The Youth Sports Management Conference is back.
Don’t miss out. Join us for NextUp ’26 on October 14th in NYC.
What is NextUp?
Over 400 leaders in youth sports gather each year to make sense of the shifting landscape of youth sports and shape what’s coming next.
Designed for directors, operators, and entrepreneurs this year’s conference will deliver connection, insight, and action in the name of making youth sports happen.
Speakers
Youth sports leaders
Years running
Technology partners
Have the conversations that matter
NextUp ’26 will feature two days of content and networking, allowing you to hear from inspirational speakers and have in-depth conversations with others in the room.
Day 1
Keynote Presentations
Hear from experts on the forces shaping play: AI, education, investment, and more.
- Get Informed
- Spark Ideas
- Meet the Community
Day 2
Custom Content Tracks
Dive into the topics that you care about the most – with a collection of leaders tailored to your track.
- Breakouts
- Roundtables
- Networking Sessions
- Workshops
Agenda
NextUp is a conference for the leaders shaping the future of youth sports. Through keynotes, candid conversations, and practical working sessions, attendees will explore what it takes to build stronger organizations, navigate a changing industry, and create better experiences for athletes and families.
7:30
Check-In Opens
Breakfast Opens
8:45
Open Space: What’s on Your Mind?
Start the day with the people in the room setting the agenda. Bring the challenge, question, or opportunity you’re thinking about most and join candid, peer-led conversations with other youth sports leaders.
9:15
Session I: Building a Championship Organization
What separates the organizations that thrive from those that simply survive? We work with thousands of youth sports clubs and organizations, and will introduce a framework for understanding what makes a youth sports business, and perspectives from leaders who have built organizations capable of scaling both their business and their impact.
10:45
Breakouts & Workshops
The LeagueApps Product Showcase: What’s Here, What’s Next. A look at how LeagueApps is evolving to meet the changing needs of youth sports organizations, including what we’ve built, what’s coming next, and the problems we’re focused on solving.
Mitigate Risk. Maximize Opportunity. Safety, compliance, insurance, and legal expectations are changing quickly. Understand where your organization is exposed, what’s coming next, and how leaders are turning strong risk management into a competitive advantage with families and partners.
The Business of Operating at Scale. Volume changes the game. Leaders serving thousands of athletes break down how they grew, how the economics change at scale, the systems required to support it, and what tends to break along the way.
Know Your Numbers: Inside the Youth Sports P&L. A practical look inside the economics of a youth sports organization. Break down where revenue comes from, where costs go, which levers you can actually control, and how your numbers compare with organizations like yours.
11:15
Networking Break
11:30
Session II: The Forces Reshaping Youth Sports
Youth sports don’t operate in a vacuum. Investment, legislation, governance, NIL, recruiting, technology, and changing consumer behavior are rewriting the rules simultaneously. Leaders from across the ecosystem unpack what’s changing, what matters, and where new opportunities are emerging.
12:30
Lunch
1:30
Breakouts & Workshops
Build a Brand Families Choose. Being good at your sport isn’t enough to stand out. Explore practical strategies for strengthening your digital presence, telling a better story, building community through social media, and turning athletes and parents into advocates for your organization.
Finding the Money: Fundraising, Grants & Sponsorship. There are more ways to fund growth than registration fees alone. Learn how organizations are building successful fundraising campaigns, pursuing grants, and creating sponsorship opportunities that brands actually want to buy.
What Investors Actually Want. What makes a youth sports organization investable? Hear how different capital sources evaluate organizations, what they actually underwrite, and the full spectrum of financing options available, from traditional lending to strategic investment and private equity.
Beyond the Game: Developing the Whole Athlete. Player development extends far beyond practice. Explore how leading organizations build pathways, feedback systems, coaching philosophies, and cultures that develop athletes as people while keeping them engaged in sports longer.
2:15
Networking Break
2:45
Breakouts & Workshops
AI in Action: Solve a Real Problem. A working session, not a lecture. Bring a problem you’re actually trying to solve and leave with practical AI approaches you can put to work immediately, plus a framework for building an AI strategy that makes sense for your organization.
Beyond Registration: Building New Revenue Streams. Growth doesn’t always require more registrations. Explore how organizations are creating incremental revenue through memberships, new programming, partnerships, apparel, events, and other opportunities already within reach.
The College Sports Shakeup: What It Means for Youth Sports. NIL, athlete compensation, recruiting, governance, and new business models are transforming college athletics. Understand what those changes mean downstream for youth sports organizations, athletes, families, and the recruiting pathway.
Scaling Programs, Places & Facilities. Programs and places are two of the biggest assets an organization can scale. Multi-site operators share how they approach expansion, program portfolios, facility acquisition, and utilization, and how they turn physical space from a fixed cost into a growth engine.
3:30
Networking Break
4:00
Session III: Leading Parents, Not Following Them
Parents are more than spectators. They’re the customer. Their expectations around communication, convenience, safety, development, and value have changed. The organizations winning today aren’t reacting to those expectations. They’re defining the experience first and bringing families along with them.
5:30
Happy Hour
The Lineup
From business leaders in youth and pro sports and professional athletes, to innovators from media and tech, NextUp speakers are the changemakers shaping how kids play and how we lead and grow—on the field and beyond.
Tommy Park
Executive Director, Alexandria Soccer
Kelly Sims
Founder of Coach to Excellence. Girls Academy Director at STA Girls Academy
Mike Klatsky
Owner, MultiSports Kingdom
Tom Farrey
Executive Director, Sports & Society Program, The Aspen Institute
Justin Miller
CEO, Rush Soccer
Jordan Baltimore
Founder & CEO, New York Empire Baseball
Kelci Tyson
CEO of Willow Reserve Capital
Paul Landers
Founder & CEO, Vertical Raise
Frank Decembrino
CEO, Clubhouse Partners
Craig Dixon
Co-Founder & Co-CEO, The St. James
Lauren Miller
VP Strategy & Operations, Rocket Youth
And more...
We're announcing new speakers every day leading up to NextUp.
Past speakers
Julie Foudy
ESPN Analyst and former USWNT champion
David Robinson
Admiral Capital co-founder, NBA champion
Swin Cash
3x WNBA champion
Shane Battier
TEDx Speaker and NBA champion
Paul Rabil
President, PLL
David James
Vice President, Baseball & Softball Development, MLB
Hundreds of organizations, across every sport
NextUp ’26 will feature keynote sessions, breakouts, and networking, allowing you to hear from inspirational speakers and have in-depth conversations with others in the room.
Secure your spot
NextUp '26 kicks off in
Frequently asked questions
When and where is the NextUp conference?
NextUp ‘26 will take place October 14, 2026 at Civic Hall in Union Square.
Address: 124 E 14th St, New York, NY 10003
Who should attend NextUp ‘26?
Club & League Operators, Program Directors, Facility Managers, Startup Founders, Tech Builders, Marketers & Recruiters, Nonprofit Leaders & Brand Strategists.
Where can I find the agenda?
The full agenda for NextUp ‘26 will be published closer to the event date. Stay tuned—we’ll announce agenda details via email and on this website as they become available.
Are meals included?
Breakfast and lunch are provided, along with snacks throughout the event. Happy hours and light snacks provided in the evening.
Questions? Email us nextup@leagueapps.com