TGA Premier Sports (TGA), the largest youth sports franchisor specializing in junior golf, has been acquired by Youth Athletes United.
“We’re on a mission to become the largest and most encompassing youth sports organization in the country, with the goal of positively impacting more than one million kids each year,” said Adam Geisler, CEO and co-founder of Youth Athletes United. “With the acquisition of TGA, we’ve taken another step forward by adding 40 franchise owners and the extended curriculum for one of the most popular individual sports that impact children.”
TGA focuses on athletes ages 6-to-14, providing introductory golf programs at schools and parks and rec centers. TGA then partners with local golf courses and driving ranges to bridge participants to more traditional recreational golf programs such as camps, parent/child events, clinics, and national programs.
“Eighteen years ago, TGA was founded with a vision that sports can change lives and a mission to create a pathway for our kids in communities nationwide to be introduced to the lifelong sport of golf,” said Joshua Jacobs, founder and board advisor at TGA. “Under Youth Athletes United, TGA franchisees and current and future TGA golfers have a greater platform and more resources to continue growing the sport of golf.”
Youth Athletes United noted that according to a study by SFIA, the sport of golf saw a 13.2 percent participation growth this past year. The organization said the additional curriculum and franchisees with a focus on these sports will help Youth Athletes United capture more category market share, as families spend $925 annually on golf for their kids, including approximately $364 for equipment further driving the $19 billion youth sports market and the demand for youth golf programming.
“As we think about our youth franchise platform, TGA is the perfect complement to Amazing Athletes and Soccer Stars,” said John Erlandson, president and co-founder of Youth Athletes United. “Where most of our current programs focus on early childhood development and the fundamentals of sports, TGA provides a clear curriculum-based pathway for our older players to be introduced to the sport of golf and continue learning sport-specific and life skills within our family of brands.”
As a part of the acquisition, franchisees will have opportunities like the latest in technology, flexible work schedule, no required brick-and-mortar site, and a business model that offers afterschool and on-course classes to increase player development opportunities nationwide.
Laura Sappington, senior director of operations for TGA, said, “Having TGA within the Youth Athletes United franchise network, will generate strong growth opportunities for TGA golf franchisees thus increasing the overall reach of kids and families. What unites both brands is the shared passion of making sports like golf accessible for kids and the desire to make a positive impact on people and communities.”
