Episode 88: Madison Gates (VP of Marketing for i9 Sports, Former Division 1 soccer player)

🎙 Madison Gates, VP of Marketing for i9 Sports, joins the podcast to talk about the organization’s mission of putting kids first and why their tagline “The way youth sports should be” feels more relevant than ever in today’s youth sports landscape.

🔹 Madison explains that organizations like i9 thrived 20 years ago, but the modern youth sports environment has changed dramatically with increased pressure, specialization, and rising costs for families.

🔹 One of the biggest shifts? Youth sports are increasingly becoming about what parents want instead of what kids want, with many parents either living vicariously through their children or feeling pressure to keep up with others.

🔹 With the number of girls dropping out of sports around ages 13–14 at an alarming rate, i9 decided to take a step back and ask an important question: Are we actually giving girls what they want from sports?

🔹 To find out, i9 surveyed over 1,500 parents and girls ages 3–14 who had participated in their programs to better understand their priorities and motivations.

🔹 The results were surprising: the #1 thing both parents and girls wanted from sports was confidence-building and a sense of belonging.

🔹 Meanwhile, the thing that ranked last in importance? Winning. Less than 3% of respondents said winning was the most important aspect of youth sports.

🔹 We discuss whether youth sports culture often creates a false choice between being competitive and just having fun, when in reality many kids want both.

🔹 Madison also talks about the growing popularity of sports like flag football, where kids are drawn to the game because it’s new and exciting (and not tied to the same college recruiting pressure as more established sports).

🔹 As many traditional youth sports become more expensive and require earlier specialization, emerging sports that are more accessible and affordable are starting to challenge the status quo.

🔹 If winning truly ranks last for most parents, we also ask an uncomfortable question: why is winning still the main thing parents and clubs highlight on social media?

🔹 Madison shares i9’s initiative “Gains Are for the Girls,” which aims to get 500,000 girls playing sports by 2030, focusing on what girls actually gain from sports: confidence, friendships, belonging, and personal growth.

🔹 We also talk about the importance of small details that make girls feel included…even something like jerseys designed specifically for girls can help athletes feel more comfortable and confident on the field.

🔹 And before we wrap up, Madison drops a fun teaser about an upcoming movie centered on the legendary “99ers” team from the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup.