpha and Z are in youth sports and if you can get a 9-year-old to 18-year-old kid using a Gillette Shaver or signing up to Chase Bank, you might have them for the next 50-70 years.” As opportunities for prosperity continue to present themselves within youth sports, the best measure of return on investment always begins with accessibility, affordability, innovation and creating a lifetime of memories for the next generation of global leaders.