i9 Sports^® Adds Industry Leader to Winning Team

National Youth Sports Franchise Names Chris Snyder as New VP of Operations

Today is a big day at i9 Sports^®! We are excited to announce the appointment of Chris Snyder, a respected industry veteran with deep ties to the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and the national effort to reshape the future of youth sports, to our Vice President of Operations position.

“Chris’ extensive experience in youth sports, coach development, and sports programming will exponentially increase our capability to lead the reinvention of youth sports across the nation,” said Brian Sanders, president and CEO of i9 Sports^®. “His positive, enthusiastic leadership style and proven ability to drive change in the industry make him an invaluable addition to our i9 Sports^® team.”

As the VP of Operations, Snyder will oversee the franchise system’s operational processes, sports programming, and coaching resources, helping franchisees achieve their financial goals by delivering an unparalleled experience to the kids and families they serve.

“I am beyond excited to be part of this amazing organization and look forward to working with current and future i9 Sports^® franchise owners to help them succeed,” Snyder said. “There is no other youth sports organization that even comes close to delivering the experience already provided by i9 Sports^®, and we’re going to take it to a whole new level! The brand is poised for massive growth and my goal is to continue building a brand that will one day serve every U.S. community, so all kids have access to a high-quality sports experience.”

Before joining i9 Sports^®, Snyder served as Director, Coaching Education for the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) where he led the Coaching Education Department working with all 50 National Governing Bodies of Sport and numerous Paralympic sports organizations. Under Snyder’s leadership, the department’s focus was to build the best coaches and sport programming in the world. The team emphasized coaching education, leadership, pipeline development, high-performance coaching methods and best in class programming. He has also been influential in driving quality coaching across the country
through efforts like implementing the USOPC Quality Coaching Framework, which was established to illustrate the key elements of quality coaching to better the athlete sport experience in the United States. 

Snyder’s roots in youth sports run deep as he led the American Development Model (ADM) program for the USOPC which instituted long-term athlete programming across the 50 National Governing Bodies of Sport. He was a founding member and leader in the Aspen Institute’s Project Play and spearheaded the USOPC’s joint effort with Nike to create the national How to Coach Kids program. This background makes Snyder the perfect fit for his new role at i9 Sports^®.

Welcome Chris!