For generations, young athletes have been told that sports are the ticket to a better life. But what happens when the game ends?
That’s the question Ian Waite, founder and CEO of Bigger Than Sports (BTS), has dedicated himself to answering.
His organization is helping student-athletes in underserved communities discover that their identity is far greater than the jersey they wear. Through mentorship, career exploration, leadership development, financial aid guidance, and life skills, Bigger Than Sports prepares young people for success long after the scoreboard goes dark.
The impact has already been remarkable.
In 2025 alone, the organization served more than 75 student-athletes across three schools, conducted 57 educational sessions, employed 10 college student mentors, and expanded from Florida into Pittsburgh, reaching an entirely new community. The growth tells an even bigger story.
Just one year earlier, Bigger Than Sports served 17 students at two schools.Now it has impacted more than four times as many students, raised over $125,000, and has plans to reach more than 100 student-athletes across seven teams in 2026.
Perhaps even more impressive are the outcomes.
Every senior in the program is expected to receive scholarship opportunities, every participant leaves with a post-high school plan, and nearly every student actively pursues financial aid opportunities. Those numbers helped earn Waite national recognition as a recipient of the Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award, presented during The ESPYS, one of sports’ highest honors for community leadership.
Despite the recognition, Waite remains focused on the mission. Reflecting on the organization’s rapid growth, he said: “As we enter 2026, it’s incredible to reflect on how far we’ve come. We grew from serving 17 students to empowering over 75 across Palm Beach County and even launched in a new state, Pittsburgh. We entered Atlantic, Obama and Boynton Beach Community High Schools, hosted eight unforgettable events uniting more than 1,000 people, and were nationally recognized at the ESPYs with the Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award. This movement started with a vision, and thanks to your belief in it, we’re turning this vision into lasting change. 2025 exceeded all expectations, and 2026 is shaping up to be even bigger.”
For Waite, Bigger Than Sports has never been about replacing athletics. It’s about using sports as the doorway to something even greater. Because championships eventually end.
Character, leadership, education, and purpose last a lifetime.
Q: What inspired you to create Bigger Than Sports?
Frustration. It made me angry watching so many of my friends not chase after something bigger than themselves and then getting completely lost when high school ended.
Q: At what moment did you realize this needed to become more than just an idea?
When I came home after my first year of college, I was moving forward with my life while my friends were still in the same place, whether it was working jobs they hated, getting into drugs, or surrounding themselves with the wrong crowds. It was that moment I knew I couldn’t just think about it anymore. I had to do something about it.
Q: What does the name “Bigger Than Sports” truly mean to you?
Sports connected my family, gave me purpose, kept me out of trouble (for the most part), and ultimately the lessons I learned from it are the reason I am the man I am today. To me, the name means it’s not really about what you do on the field, it’s about who the game has created you to become.
Q: Many young athletes believe sports are their only path to success. How do you help change that mindset?
Every athlete goes through a self-discovery program through our partners at Find Your Mission for Athletes, which asks hard questions like “If sports were taken away from you today, what would you do with your life?” They have to find the answer themselves, and while it’s uncomfortable, athletes thank us for it when the game eventually ends.
Q: The organization grew from 17 students in 2024 to more than 75 in 2025. What fueled that growth?
Seeing the impact on those first 17 students proved that what we are doing works. What makes Bigger Than Sports special is that all of our mentors are young professionals. That youth to youth connection leads to breakthroughs the traditional system often misses, and the school systems, the communities, and our team see it happen in real time. We’re building something people want and need more of, and we’re committed to making sure they get it.
Q: Expanding into Pittsburgh is a major milestone. Why was Pittsburgh an important city for Bigger Than Sports?
Pittsburgh is everything to me and my family. It’s where I grew up and it shaped me into the man I am. Our Director of Operations, who is also my sister, Emma, and our Program Manager, Sophie Levitt, also grew up in Pittsburgh. We see so much potential in this city, and we, as the next generation, know that we need to play a big part in the reason it reaches the level that we all know it can.
Q: What has been the biggest challenge in building a nonprofit at such a young age?
Funding. We don’t have years of finances to pull from and we are young, so people will subconsciously doubt whether we can steward it well.
Q: Winning the Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award at the ESPYs is an incredible honor. What did that moment mean to you personally?
Being a 20-year-old and having sports superstars like Simone Biles and Lamar Jackson in the front row clapping for you is surreal. I was the kid watching them on TV and now I’m the one on TV. More than anything, it led me to finding God, because in that moment I realized the glory doesn’t belong to me.
Q: Your program focuses on life after high school athletics. What are some of the biggest lessons students learn that have nothing to do with sports?
That the adults and coaches you think are trying to make your life “miserable” truly want what’s best for you and your future.
Q: How important has mentorship been to the success of the program?
Everything. Mentorship has opened doors that money cannot, saved me years of mistakes, and led to mindset changes that have made me a better person.
Q: Your organization has already helped students secure scholarships and navigate financial aid. Why is that piece of the mission so important?
It’s rarely a lack of ability that stops a kid, it’s a lack of access, and we refuse to let that be the reason. Talented, driven young people deserve to have the information they need to move forward.
Q: What’s one success story that perfectly represents what Bigger Than Sports is all about?
Coach Regina Horne, one of the coaches we work with, had a niece she had been trying to get to apply to college for years. After weeks of our team working with her, Coach told us that before practice, she ran to her jumping up and down, excited to show her the college acceptance letter she had just received. When Coach asked her how she did it, her answer was simply, “Bigger Than Sports helped me.”
Q: If you could change one thing about youth sports in America today, what would it be?
That every kid has access to it and that it doesn’t cost families so much money.
Q: What role do parents, coaches, and schools play in helping student-athletes prepare for life beyond sports?
Everything. You’re not just training an athlete, you’re training a human being. It’s not about how many points they can put up. It’s about whether they say yes ma’am, open the door for their elders, know how to carry themselves, and are a stand-up person when no one is watching.
Q: What goals have you set for Bigger Than Sports in 2026 and beyond?
I see us becoming the next Boys and Girls Club, embedded in every Title I high school in America. But let’s start in Pittsburgh and make sure we’re in every Pittsburgh public school first.
Q: When people hear the name Ian Waite 20 years from now, what do you hope your legacy will be?
That he was a faithful man of God who truly cared about and loved others not just with his words but with his actions, and that he led people to want to learn more about the Lord Jesus Christ.
Q: Finally, if you could give every student-athlete one piece of advice before they graduate high school, what would it be?
Go out and do something. Don’t just do what your parents did or what your friends are doing. Do something you’re excited about and that you truly want for yourself, and when you go down that path, continue praying through all of it and find a local church. We are building something special for the city of Pittsburgh, and if you are interested in learning more or supporting us in any way, whether that’s a message of encouragement, a prayer, or a donation, you can do so at www.biggerthansportsco.org. We are also hosting a Back to School 5K Run in partnership with Pittsburgh Public Schools at Obama International Academy on August 29th and we would love to see you there.