The Cheapest Varsity Sport in America 🇺🇸

GAME PLAN

Good morning. Issue #1 passed 30,000 impressions across our social channels in week one, but the replies were the better number. Founders, product managers, investors, club admins and coaches from the youth level to the pros wrote in with advice and partnership ideas. We're working through every message, so if you haven't heard back yet, you will. Keep them coming we read every one.

This week: the cheapest varsity sport in America just cleared its biggest gate yet and there is still white space in front of it, Texas makes heat monitoring mandatory the same week two-a-days start, and a basketball with the workout printed right on the panels — for every kid training with no coach in the room.

THE FACEOFF

The biggest story in youth sports last week, and what it means for your operation.

Girls Flag Football Is Having Its Pickleball Moment

In 2023, eight Indiana high schools fielded girls flag football teams. Three years later, that number is 108. That is a sport moving from experiment to institution. More important, girls are gaining organized entry into a game that, for generations, largely excluded them.

Don’t oversell it.

Flag is not yet bigger than pickleball. It has not proven every league can attract spectators or every team will last. Rules vary, officials will miss calls (they ARE human) and geography affects access. But emerging sports often look fragmented before they look inevitable.

Matt Tarzian, a longtime flag player who has competed in college and adult leagues, compared this moment to another grassroots sport. “It may be the new pickleball,” Tarzian said. “When we were kids it was lacrosse — all of a sudden everyone had a stick. Pickleball did the same thing for adults. Flag football is doing it for both at once.”

The adoption pattern is familiar: a sport appears in physical education classes and recreation departments, local leagues form, neighboring schools notice and participation becomes expected. Girls flag may be compressing that progression into a much shorter window.

What is real is the growth and opportunity women now possess.

Ohio had roughly 20 participating schools three years ago. This spring, it had 162 teams and a state championship. The sport received full recognition from the OHSAA in June.

Indiana grew from eight teams in 2023 to 27 in 2024, 78 in 2025 and 108 across more than 50 communities today. The IHSAA could vote to sanction it as early as May 2027.

North Carolina’s Panthers-backed pilot began with 19 schools in 2022. This fall, more than 150 schools will compete in the state’s first sanctioned season.

This is not only a Midwest story. Next spring, my hometown school, White Plains High School in New York, will field a girls varsity flag football team for the first time. It is a milestone for the district, but White Plains is joining a movement already underway. More than a dozen other local schools were competing at the varsity level before the “Lady Tigers” entered the game.

That may be the most revealing signal in the story. White Plains did not have to create a market. It entered one that was already functioning. Schools are no longer being asked whether girls flag is legitimate. They are beginning to answer why their students do not have it.

Tarzian has watched the underlying shift from the player’s side. “When I was in college, there was no opportunity for girls to play organized flag football,” he said. “Now girls have the infrastructure, which is promising for the growth of the sport for women moving forward.”

The audience is beginning to follow them. This year’s NFL FLAG Championships reached 14.3 million unique viewers across platforms. The girls high school final averaged 1.12 million viewers, peaked at 1.34 million and grew 50% year over year, according to Front Office Sports.

Indiana also demonstrates the structure behind the growth: private money, public governance. The Colts wrote the checks and the IHSAA kept the rulebook — a partnership rather than an acquisition. Backed by a $1 million commitment from the Irsay family, it took the sport from eight teams to sanctioning-eligible in three years.

The takeaway: This is becoming a category.

Pickleball demonstrated how quickly a low-barrier activity can scale once facilities, organizers and participants reinforce one another. Girls flag has another powerful growth mechanism: the American school system.

The equipment is simple — belts, mouthguards and a rectangle — and startup costs typically run between $5,000 and $8,000. The Colts invested up to $10,000 in participating Indiana schools, making the initial decision even easier.

The larger opportunity is to build what comes next: girls-centered coaching, consistent rules, trained officials, compact schedules, video coverage, sponsorship inventory and championship experiences that make the sport feel permanent.

A White Plains mother recently told me that her sixth-grade daughter was deciding whether to play volleyball or flag football. That choice may be more revealing than any national projection.

Flag is no longer asking girls to take a chance on an unfamiliar game. It is becoming one of their normal options.

If you're coaching a flag team this fall — or you're the parent breaking down game film from the bleachers — Flag Football Analytics just launched a 13-module course on scouting, game management and data-driven flag coaching.

LAST WEEK'S POLL — THE RESULTS

What's squeezing your program hardest heading into fall registration?

• Families who can't afford the fees — 40%

• Facility and field or ice time — 20%

• Coach pay and staffing — 20%

• Vendor and platform costs — 20%

• Insurance, background checks and compliance — 0%

LOOKING AHEAD

Next week, we sit down with a coach and youth sports business operator to talk about their experience — the successes, the challenges, and their advice for other coaches and operators building in the game.

THE SCOREBOARD

Everything else that moved across youth sports last week, in one line each.

RULES & CONDUCT

• Texas made heat monitoring mandatory, effective August 1 — WBGT readings are now required, not recommended, for every outdoor athletic and band activity (UIL).

