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Two Baton Rouge Magnet High brothers are turning their love of sports into a business venture, launching Louisiana’s first territory of i9 Sports territory, a national youth sports franchise operating in more than 30 states.
Sebastian Roberts, a high school senior, and his younger brother, Lane, a freshman, have teamed up with their parents to introduce the recreational league model to the Capital Region.
The franchise emphasizes one-day-a-week commitments, with practices held immediately before games to accommodate busy families.
“We wanted to create an environment where kids can develop athletic skills and learn sportsmanship values without it consuming their family’s entire week,” Sebastian said in a statement. “It’s about making sports accessible and enjoyable for everyone involved.”
The Roberts family signed a five-year franchise agreement and paid a $15,000 initial franchise fee, according to Sebastian and Lane’s mother, Andrea Roberts. The territory includes south Baton Rouge, St. George, Prairieville, Gonzales, Denham Springs and Walker.
“With the job market shifting so quickly due to AI, we wanted our kids to have a foundation in entrepreneurship, a skill that will always be in demand,” she says. “AI is never going to take over sports. Both the boys are very passionate about sports. They played sports their whole lives. We all agreed that there’s a need in our area for more high-quality youth sports programs that are recreational.”
Sebastian was mostly a baseball player, while Lane played baseball and soccer.
The inaugural spring season begins April 11 at BREC’s Claycut Bayou Park in St. George, featuring flag football, soccer and T-ball/baseball for ages 3 to 14. Summer basketball and volleyball clinics, along with a multisport discovery league, will be held at Woodlawn Middle School. The spring registration deadline is March 13.
Roberts, the former COO at BREC, says she knew i9 was the right choice immediately.
“Being with BREC, I know what a quality program looks like, and I could see that this was a quality program off the bat,” she says. “We have some amazing parks and schools all around our area.”
The brothers plan to expand into additional areas, including Prairieville and Denham Springs, within five years, with the long-term vision of hosting inter-area playoffs across the region.
