Welcome to episode 261 of Sports Management Podcast.
Today's guest is Brando Babini, founder of Youth4Youth FC, a player-led development program that is challenging traditional youth soccer in the United States. Starting the company at just 16 years old, Brando has built a thriving community, partnered with Nike, and is proving that mentorship, social media, and player-first development can transform the game.
In this episode, we spoke about:
- Why the pay-to-play model needs to evolve
- Building a football company at just 16 years old
- Using social media to grow a sports business
- Why mentorship matters as much as coaching
Episode Time Stamps
00:00 Meet Brando Babini
00:13 Why Youth4Youth Exists
01:15 A Gen Z-Led Football Revolution
02:25 Fixing Pay-to-Play
05:12 Building a Sustainable Model
07:49 Player-First Development
10:01 What Success Really Means
12:20 Growing Through Social Media
14:48 Partnering with Nike
16:49 Building a Startup Team
18:10 Parents & Player Motivation
19:51 Starting a Company at 16
22:41 Learning to Let Go
25:56 Advice for Young Entrepreneurs
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