i9 Sports Founder Frank Fiume: His Next Chapter, Post Exit!

Franchise Today

Frank Fiume is a pioneer in the youth sports industry and the founder of i9 Sports—the nation’s first and leading franchisor of youth leagues and camps. Since 2003, i9 has generated over 300 million dollars—with more than two million participants in 900 communities across 30 states nationwide. A baseball fanatic and native of Queens, New York, Frank graduated from St. John’s University and began a career as a medical equipment sales rep, though he was determined to pursue his life’s true purpose. So in l995, he created his own adult men’s softball league, ABA Sports. The start-up company quickly grew to over 900 teams in just six years, making it the largest adult sports organization on Long Island. In 2003, Frank sold ABA in order to create i9 Sports, a business that catapulted him to national recognition and that Entrepreneur magazine ranked as the #1 children’s fitness franchising. Frank has been featured on Fox Business News, HBO Real Sports, and in dozens of publications and national news media outlets, including USA Today, Sports Illustrated, and The Wall Street Journal. In 2017 Frank sold i9 Sports to a private equity firm, but like any founder still feels a great affinity for the brand and is passionate about helping other emerging franchisors find their way as they take their similar journeys.