Welcome to the United Journey series. Each episode will feature a leader focused on social impact. Today, we look at sports-based youth development and community engagement. The discussions focus on what drives them, how they got their role, and where they and the organization want to go. Our featured guest today is Rob Smith, Founding Executive Director of the Youth Sports Collaborative Network.
Rob and I first met during my research phase at Georgetown when I came across an organization that I wanted Baltimore United to learn and develop from. Rob has been a leader and innovator in his career and I am grateful for his support and collaborative mindset.
Who is Rob Smith?
Rob Smith is a resident of Silver Spring, MD with an incredible background of leading new businesses and industries into the 21st century. These industries have included internet and consumer services as well as travel.
Rob founded NetSmith Services and helped form the first association for online retailers. He merged his corporate experience as well as his personal interest in youth sports to create the Youth Sports Collaborative Network (YSCN).
What is the Youth Sports Collaborative Network?
The Youth Sports Collaborative Network is the only national youth sports association that exclusively advocates for the needs and interests of organizations that provide or support sports-based youth development (SBYD) programs.
YSCN works to provide a nationwide space for organizations focused on SBYD to gain support and the resources required to make an impact in communities.
Rob’s Inspiration at YSCN
His personal connection to youth sports stems from his daughters’ involvement in youth and collegiate soccer. As a parent for Bethesda Soccer Club and a Division-III collegiate program, Rob witnessed the challenges of the youth sports model in America and the “pay-to-play” system.
Rob saw families and young girls work hard to reach the goal of Division I athletics and stop playing after injuries or simply run out of gas after the demands on top-level youth sports. No matter the reason, Rob became interested in looking at “the broader youth sports field” and obstacles to playing on both sides of the economic spectrum.
Attending the US Soccer Urban Soccer Symposium opened Rob’s eyes to the “other side of sports who could not even afford to play.”
"The work being done by nonprofits to provide sports for youth from underserved communities is as critical as ever right now. They need to work together to increase awareness and support." - Rob Smith
Youth sports inclusion was a discussion point on the Aspen Institute’s Project Play Summit final day between author Michael Lewis and Aspen Institute’s Tom Farrey. Identifying the issues in the youth sports model is the first step towards developing solutions that can increase access to youth sports.
YSCN Brand Development
For the first 2 years of YSCN's soft launch, Rob focused on research and networking to build his knowledge of and contacts with sports nonprofits for underserved youth.
In 2017 he conducted a 10 question national survey that 64 nonprofits from 13 states answered. In September, he conducted a more comprehensive 45 question national survey that 82 nonprofits from 19 states filled out.
The results painted a picture that I felt a familiarity with from my capstone research.
“A lot of good work is being done, but the awareness around the country is at-best, nominal.” - Rob Smith
Rob's early research and networking found these nonprofits were struggling to attract interest and had “limited ability to learn from each other.” To answer this, YSCN began publishing a free e-newsletter that now has over 250 subscribers. The newsletter helps connect and inform the subscriber community with the breadth of important work sports nonprofits are providing youth in underserved communities across the country.
His involvement and knowledge of the Baltimore/DC area are evident through his writings in local newspapers. Rob published an opinion article in the Baltimore Sun on sports gambling revenues as well as the Washington Post on the impact of sports accessibility for low-income children. Rob is very interested in the outcome of Question 2 in the upcoming Maryland election and the allocation of those potential funds.
Making an Impact
Rob’s work with nine DC SBYD programs and his Washington Post article led to interest from two DC City Councils where Rob provided testimony on the programs’ impact on the city. Through research on policies, he was able to pinpoint a sphere of influence that government entities could recognize. This recognition is necessary for driving legislative action.
During the onset of the pandemic, YSCN had a strong response by creating the COVID-19 Youth Sports Resource Center for nonprofits to utilize. The Resource Center contained information on:
What other programs are doing in the pandemic
Raising capital and using time efficiently
Accessing government grant opportunities
Areas for Growth
After a promising start in new membership during first 2 months of 2020, new member acquisition was put on hold due to the COVID quarantine. Like most businesses this year, staying in the minds of members and the public has been challenging.
In response to to the pandemic, YSCN provided all nonprofits with access to its increased services. The monthly e-newsletter released twice a month, and the COVID resource center was launched and quickly became the most visited section of YSCN's website. YSCN also conducted Zoom meetings among youth sports nonprofits to discuss their challenges and responses to the pandemic.
YSCN services during the pandemic provide solutions and funding opportunities to ensure these programs can continue reaching their youth communities that need it the most. Rob calls these nonprofits "critical assets to underserved communities around the country."
Next Steps
YSCN has focused on creating meaningful relationships to drive value by connecting nonprofits to learn from each other. Rob has also used survey research of these nonprofit sports programs to collect data on the societal benefits these programs are providing and to demonstrate these programs are indeed a nationwide community.
“Data provides us with meaningful stories” - Rob Smith
From the stories that the research data provides, YSCN will educate policy makers, foundations, the business community and the general public to provide more resources to these programs to help more youth in need.
Thank you for reading the story of Rob Smith and the Youth Sports Collaborative Network. More stories and features coming soon! Subscribe and follow on all platforms to stay up-to-date on our latest news and stories!
Baltimore United was formed to accelerate goals for organizations. Our first step is achieved by amplifying work like Rob’s and attracting collaboration!
Comment below and introduce yourself to Rob! Check out his site and LinkedIn here!