Business on Main By Jason Daley
Frank Fiume wanted make sports fun for kids again. So, he founded i9 Sports, a franchise offering flag-football, soccer and more to over 130,000 kids.
There was a time when youth sports were synonymous with kids picking dandelions in the outfield and “Bad News Bears”-style bumbling. Today it's often about parents socking each other in the bleachers and steely-eyed athletes stretching their young bodies to the limit in their determination to win. Athletics, instead of being a way to let off steam, socialize and build confidence, have become one more competitive stress.
Frank Fiume saw those trends coming to a head back in the late 1990s. That's why he organized a flag-football league for kids in Tampa, Florida. While he thought it would be a fun side project, demand proved so high that he began running the league full time, and in 2002 he started franchising the concept as i9 Sports (named for the nine principles that guide the leagues). Now the company's 120 franchises offer flag-football, soccer, cheerleading, basketball and baseball programs in 27 states, and have served 130,000 kids between the ages of 3 and 14.
To read the rest of the story visit Business on Main
