i9 Sports seeing growth across area
Little did he and his wife know the organization and venue he found would turn into a business venture for them, too.
The process began with the Bajemas looking into youth sports across the area — and finding few answers.
“We wanted somewhere that was not a huge, ‘Hey, want to take over your life, need you there every day of the week, ultra-competitive, extra expensive thing,’” Bajema said.
The search led them to the i9 Sports organization, where Bajema’s girls started playing last spring.
“By the time they were done, the person in charge asked if we were interested in taking over,” Bajema said. “But God has a funny sense of humor, so by the beginning of August last year, we were the owners.
“It is a national brand based out of Tampa, and we are the Knoxville owners so we can serve any family in the area.”
The organization has partnered with the Town of Farragut, using the west diamond and fields 5 and 6 at Mayor Bob Leonard Park.
After 18 years as a youth pastor and plenty of downtime spent refereeing basketball games, Bajema has enjoyed the shift that i9 has brought for himself and his family.
Now, he is looking to spread the word about the organization and its principles, which are based on nine points reinforced each week: determination, enthusiasm, humility, inclusion, integrity, leadership, positivity, respect and teamwork.
“Kids face pressure at school, so when they come in on Saturday, we want it to be an environment that’s fun, where they learn and want to come back,” Bajema said. “I can remember the car rides myself not wanting to go, but at the end of the day, you want that to be an enjoyable car ride for parents. If you enjoy it and have fun, you want to come back.”
That aspect — fun — is another key piece of the organization, which also pushes convenience over busyness.
“Our world pushes a message of, ‘The busier you, are the better it is,’” Bajema said. “But we want to be convenient for families.”
For that reason, practices and games fall in the same day.
“It’s awesome because families with multiple kids can knock out three sports within two to three hours, all in one location,” Bajema said. “Also, we do accept teams, so if somebody has a team that wants to play, there are special discount codes they can use.
“And for a parent who would love to coach, everything is planned out based
off an app so that every drill, skill they need is right there. So if they’re busy, they don’t have to worry about how or what to practice.”
During water breaks, coaches go over the word of the week while different children receive sportsmanship medals with signs they can put up in their yards at home.
“It takes a village to raise children now, and we think how you show up on the court is just as important as how you show up at home or with your friends,” Bajema added. “Hopefully it creates an environment where they’re proud of that and neighbors notice it, too.”
Within the area, the organization has partnerships with Texas Roadhouse and Urban Air.
They offer soccer, flag football and baseball in the fall. The sports follow the Knox County Schools calendar, occurring every Saturday for seven weeks with a gap for the start of fall break on Saturday, Oct. 4.
Indoor sports include volleyball and basketball, and those are six weeks long — starting Saturday, Sept. 12 — with the same break included Oct. 4.
The summer slate features soccer and flag football for high-schoolers who may participate in other sports during the school year.
Soccer and t-ball can start as young as 3 years old, while the maximum participation age is 15.
“And this fall is shaping up to be our largest season yet, serving Cedar Bluff, the Farragut area and expanding into Louisville and Alcoa,” Bajema said. “We’re really excited, trying to serve as many families as we can.”
To learn more about the organization, people can reach Bajema at 865-279-1487, or they can email Brandon.Bajema@i9sports.com.
“We really try to bring families back together in a sense,” he said. “No matter your skill level, we want to be a place for kids to come and play.”
