I9 Sports pitches youth flag-football, soccer and T-ball partnership with Lawrence City parks

I9 Sports franchise owners told Lawrence City officials they want to run weekend youth leagues in the city, offering flag football, soccer and T-ball and planning indoor basketball and volleyball as they expand.

The proposal matters because organizers say the program would provide paid coach support, background-checked staff, subsidized slots for low-income families and a franchise-level insurance policy that would list host facilities as additional insureds — items city staff said they will need to examine before any use agreement is signed.

Anna Finley, co-owner and presenter, said the franchise’s goal is “we want every kid to be able to play in whatever capacity that is,” and described program features intended to reduce cost and access barriers. She and Connor Purius, co-owner and Lawrence native, said the franchise runs short seasons (six-to-seven week sessions), uses paid staff to back up volunteer coaches, provides equipment and reversible jerseys, and requires background checks and abuse-prevention training for all coaches. Finley said the organization carries a $2,000,000 insurance policy and lists venue partners as additional insured.

Organizers reported enrollment and pricing details from a recent first season run in Fishers: 261 total participants across flag football, soccer and T-ball, with 85 registrants from the Lawrence area. They said regular-season registration is $154 (the presenters also said the franchisewide average fee runs about $148 after early-registration discounts and promos), and that they use promo codes and early-bird discounts to reduce costs. Finley described a local partnership with the nonprofit Every Kid Plays that can provide an estimated $150 gift-card subsidy per child per season; she said the program reduces a family’s out-of-pocket fee to roughly $147 after processing fees when Every Kid Plays assistance is used.

On program design, Connor Purius emphasized sportsmanship values, weekly sportsmanship awards and coach support. “We actually have paid staff. So they support all of our coaches…If a coach doesn't show up, our paid staff will step in and actually be the coach for the day,” he said. The presenters described age-grouping by registration numbers (examples: pee wee 3–4, 5–6, 7–9, etc.), flexibility to move children between teams midseason for competitive balance, and a multi-sport option that rotates exposure to T-ball, flag football and soccer for very young children.

City officials and staff asked logistical questions about venues, insurance and contracts. Presenters said their outdoor site in Fishers operates under a per-season site fee paid to the site owner (Trinity Church), while they pay hourly rates at an indoor basketball venue (Playschool at Arbor Village). They said venues are listed as additional insured under their policy and that the franchise pays per-child insurance as part of registration.

Council member Thomas and staff discussed next steps: city staff (Jamie and others named during the meeting) and I9 representatives agreed to pursue a field-use agreement and to bring an item for board review; presenters urged acting quickly so marketing and registration can ramp up before fall. No formal vote or contract was taken during the meeting.

Supporters framed the franchise as an option for families who prefer one-day-a-week commitments and for parents who may not want travel-team obligations. Presenters said they partner with local nonprofits, encourage volunteer coach recruitment (about three-quarters of coaches come from parents), provide practice plans and an app for coach resources, and will supply most equipment (parents only need shin guards, mouth guards for flag football and gloves for T-ball).

City staff will review the insurance certificates, venue agreements and a draft use agreement before any authorization; presenters said they would be open to an early July timeline for a signed use agreement and recommended presenting a draft to the board at its June meeting. The city took no formal action at the session; staff and I9 representatives were asked to return with a draft use agreement and supporting documents.

If a use agreement is negotiated, organizers said they would aim to market locally and to coordinate with city outreach about scholarship/assistance options. For now the matter remains at the discussion-and-negotiation stage.