Signature Locker

Some people play the game. Others build it from scratch. From Maryland’s lacrosse heartland to launching a semi-pro box team in Utah, Austin Braerman, PMP has dedicated his life to growing the sport—especially in places where it’s just beginning to take root. He’s coached first-time players. Started high school teams from nothing. And built new opportunities for girls to play box lacrosse in a state where that didn’t exist. This is what growing the game actually looks like. Read Austin’s full story here ?? https://lnkd.in/en8M244p Never miss a feature - Subscribe to our Grow the Game newsletter: https://lnkd.in/eAj5bSR7

Stop relying on the same 3 parents for everything. Every program has the same problem: A few parents do all the work. The rest stay on the sidelines. The result? ?Burnout. ?Resentment. ?Volunteers quitting after one season. Here’s how to fix it: 1. Break tasks into smaller jobs. Instead of “handle fundraising,” assign one parent to sponsorships, another to concessions, another to team gear. 2. Pair newer parents with experienced ones. This keeps knowledge flowing and prevents the same people from taking on everything. 3. Play to their strengths. The parent who loves to cook? Have them run pre-game meals. The ultra-organized one? Put them in charge of travel. The social butterfly? Let them handle community outreach. 4. Give them ownership. When parents feel like they own their role, they take pride in it. That means less micromanaging for you. 5. Show appreciation. A simple thank-you. A shoutout at the end of the season. A team dinner. It all keeps volunteers engaged. If you want a sustainable program, volunteer burnout can’t be part of the equation. Build a structure where everyone pitches in. Your program—and your sanity—will thank you. How does your program handle volunteers? Drop your best tips below. ___________ We’ve worked with the top youth sports programs in the country and distilled their best strategies into a free mini-course: The Program Director’s Playbook. ?? Get instant access here. https://lnkd.in/eussMSXA

The best businesses don’t start with an idea. They start with a problem. Growing up, my dad charged us rent to live in his house & eat his food. Not a ton, but enough to make us think. We could pay it off by doing yard work for $6 an hour. And if we wanted to make more? That was on us. So I got creative. I started picking mangoes off my neighbor’s trees… …and selling them back to them. Simple, profitable, and—most importantly—a lesson in value. Then my dad handed me a book. It broke down manual labor vs. specialized labor. And it changed everything. I realized I didn’t have to trade time for money. I just had to solve a real problem. So I started coaching private lacrosse lessons. Then in college, I started building: ?A better lacrosse ball. ?Quick-connect goals. ?Solutions for problems I faced as a D1 athlete. That’s when it clicked—real businesses solve real pain points. And that's exactly what we do at Signature: Signature Lacrosse — The #1 lacrosse ball in the game. Now expanded into sticks, goals, and problem-solving equipment used nationwide. Signature Sports Camps — Multi-sport, overnight adventure sports camps for lacrosse, soccer, and field hockey across FL, TN, NY, and New England. Signature Foundation — Domestic and international Grow the Game initiatives. Signature Locker — On-demand, custom team gear made simple. Delivered in under 14 days with a 99.7% order success rate. Signature Growth Services — Financial and strategic growth support to help our operating companies scale efficiently. Signature Sports Brands — A portfolio of club programs powered through shared resources. Signature Media (Coming Soon) — The storytelling engine for youth sports. Think Barstool Sports, but built for the next generation of athletes. Everything we build starts with a simple question: What problem are we solving—and who are we solving it for? If you can answer that in a community you care about, you’ll push past every obstacle that comes your way. Because the problems will come. But if you’re solving something that truly matters? You won’t quit. ___________ Want to follow the journey and help shape the future of youth sports? ???? Subscribe to Grow the Game—our weekly newsletter where we share what we’re learning from the people actually doing the work in youth sports. https://lnkd.in/eNKWN-HJ

? $324,102 in Impact. 800 Players Served. Proud to welcome New Haven Youth Soccer to the Signature Locker roster! New Haven Youth Soccer isn’t just about the game—it’s about building a community through sport. What makes them stand out? ? They’re making soccer accessible. Financial aid ensures that every kid who wants to play gets the chance. ? They’re fostering diversity. A multicultural organization where kids from all backgrounds connect on the field. ? They’re growing the game. From recreational leagues to competitive travel teams, they’re developing players at every level. This is why we do what we do—helping programs remove barriers so they can focus on creating opportunities and shaping the future of youth sports. Excited to support New Haven Youth Soccer as they continue to expand the game in their community! Huge shoutout to Chad H., for working with New Haven to make this partnership happen! ??

We started with a better lacrosse ball nearly 10 years ago today. Now, we’ve built an entire sports ecosystem. Every Signature brand solves a problem in youth sports, scaling access to the opportunities we were fortunate to have. Here’s where Signature Athletics, Inc [Holding Co.], Inc. has grown today: [2016] Signature Lacrosse – The #1 lacrosse ball in the game. Now expanded into sticks, goals, and problem-solving equipment used nationwide. [2018] Signature Sports Camps – Multi-sport, overnight adventure sports camps for lacrosse, soccer, and field hockey. Operating in Florida, Tennessee, New York, and New England. [2019] Signature Foundation - Domestic and international grow the game work! [2020] Signature Locker – Custom team gear made simple. Athletes and parents can order fully personalized uniforms—delivered in under 14 days with a 99.7% order success rate. [2025] Signature Growth Services?– Shared resources?platform for financial management and strategic growth services?to help our operating companies scale efficiently. [2025] Signature Sports Brands?– A?portfolio of club programs through a shared resource agreement. [2026] Signature Media (Coming Soon)?– The?storytelling engine?for youth sports.?Content, coverage, and media solutions, "the Barstool of youth sports". What started as a single product is now a portfolio of businesses—each designed to remove barriers, elevate the athlete experience, and scale access to youth sports. Now we have impacted over 1 Million Athletes!!! And we’re just getting started. ???? Follow along to see where we take this next.

