NIL may start in college, but the pressure now begins much earlier.
In this episode of The NIL Podcast by SportsEpreneur, Eric Kasimov talks with Dave Yoo, founder of Onsides, about how youth sports has become a massive ecosystem shaped by travel teams, private training, recruiting, branding, and rising expectations.
Dave breaks down the pressure families now carry — not just financially, but mentally and logistically. The conversation looks at how NIL is pushing pressure downstream, why parents are overwhelmed, and how youth sports can become better by reducing chaos instead of adding more to it.
Episode Overview
Most NIL conversations focus on college athletes. This one looks at what happens before they get there.
Dave Yoo’s perspective is grounded in what families are living every day. Youth sports is no longer just practices, games, and car rides. It is schedules, platforms, payments, private coaching, recruiting, social media, and constant decisions about what a young athlete should do next.
This conversation looks at the system around youth sports — and why the future may depend on making it simpler, healthier, and more focused on the kids actually playing.
Key Takeaways
- NIL pressure is moving downstream into younger athletes
- Youth sports has quietly become a $50B+ ecosystem
- Parents are carrying a massive emotional and logistical load
- The gap between recreational sports and elite club sports keeps growing
- AI can reduce stress when it solves real-world problems
- Travel, recruiting, and training culture are reshaping family life
- Athlete branding now starts earlier than ever
- Youth sports still works best when kids simply get to play
Topics Covered
- NIL and youth athlete pressure
- The business of youth sports
- Travel sports and family logistics
- Parent stress and cognitive load
- Private coaching and training culture
- AI tools for youth sports families
- Recruiting, branding, and younger athletes
- Recreational sports vs. club sports
- Sideline behavior and overuse injuries
- The future of youth sports
Notable Quote
“NIL may begin in college, but the pressure pipeline starts long before that.”
Episode Chapters
00:00 – Introduction
01:30 – The size and growth of the youth sports market
04:00 – Why Dave Yoo started building Onsides
06:00 – The chaos parents manage across sports platforms
08:00 – Cognitive load and the hidden pressure on families
11:00 – Private coaching, training, and monetization
13:00 – How Onsides uses AI carefully
16:00 – AI disruption and startup building
19:00 – Advice for students and young founders
22:00 – Youth sports commercialization and rising expectations
27:00 – Recreational sports vs. high-pressure club culture
31:00 – Parent behavior, overuse injuries, and sideline culture
35:00 – NIL, recruiting, and pressure on younger athletes
41:00 – Media, AI, and signal amplification
46:00 – Phones, social media, and youth athletes
50:00 – The future of youth sports
Connect & Follow
- Follow The NIL Podcast by SportsEpreneur for more conversations on athlete business, NIL strategy, and the evolving college sports landscape.
- Dave Yoo: Onsides Website | LinkedIn
- Eric Kasimov: LinkedIn | X
- SportsEpreneur: LinkedIn | X
Related Content
- NIL Hub
- NIL Pros and Cons for Athletes, Families, and Schools
- Transfer Portal Pros and Cons
- The Protect College Sports Act Explained: NIL, Transfers, Antitrust, and the Future of College Sports
SportsEpreneur is a sports business media platform covering NIL, media, and the changing college sports landscape.
Eric Kasimov is the founder of SportsEpreneur, part of the KazSource media network. Since launching the platform in 2015, he has hosted over 500 podcast episodes, written and published more than 1,500 articles, and advised business leaders, founders, and creators on building authority through media strategy.
Through his brands — KazSource, KazCM, SportsEpreneur, and QuietLoud Studios — Eric leads teams that produce podcasts, develop brand platforms, and help companies grow through modern content ecosystems. He also scaled KazSource Insurance into a seven-figure boutique agency, providing the foundation for the broader media network he operates today.
His work has been featured in Forbes, Axios, and Front Office Sports, and his podcasts have included conversations with top founders, investors, and athletes turned entrepreneurs.