i9 Sports offers a wide variety of youth sports for kids ages 3-14 that all take place at the same location making it a convenient one-stop shop for busy parents.
A conversation with Eric Stephens, Program Director.
What is i9 Sports all about?
i9 Sports offers a wide variety of youth sports for kids ages 3-14 that all take place at the same location making it a convenient one-stop shop for busy parents. We also practice and play on the same day, which makes it just a 1-day per week commitment. There are no tryouts, all kids play equally and there is a strong emphasis on sportsmanship, in a pressure free inclusive environment. Our weekends are event-like with food vendors, slushy vendors and more.
Tell us how you got involved with i9 Sports.
As a parent I was eagerly looking to put my 4-year-old son in any sport that I could get him in; that is when I found i9 Sports. I chose flag football and I volunteered to coach and could hardly contain my excitement. The experience was more than I could have imagined. It was everything but the normal, basic and boring league. Hard to describe, just more love and care about seeing kids smile than I ever expected. It was organized, it was fun, it was the perfect intro to sports for my son and it was structured to be simple for the parents.
When my oldest son reached high school, we moved to Frederick (from Germantown) and since living in Frederick, I dreamed of bringing that type of experience here. I love giving back to my community and I have volunteered with numerous charities that help kids as well as starting my own. I love it here!! I’m excited about what i9 Sports offers families and about incorporating Frederick throughout it. Hiring local, helping Non-Profits and showing kids and parents “The way youth sports should be”®. We are helping kids succeed in life through sports and offering a convenience with youth sports that parents have never seen.
What do you like most about operating in Frederick?
I love the camaraderie of Frederick people and business owners. I wanted to partner with others to solidify i9 Sports in Frederick, not just be a business that happens to exist in Frederick. We have partnered with schools, churches, Non-Profits, vendors and more. We started this business with our arms open to Frederick and we have felt embraced since our Grand Opening in 2021.
What makes i9 Sports unique?
We are unique in the fact that we offer multiple sports at the same location and the same time and by holding practice and games back-to-back, it couldn’t be more convenient for busy families. Imagine having 3 children who all play different sports and having to run out all week for practice, leaving little time for homework and home cooked meals as well as driving all over the town or even the state. Most parents have felt that and wished for an alternative and with i9 sports you can have 3 kids, each playing a different sport, all at the same location in a similar time frame and only have to spend 1 day per week with us at a location not far from your home.
You now have your weekdays back for family time and your kids will still be happy to get sports in on Saturdays. Add in that we have food trucks, slushy and cotton candy vendors and it’s now a party. Did I mention that uniforms are included in fees, there is no fundraising of any kind and you will never be asked to run a concession or referee a game.
What do you want your organization to be known for?
We are a convenient youth sports option that is all about making kids fall in love with sports
Share some of your community involvement efforts.
We started a Non-Profit called i9 Sports Chapter 437 which helps families in need get involved in extracurricular activities. We fund this with 100% of our concession proceeds as well as our annual event, Harlem Wizards vs Team Frederick. The proceeds from our Harlem Wizards vs Team Frederick event get shared between 5 local Non-Profits that serve kids in our community (The Boys and Girls Club, City Youth Matrix, Sleep in Heavenly Peace, I Believe in Me and i9 Sports Chapter 437).
Our first annual game was last November and we sold out and raised over $31,000 that was evenly split between these amazing Non-Profits. We are also working on partnerships with specific schools in Frederick and doing all that we can to serve our community and fully impact the youth specifically.
Have any exciting promotions or interesting events coming up?
We are currently open for Spring registrations and are offering opportunities for kids ages 3-14 to do Flag Football, Soccer, T-ball, Basketball and Cheer at one of our 2 locations, Ballenger Creek MS and Urbana ES. Here is a direct link to the Frederick County programs.
Frederick Chamber Insights is a news outlet of the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce. For more information about membership, programs and initiatives, please visit our website.