The world is evolving. Youth sports needs to evolve with it—or it will die. But right now, it’s stuck in the past. Costs are rising. Volunteer coaches are disappearing. Private equity is turning programs into businesses. And program directors? They’re drowning in logistics instead of coaching. Here’s what their days look like: ? Chasing parents for uniform money ? Managing orders, sizes, and last-minute changes ? Dealing with late payments and missing jerseys ? Handing out uniforms before every game It’s inefficient. It’s frustrating. It’s a waste of time. ???? So we built a better system. Now, parents order uniforms directly to their homes. No middleman. No stress. Fully custom. ?For program directors: Less admin, more coaching. ?For parents: One-click ordering, no more headaches. ?For kids: A uniform they actually love wearing. It’s a simple fix with a massive impact. And it’s making youth sports sustainable again. Ready to leave uniform headaches behind? ???? Join 1,000+ programs already making the switch. Connect with Hope Steuerwald, MBA, Chad H., and Brian Bohn to see how Signature Locker can help your program!

Program Directors have two jobs. 1. Coach your coaches to deliver an incredible experience. 2. Get more players involved in the sport. Simple in theory. Harder in practice. Coaching coaches starts with clear standards. If you want your coaches to set the right tone, You need a code of conduct. Lay it out crystal clear. Reinforce it every single day. Because if you don’t? Your coaches will set their own standards—good or bad. I learned this firsthand. One day at practice, we realized we left the balls outside the fence. Without thinking, I ran over and hopped the fence to grab them. No big deal, right? Except—we had a rule. No hopping fences. By the end of the day? 99% of the kids and coaches followed what I did. Not because I told them to. Because I showed them. That’s how culture works. If your coaches aren’t delivering the experience you expect, ask yourself—have you made it clear what great looks like? Because they won’t just follow what you say. They’ll follow what you do. Sportsmanship starts at the top. It flows from the program director →? To the coach → to the parent →? And finally, to the player. If you want your players to respect the game, It starts with you. ________ ?? P.S. Want more tips on how to build a thriving and sustainable youth sports program? Take our FREE mini-course: https://lnkd.in/eussMSXA

Not every kid will be a star player.? But every kid should have a role. There’s always that one player. They show up. They work hard. But they’ll probably never start. Most programs let them fade into the background. We did the opposite. We gave them a job. One kid led the pre-game prayer.? Another was in charge of game-day equipment.? Someone else tracked the team’s warm-up playlist. Small? Maybe. But to them, it mattered. Because when a player feels needed, they show up differently. ?They take pride in their role. ?They feel like they belong. ?They stay engaged instead of checking out. That’s what youth sports should be about. Not just developing talent. Developing people. Every kid—starter or not—should feel like they have a place. ________ P.S. ?? Want to build a thriving youth sports program? Take our mini-course: https://lnkd.in/eussMSXA

Lacrosse has given us so much. Now it’s time to give back. On May 29TH, we’re heading to Uganda with Signature Foundation x Kids Lacrosse Africa—and we’re looking for the right people to join us. This isn’t just about coaching lacrosse. It’s about empowering over 200 local kids through the game. It’s about immersing yourself in a culture unlike any other. It’s about leaving an impact that lasts far beyond your time there. We’ll spend 10 life-changing days coaching, engaging with the community, and experiencing some of the most breathtaking places on earth—including a safari through Queen Elizabeth National Park and a gorilla trekking adventure in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. But here’s the deal—this trip isn’t for everyone. We have a highly selective interview process to ensure that every person who joins this mission is all in. If you’re serious about using lacrosse to change lives, apply here: https://lnkd.in/ePeJv9ER ??Deadline to apply: March 31st Spots are *extremely* limited. cc Maddie Lewis Soviero, Andrew Mamawi, Thibault Manekin, Yosef Ngowe, Hope Steuerwald, MBA

Running a program is hard enough. Your uniforms shouldn’t make it harder. Every program director has been there: Late orders, missing sizes, and parents blowing up your phone. It’s frustrating.? It’s exhausting.? And it’s completely avoidable. That’s why we built Signature Locker. ? No bulk orders. Parents order directly, so you’re not stuck chasing down payments or storing extra gear. ? On-time delivery. Every order ships straight to the player’s door—no more sorting piles of uniforms in the back of your car. ? Zero risk. No upfront costs, no inventory to manage, and no guesswork. Just a streamlined, stress-free process. Your focus should be on coaching—not running a retail business. Let Signature Locker handle the logistics so you can get back to what actually matters: building a great program. Interested? Let’s talk. Shoot me a DM!