The program is your product.
The organization is what makes it last.
RSA embeds with leadership to build the structure, systems, and operating rhythm your business needs at its next stage , without losing what made it worth building.
The Operating Partner for Youth Sports
Ryder Sports Advisory works with youth sports founders and operators at every stage — as a diagnostic partner, an embedded operator, or a strategic advisor — and brings the right specialists when the roadmap calls for them
ABOUT RSA
I've spent 15+ years inside youth sports — coaching, running club operations at 3d, then as Vice President at 3STEP Sports, where I oversaw operational performance across a portfolio of 20+ brands and roughly $60M in annual revenue. I've seen this industry from the field level and the platform level, and the same pattern shows up at both.
Many organizations eventually reach an inflection point.
Demand is increasing. Teams are growing. New opportunities emerge.
Yet behind the scenes, communication becomes more difficult. Decision-making slows down. Accountability becomes inconsistent. Founders find themselves involved in too many day-to-day decisions, and the systems that once worked begin showing signs of strain.
The challenge is rarely a lack of effort.
More often, it is a lack of clarity, structure, and alignment.
That is where RSA comes in.
When a roadmap surfaces a need outside the operating lane — technology, sponsorship, marketing, or finance — RSA clients don't have to find the right people on their own. That network is already built, already vetted, and already oriented to how youth sports organizations actually work. One point of contact. One accountable partner. The full operating infrastructure, without the overhead of building a team.
HOW IT WORKS
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Operations Diagnostic
The starting point for nearly every engagement. A few weeks embedded inside your club or event business — reviewing the financials, the programs, the people, and the systems — ending with a written assessment of where the organization actually stands and a sequenced roadmap for what comes next.
Deliverables:
✓ Financial visibility and program-level economics — what's actually making money
✓ Organizational and leadership assessment, including founder bottlenecks
✓ Operating systems and pressure point review
✓ Structure, ownership, and accountability recommendations
✓ Risk and compliance gaps
✓ 30/60/90-day roadmap with owners assignedFlat fee. Defined timeline. Ends with a decision, not a binder.
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Embedded Operator
For youth sports operators navigating rapid growth, founder dependency, or major transitions, that need an embedded operator without a full-time hire, RSA steps in to drive the roadmap alongside leadership.
This goes beyond strategy conversations. The focus is operational rhythm, leadership accountability, and the systems needed to run the organization effectively — built with your team, not handed to them.
Typically includes:
✓ Weekly leadership cadence, scorecards, and accountability systems
✓ Structure, staffing model, and role clarity
✓ Operational system implementation
✓ Growth and expansion planning
✓ Specialist coordination — managing the network lanes a roadmap opens up -
Advisory Cadence
For founders and leadership teams who want an experienced operator in their corner without an embedded engagement. Space to think strategically, pressure-test decisions, and keep momentum as the organization evolves.
Typically includes:
✓ Weekly leadership strategy session
✓ Structure and role clarity guidance
✓ Founder coaching and strategic decision support
Meet Mike Ryder
I started in youth sports the way most people in it do — coaching. College programs first, then high school, then into full-time club operations. That path matters, because everything RSA does is grounded in what clubs and events actually feel like from the inside, not from a slide deck.
At 3d Lacrosse, I founded and built 3d Florida from the ground up, after serving as Director in Colorado and National Director of Camps and Showcases — launching programs, building coaching systems, and owning the operational infrastructure to run them across markets. When 3d was acquired into 3STEP Sports, I moved to the platform side, ultimately as Vice President of Portfolio Operations across 20+ brands and roughly $60M in annual revenue.
Field level and platform level. I've run the club, and I've been the one reviewing its P&L — which is exactly the combination this work requires.
That experience became Ryder Sports Advisory. Today I partner with founders and leadership teams at clubs and event businesses to build organizations that perform at the next level without losing the culture and community that made them worth building.
I also serve as Head Boys Lacrosse Coach at Berkeley Preparatory School in Tampa, FL— because staying close to the athlete, parent, and coach experience is the point of all of it.
Coaching Experience:
University of Colorado- Boulder · University of Tampa · IMG Academy
Kent Denver School · Berkeley Preparatory School
The Network
Some problems sit outside the operating lane. RSA clients don't have to find specialists on their own — or manage them once they're in.
I maintain a vetted network across the functions youth sports organizations need most. When your roadmap calls for one, I bring them in, brief them on your situation, and own the engagement alongside them.
Club & Event Finance
Accounting, tax, nonprofit compliance, and CFO-level financial visibility.
Technology
Registration, scheduling, payments, and the platform stack that runs your operation.
Legal & Insurance
Contracts, coach classification, liability, and the coverage gaps most organizations don't know they have.
Facilities & Venues
Development, financing, and the field-space question every growing club faces.
Sponsorship & Revenue
Partnerships and commercial strategy, especially for event operators.
M&A & Transitions
When a platform comes calling, or a founder starts thinking about what's next.
You stay focused on running the organization. I own finding the right people.
Let’s Connect
If you’re building, scaling, or navigating growth in youth sports, I’d welcome the conversation.