The Forever Athlete

A Mission-Driven Venture Studio

TheForeverAthlete

Creating and funding ventures that ensure athletes stay active — playing multiple sports, longer.

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The youth sports crisis is real  ·  The dropout is not inevitable  ·  We're building the solution

Why kids
stop playing

Age 12
Youth sports participation peaks between ages 9 and 12 — then falls off a cliff. By the time most kids reach high school, they've already walked away from the games that shaped them.
Source: Aspen Institute Project Play · State of Play 2025

The data behind
the mission

01  / The Dropout Crisis

The dropout is real — and urgent

Participation peaks between ages 9 and 12, then declines sharply through the teenage years. The Forever Athlete's mission sits squarely at this inflection point, with the greatest opportunity to intervene before kids age out of sport entirely.

Greatest intervention window: ages 9–13
02  / Affordability

Cost is the #1 barrier to staying active

The income-based participation gap has widened to 20.2 percentage points. Families from the wealthiest households are nearly twice as likely to have a child in organized sports. Ventures that reduce the financial burden of staying active directly serve the mission.

46% cost increase since 2019 · Avg $1,016/year per child
03  / Specialization

Early specialization works against longevity

Many children now play club sports 3–5 days a week, 12 months a year — a dramatic drop in the number of kids playing multiple sports. This trend runs counter to The Forever Athlete's multi-sport philosophy and represents a systemic problem worth solving.

17% of kids now on club or travel teams year-round
04  / Travel Culture

Travel team culture accelerates dropout

Families are raiding emergency funds, cutting retirement contributions, and taking on credit card debt to fund youth sports participation. When the financial strain becomes unsustainable, kids simply stop playing. 76% of parents have taken some action to manage escalating costs.

Travel teams cost $2,000–$20,000/year · 25% tap savings or emergency funds
05  / Opportunity

Casual play is quietly surging

A 6% one-year uptick in informal sports participation signals real appetite for lower-commitment, lower-cost formats. Ventures that make sport accessible and fun — rather than high-pressure and expensive — have a strong tailwind behind them right now.

65% of youth tried a sport at least once in 2024 — a record high

The athlete in
your kid doesn't
have an expiration date.

We're building and funding the ventures that change the story — keeping athletes active, multi-sport, and in the game for life.

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The Forever Athlete

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