• The IIHF ruled Russia out of the 2027 World Juniors and both U18 Worlds — Russia also misses the 2027 Men's Worlds, reshaping elite youth hockey pathways; Women's Worlds status gets reviewed in November (IIHF).

• New York overturned Section I's private-school postseason ban — an appeal panel ruled the section exceeded its authority with June's 69–4 vote (SI).

• A WV county now requires signed risk contracts before practice — Hardy County coaches must walk every family through injury risks, signatures required (Moorefield Examiner).

• NJ stripped Anthony Knox Jr. of the title he won in court — the NJSIAA revoked his fourth wrestling crown over a stands brawl at districts (NY Post).

• A NJ softball coach was charged after a handshake-line brawl — two counts of simple assault after coaches shoved down the first-base line in East Hanover (NY Post).

• A Storm co-owner drew a five-game ban for cursing at teen fans — the girls' courtside signs thanked Sophie Cunningham for "speaking up for girls" in girls sports; Seattle's majority owner apologized (Yahoo Sports).

• SafeSport banned a Las Vegas volleyball coach facing 36 felony counts — Levi Miller, 26, is barred from every Olympic-movement sport down to local clubs (News 3 LV).

• A federal judge gave the class of 2022 a fifth season — the nationwide injunction voids the NCAA's 5-for-5 rule and opens the portal August 3–10; the NCAA will appeal (WKYT).

• The SEC and Big Ten dropped their objection to the Protect College Sports Act — their Friday-night reversal puts a Senate vote in play before the August 7 recess, the same week the NCAA's eligibility rule was enjoined nationwide (Sportico).

MONEY & DEALS

• Ohio State sold a jersey patch to JPMorganChase for a reported $15–17M a year — the largest patch deal in college sports, across all 36 varsity teams (SBJ).

• Unleashed Brands signed 73 franchise deals in H1 2026 — the Urban Air and Little Gym parent now runs 1,500+ locations serving 20 million kids (PR Newswire).

• Tacoma's schools sold their sponsorship rights like a D1 program — a multi-year Playfly deal covers ads and naming rights at five high schools (Tacoma Schools).

• Pay-to-play arrived in Princeton — the NJ district will charge $100–$150 per student for unlimited activities in 2026-27, with hardship waivers (Town Topics).

• Referee raises are surfacing at the ticket gate in Tennessee — Marion County proposed $10 football tickets after the TSSAA moved officials to $130 a game (SValleyNow).

• A former NFL GM will run flag football's new pro league — Champ Kelly, the Dolphins' former interim GM, was named SVP of Flag Football Operations at TMRW Sports, the Tiger Woods–co-founded venture launching the women's and men's pro flag league with the NFL — the clearest signal yet that the youth flag boom has a professional destination attached (Sportico).

FIELDS & FACILITIES

• The Sports Facilities Companies will open 10 venues in H2 2026 — led by a 200-acre, 46-field complex in Ontario, CA, adding to a 140-venue portfolio (PR Newswire).

• Scotts reopened a renovated pitch in Tyler Adams' hometown — the USMNT midfielder cut the ribbon in Wappinger, NY through the Keep It Real program (PR Newswire).

• A tax fight could leave 400 Little Leaguers in the dark — Safety Harbor, FL needs ~$1M for floodlights its shrinking budget may not cover (Tampa Bay 28).

• Oregon's North Coast lost its only competitive gymnastics program — Seaside's Infinity closed July 31, citing rising costs, staffing and enrollment (Seaside Signal).

NIL WATCH

• NIL closed the door LeBron walked through — Sportico notes 2026 draftee AJ Dybantsa made ~$7M in one college season, so nobody misses prep-to-pro (Sportico).

• Philip Rivers wants NIL kept out of high school football — the St. Michael Catholic coach told Alabama media day he hopes it "doesn't come here" (On3).

• Community banks have found NIL — the ABA sizes the market at $2.5B, and banks are signing even high school athletes as local marketing (ABA Banking Journal).

• Perfect Game is adding brand-building tools for youth baseball — Student Athlete Score's NIL-prep platform joins its showcases (Student Athlete Score).

TECH & PARTNERSHIPS

• LiveBarn is moving from streaming into analytics — its new youth hockey platform links shot maps and shift tracking to video wherever its cameras hang (PR Newswire).

• The USHL picked an official online high school — TPH Academy Online gives junior players 160+ accredited courses built around a travel schedule (USHL).

• Cleveland's WNBA team made a hospital a founding partner — Cleveland Clinic adds sports medicine and a girls basketball platform for the 2028 debut (Cleveland Clinic).

ON THE FIELD

• USA Hockey's Women's National Festival opens August 2 in Lake Placid — 46 college and 46 U18 invitees compete for Select Team rosters that face Canada in mid-August series (USA Hockey).

• Toronto hosts 2,000 teen athletes at the JCC Maccabi Games, August 2–6 — Jewish teens from North America, Israel and beyond compete across more than a dozen sports, and organizers project 10,000-plus spectators and C$2.6 million in economic activity for Ontario, alongside leadership, cultural and volunteer programming and an inclusive track for teens with developmental disabilities (Toronto JCC Maccabi).

