TZP Group Completes Investment in True Lacrosse to Launch True Sports Group, a Leading Youth Sports Platform
NEW YORK, Oct. 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TZP Group (“TZP”) announced today that it has completed a strategic investment in True Lacrosse to launch True Sports Group (collectively, “True Sports” or the “Company”), a leading youth sports platform headquartered in Illinois.
Founded in 2008, True Sports is a national provider of youth travel teams, tournaments, camps, and clinics focusing on lacrosse and volleyball with plans to continue expansion into additional sports. The Company leverages its extensive footprint to deliver best-in-class training, coaching, and tournaments to players at all skill levels. The Company leverages a proven player development model to support over 9,000 athletes and 400 teams across 25 states nationwide.
True Sports marks TZP’s third platform investment into the youth sports sector over the last three years, following TZP’s investments into Soccer Post, the largest local-market-focused omni-channel soccer specialty retailer with over 60 store locations in the United States, and DanceOne, the largest holding company of dance brands in the world. TZP exited its investment in Soccer Post in February 2025 via a management-led recapitalization, following a period of significant business expansion driven by organic growth and complementary add-on acquisitions.
“We are thrilled to partner with Co-Founders Jake Deane and Mike Gabel and the balance of the True Sports organization to help realize the Company’s growth potential,” said Dan Gaspar, Partner at TZP. “We look forward to supporting the team as they continue to rapidly expand in youth sports by leveraging their proven player development model.”
“TZP has significant experience in youth sports and shares our vision for building a world-class youth sports business organically as well as through continued acquisitions,” said Co-Founder Jake Deane. Co-Founder Mike Gabel commented, “TZP’s experience building businesses will further enhance our mission of delivering exceptional instruction and development to the players, families, and communities we serve across the United States.”
The TZP deal team consisted of Rodney Eshelman, Griffin Niles, Teague Hagerty, and Dan Gaspar. Woodland Park Capital Advisors acted as financial advisor and Winston & Strawn LLP acted as legal advisor to TZP.
Greenwich Advisory acted as financial advisor and Ice Miller LLP acted as legal advisor to True Sports.
About True Sports
True Sports is one of the nation’s leading youth sports organizations, committed to developing athletes through elite coaching, competitive programming, and a focus on character and leadership. With a national presence and deep local roots, True Sports provides athletes with the tools they need to thrive at every level of the game. For more information, please visit https://truesportsgroup.com/.
About TZP Group
TZP Group, a multi-strategy investment firm managing approximately $2 billion across its family of funds, is focused on control, growth equity, debt and structured capital investments in technology, business services, and consumer companies. Founded in 2007, TZP targets companies with solid historical performance and sustainable value propositions and aims to be a "Partner of Choice" for business owners and management teams. TZP seeks to invest primarily in closely held, private companies in which the owners desire to retain a significant stake and partner with an investor with complementary operating and financial skills to accelerate company growth, increase profitability, and maximize the value of their retained stake. TZP leverages its investment professionals' operating and investment experience to provide strategic and operational guidance and is dedicated to long-term value creation. For more information, please visit www.tzpgroup.com.
Media Contact: Dan Gaspar, Partner, TZP Group, dgaspar@tzpgroup.com.
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