Welcome to our year-in-review recap! It’s been a big year for the RCX Sports community and we’re looking back at some of the most impactful moments from 2023. It always amazes us to see how many milestones each of our properties can reach—whether it’s starting a new league from scratch or creating the ultimate tournament experience.
More youth athletes playing than ever before
In 2023, we saw 700,000 kids play like a pro. That’s a 19% growth in registrations year over year. Of course, we couldn’t have done it without our amazing partners, league operators, and families. So here’s a quick summary of what happened with each property:
MLS GO: The recreational youth soccer league by Major League Soccer officially launched this past fall. With a mission of enabling more kids to play, MLS GO awarded scholarships that covered registration costs for families. And with some memorable moments—like giving away tickets to MLS matches and watching some of their athletes play soccer on the White House lawn — the first season was definitely a success.
NFL FLAG: We weren’t surprised to see flag football grow in popularity this year and we celebrated some pretty big moments, such as becoming a sanctioned girl’s high school varsity sport in 8 states and being added to the 2028 Olympics. NFL FLAG saw a 12% growth in registrations and welcomed 450+ new league operators.
NHL STREET: Over a thousand kids picked up a hockey stick and ball for our first season of league play – all thanks to the 59 league operators that are located throughout the US and Canada. NHL STREET expanded from coast to coast, in traditional and non-traditional hockey communities like Boston, MA, Dothan, AL, Edmonton, AB and Seattle, WA. Partnerships with Y-USA, and Y-Canada added a network of possibilities, which will become fully active in 2024.
Jr. NBA Leagues: Jr. NBA Leagues tipped off in 13 markets last year, with over 26,000 participants. We also welcomed 128 new league operators!
MLB Pitch, Hit & Run: With more than 1,000 events taking place nationwide, over 37,000 baseball and softball players competed in Pitch, Hit & Run. Even more, we saw an 88% growth in new hosts. Team championships were held in 24 MLB stadiums across the country, and the softball and baseball final winners were awarded during the MLB World Series.
Events recap
We’re committed to hosting engaging and meaningful events for both our league operators and families. That’s why we’re so proud to say that we successfully held 161 events, from tournaments to showcases to skill camps. Here’s a quick look at some of our favorites:
- 22 NFL FLAG Regional Tournaments and 1 Championship
- 24 Pitch, Hit & Run Team Championships and 1 MLB Pitch, Hit & Run Finals
- 9 Women’s Flag Football College Showcases
New partners and operators
We know at the heart of our programming are league operators and partners who share our vision of making youth sports inclusive and accessible for every youth athlete. We were privileged to work closely with 20 partners last year and welcome 498 new league operators to our team. We continued to be the leader in youth sports experiences, and we know we can’t do it without the support of them. Thank you!
Connecting with our crew on social
We can’t overlook social media in our recap! We were thrilled to connect with our families, fans, coaches, and more, with over 230,000 followers across our platforms.
We can’t wait to see what 2024 has in store!
