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Sports League Scores Points With Parents

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By LAURA FRAZIER, The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 23, 2008

BRANDON - When Alex Fyffe played youth football in a league run by volunteers, his mother, Teresa Fyffe-Farmer, tackled unsportsmanlike conduct on the field and in the boardroom.

When Don and Margaret Benedix's three sons were registered in a Valrico youth league, they spent most weeknights shuttling the boys to practice. And they spent nearly every Saturday from August through November attending games and fulfilling league requirements to participate in fundraisers and operate the concession stand.

Both families said they were relieved to find an alternative to the highly competitive, time-consuming, sometimes controversial arena of traditional youth football: a privately owned youth sports league driven to score points with parents.

FishHawk resident Frank Fiume launched i9 Sports in 2002, when he sold the first franchise with teams in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. The company creates and operates sports leagues, organizes games and tournaments and handles all aspects of marketing and management.

Today, the business boasts a roster of 103 franchise locations in 26 states and was recognized this month in Entrepreneur Magazine's Franchise 500 as the 15th top new franchise in America. In addition to flag football and cheerleading, the franchise offers lacrosse, soccer and wrestling leagues.

Fiume's premise was to provide parents and youngsters with a fun and hassle-free alternative to leagues run by volunteer organizations or recreation departments. The company's name, he said, reflects its corporate philosophy of nine principles to strive for every day: to be innovative, interactive, integrity-driven, impassioned, inspirational, instructional, insightful and inclusive.

Hillsborough/Pinellas franchise owner Richard Helm anticipates more than 1,000 kids from Brandon, Valrico, Riverview, Plant City, Tampa and St. Petersburg will sign up for the seven-week spring flag football season, which starts March 15.

But he could be wrong. He expected about 50 children to sign up for the league's inaugural season in 2003, but five times as many registered.

"It was insane," Helm said. "Once the word got out, our phone didn't stop ringing."

Fiume said the company's scorecard for success is simple.

"Unlike other types of leagues, the parents are our customers. There are no parent politics, no board of directors, none of this red tape and bureaucracy you see with a lot of these leagues. Our franchisees own the business, and if they don't provide good service, they're going to lose that customer."

Fiume said i9 is a niche not meant to replace competitive tackle football.

"If parents are looking for a highly competitive situation, with practice five days a week, hoping their child will become the next Peyton Manning, we're not the league for them," he said.

Margaret Benedix said i9's rule that every player gets in at least a half game is golden.

She said it's common for some of the players in other organizations to work their hearts out at every practice, only to sit on the sidelines during games.

"That, to me, really stinks because that kid has worked just as hard as every other kid, and his parents paid the same amount of money as everyone else," Benedix said.

The Brandon area i9 flag football league plays at St. Stephen Catholic School in Riverview. Teams practice one day a week, generally right before their scheduled Saturday game. Helm said the Brandon league, the largest in his franchise territory, is growing by leaps and bounds. He hopes to add playing sites this year to keep up with demand.

"Our league has pretty much doubled in size each year since we started," Helm said.

i9 SPORTS

WHAT: Youth sports league offering flag football and cheerleading. Lacrosse, soccer and wrestling also are offered in some locations.

WHERE: Flag football games are played starting at 9 a.m. Saturdays at St. Stephen Catholic School, 10424 St. Stephen Circle, Riverview

WHEN: Spring season runs April 12 through May 31; Registration deadline is March 15

COST: $125 per player per season, including uniforms and equipment

INFO: Go to www.i9sports.com or call (813) 982-8583

Reporter Laura Frazier can be reached at (813) 657-4523 or lfrazier@tampatrib.com.

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