• Eighteen states produced a US Youth Soccer national champion — Illinois took four titles and Raiders FC won the 91-year-old McGuire Cup (SoccerWire).

• Bowling's youth nationals drew nearly 3,500 athletes — Junior Gold offered ~$500K in scholarships (USBC)

COACH'S FAVORITES

One thing we'd actually use, and why it earns the pick.

GEAR — TaloViz Training Basketball

Taloviz is an engaging sports ball that promotes skill competency, healthy competition, accountability, and court vision. You spin the ball, pick it up after it bounces, and perform the listed exercise (mainly dribbling based) with your eyes up, for a certain amount of reps or time. You can modify the exercises to challenge yourself. No app or hoop required. It is a standard indoor/outdoor ball which can be used for regular gameplay. TaloViz allows an athlete to practice virtually anywhere in a fun manner while building strong foundational skills and providing structure for any workout.

On sale for $34.99 at the TaloViz store — our exclusive code CoachBoard5 takes another $5 off. A soccer version is in the works; hit reply and we’ll connect you directly with founder, Isaac Potvin.

WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

Elite youth, high school and college events streaming this week plus the pro game worth building a team night around.

• 🥎Little League Softball World Series Championship · Sunday, 3:00 PM ET on ABC — twelve teams from Japan to Puerto Rico to Helotes, Texas grind through a week of double-elimination in Greenville, NC (Schedule →).

• ⚾ Little League Baseball Regionals · Southeast and Southwest open Thursday, the other eight regions pour in through the weekend, all on ESPN networks and ESPN+ — find your region, pick a team, and ride with them to Williamsport (Brackets →).

• 📺 ESPN8: The Ocho · Thursday–Sunday across ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU — the Ocho turns 10 with 74.5 hours and 23 new competitions: corgi races Thursday 8:30 PM ET, Slippery Stairs Friday, and free-admission live events at ESPN Wide World of Sports (Full slate →).

• 🍌Savannah Bananas at Target Field · Friday and Saturday, 8:00 PM ET on ESPN, streaming on Disney+ — two nights of Banana Ball vs. the Loco Beach Coconuts in a big-league ballpark: no walks, no bunts, two-hour clock, and a catcher on stilts (Schedule →).

• 🏈NFL Hall of Fame Game: Panthers vs. Cardinals · Thursday, 8:00 PM ET on NBC / Peacock — football is officially back, and rosters packed with undrafted longshots make it the best underdog TV of the summer (Preseason schedule →).

• 🤸Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships · Thursday–Sunday from Phoenix — the seniors are on Peacock with NBC windows, and every junior session streams free on USA Gymnastics' YouTube: the national pipeline, no paywall (Schedule →).

• 🎾USTA Boys' and Girls' 18s Nationals · opening Friday in Kalamazoo and San Diego — the champions earn US Open main-draw wild cards, the biggest prize in American junior sports; boys' matches stream free at ustaboys.com (Kalamazoo →).

• 🏅World Athletics U20 Championships · Wednesday–Sunday at Hayward Field — the best under-20 track athletes on the planet at the fastest track in America, with every final on Sunday; streams free on World Athletics+ (Watch →).

• ⛳ U.S. Women's Amateur · Tuesday–Sunday at The Honors Course on Golf Channel — 126 years old and the field is now full of teenagers; the 36-hole final airs Sunday, 3:00 PM ET (Fan guide →).

COACH'S CLIPBOARD

One drill you can run this week. Flag football — because a lot of you are about to coach it for the first time.

Angle Alley. 15 x 10 yards, 1v1, five reps per player, any age from U8 up.

Run it. Cone off a 15-yard lane, 10 yards wide. Ball carrier starts on one end line. The defender starts five yards upfield and off to one side, never square, never directly in front. Carrier tries to cross the far line. Defender has to pull a flag. Reset immediately, next pair in. No whistles, no lines longer than four deep.

Coaching point. Attack the near hip, break down two steps early, and take the angle that drives the carrier toward the sideline. Two hands, both flags. NFL FLAG teaches this for a reason, and one hand at one flag is where most misses come from (NFL FLAG). Chasing from directly behind means reaching for a moving belt at full extension. The boundary is your best defender. Use it.

Why it works. This drill takes four cones, needs no equipment you don't already own, and runs 40 reps in eight minutes. It is also the single fastest way to make a first-year coach look like they know what they're doing. A flag pulling and pursuit variation →

THE LOCKER ROOM

Something to end on.

The Carolina Hurricanes, 2026 Stanley Cup champions, on what the trophy is actually for:

Every parent who has lost a twenty-minute standoff over a bowl of soup just learned something. It was never the soup. It was the bowl. 🏆

And a hard truth from the business side. Physical therapist Nick Hoopes on the youth performance training economy:

The program is identical. The log is free. The invoice is where the innovation happens. 🪵

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The Coach's Board by Paul Variano
The weekly executive roundup for youth sports leaders.