The Seattle Market
Youth Sports in Seattle, by the Numbers
Population
781K
City of Seattle.
Estimated Youth Sports Participants
67.9K
Ages 6–17 playing organized sports.
Zubie Five estimate — Census population × ages 6–17 share × Project Play participation rate
Community Reach
204K
Estimated combined reach across participating families, siblings, and spectators.
Zubie Five estimate — participants × 3.0 household factor
Population here is the Census Bureau's Vintage 2024 estimate for the city itself, a different product from the American Community Survey figures on our Arizona and Nevada pages, so the numbers are not strictly comparable. The estimates use the same published chain as every market page: population × 15% × 58% = participants; participants × 3.0 = reach (see Sources).
Washington had 181,077 high school athletic participants in 2024-25, ranking 16 among the 51 NFHS member associations. That count reflects participation, so a student who plays two sports counts twice. Source: NFHS, 2024-25 High School Athletics Participation Survey
What We Found
Youth Sports and Sponsorship in Seattle
Each item below comes from a public source, linked on the card. We add to this list only when we can cite it.
Parks & leagues
Seattle Parks and Recreation has more than 200 athletic fields for rent: 124 diamond ballfields and 87 rectangle fields, 42 of them synthetic turf for year-round play and 65 with lights.
School sports
Seattle Public Schools introduced an optional high school athletic fee in 2024-25 of $200 per student per sport, capped at $400 a year. Families can decline it and students can still play. Middle school athletes are not charged.
Research
Project Play's 2019 State of Play Seattle-King County report, with the University of Washington and King County Parks, found that only 29 percent of sixth-grade youth in King County get the recommended level of physical activity, falling to 18 percent by 12th grade, and that many travel teams rent shared fields and community centers, which leaves lower-income youth behind.
Sponsorship & investment
The Seattle Sports Commission donated $500,000 over four years to the King County Play Equity Coalition, and in 2022 45 nonprofits shared $4 million through the Youth Sports & Outdoor Recreation Relief Fund.
Working in Seattle
Available Nationwide, Built Around Your Program
Zubie Five has an established track record across Arizona, California, and Nevada, and works with organizations anywhere in the country. Finding sponsors is research, packaging, outreach, and negotiation, so your location doesn't limit access to it. Here's how it works for a Seattle-area program.
Step 1
We learn your program
Your teams, your audience, your schedule, and the sponsorship assets you already have, so the package reflects what you can really deliver.
Step 2
We find sponsors for you
We research Seattle-area and regional businesses that want to reach your families, then pitch and negotiate on your behalf.
Step 3
You run the season
Sponsors pay your organization directly. We stay the point of contact, so your volunteers can get back to the kids.
Get Started
Whether You Run a Program or a Business
🏟️
I Run a Youth League, School Program, or Nonprofit
Find corporate sponsors for your Seattle-area organization — jerseys, field signage, tournaments, and more — and put the support back into your kids' season.
See Options for Organizations →
Common Questions
Seattle FAQs
Do you work with organizations in the Seattle area? +
Yes. We work with youth leagues, school athletic departments, nonprofits, and parks & recreation departments in the Seattle area. Zubie Five is based in Tempe, Arizona, with an established track record across Arizona, California, and Nevada and availability nationwide.
Who already invests in youth and school sports around Seattle? +
Public sources show these examples of sponsor, team, and foundation involvement in the Seattle area: The Seattle Sports Commission donated $500,000 over four years to the King County Play Equity Coalition, and in 2022 45 nonprofits shared $4 million through the Youth Sports & Outdoor Recreation Relief Fund (
Aspen Institute Project Play, State of Play Seattle-King County). A program that pairs a clear package with the right local business can be the next one.
How does it work if Zubie Five isn't based in Seattle? +
The work of finding sponsors, which is research, packaging, outreach, negotiation, and follow-up, doesn't require being on site, so we handle it remotely. Fulfillment, like hanging a banner or announcing a sponsor, stays with your organization.
Do the rules for sponsorship differ in WA? +
They can. School districts, state associations, and local governments each set their own rules, and they vary by state. Our
checklist for every other state lists the questions to ask and the primary sources to check. It is not legal advice.
How much does it cost my organization? +
For youth leagues, high school athletics, and nonprofits, getting started costs nothing, and we're only paid when sponsor money reaches your organization: a flat 20% commission with no seasonal minimum. Pricing for other programs, including bundled city and parks & rec programs, is discussed directly. Everything is in writing before we make a single call, and the full details are open for anyone to read on
How We're Paid.
Ready to Bring Sponsors to Your Seattle Program?
Your sponsors, found and handled, so your volunteers can get back to the kids.