There's something special about watching a kid pull on a jersey for the first time. The way they look down at the logo on the front, stand a little taller, feel like part of something bigger than themselves. At Ziply Fiber, we believe that feeling matters, and for the 2026 season, we're proud to be putting our name on jerseys from the coast of Oregon to the mountains of Montana, helping make that moment possible for thousands of young athletes.
More than a logo on a jersey
When Ziply Fiber first launched its youth sports sponsorship program in 2022, the goal was straightforward: show up for the communities we serve. We started with a handful of soccer and basketball leagues in Washington and Oregon, sponsoring around 6,300 jerseys across six programs. It was a modest beginning, but it planted a seed.
What we quickly learned is that these sponsorships are about far more than brand visibility. They're about being a real neighbor. They're about the families who cheer from the sidelines, the coaches who show up every Saturday morning and the kids who are learning what it means to be part of a team. Every dollar invested in a youth sports program is a dollar invested in the communities we call home.
By 2025, that original seed had grown into sponsorships across four states, touching teams and leagues from Walla Walla, Washington to Billings, Montana, from the Oregon coast to the Silver Valley of northern Idaho. And in 2026, we're continuing to build on that foundation.
Across four states, one shared mission
Washington has been at the heart of the program from the start. This year, we're supporting Little League and soccer teams in Mill Creek, Everett, Arlington, Darrington and Walla Walla, with more teams expected this fall. In Everett alone, our partnership with the local Little League and youth soccer community has spanned multiple seasons, a relationship built on trust and a shared investment in young people.
“As a year-round sports parent, I know how expensive the fees are,” says Jenn Harvey, Community Development Manager for western Washington. “Then you're still responsible for gear, travel, etc. By Ziply Fiber being a part of sponsorships, we're allowing kids to play that may not otherwise get to. Every child should be able to play if they want to, not just those whose families can afford it.”
Idaho is home to some of our most expansive sponsorships. In 2026, we're supporting programs in Hayden, McCall, Sandpoint and the Silver Valley, a region that includes communities like Wallace, Silverton, Mullan, Cataldo, Pinehurst and Kellogg. The Sandpoint Strikers Summer Camp alone will see 550 young players wearing Ziply Fiber jerseys this season, making it one of our single largest sponsorships. In a state where youth sports bring rural communities together across long distances, our participation feels especially meaningful.
Oregon's southern coast has been a particularly meaningful area of focus for us. Communities like Myrtle Creek, Coos Bay, North Bend and Coquille may be small but they’re big in spirit. Youth sports are a cornerstone of community life along the Oregon coast, and Ziply Fiber is proud to have supported teams in these areas since 2022, from t-ball and softball to baseball and soccer.
“For me, sports sponsorships are about showing up where the community already is. Where families are and where trust already exists,” says Kevin Guillen, one of our Community Development Managers in Oregon. “It also helps us explore and bridge sports and academics in a creative way. Through programs like the Beaverton Education Foundation's 4S initiative, we’re not just present, we’re engaging, connecting sports with STEM and creating real opportunities for connection and impact.”
Montana rounds out our footprint with one of the most diverse sponsorship portfolios in the program. In 2026, we're supporting leagues across Great Falls and Billings, covering everything from coach pitch and t-ball to girls' baseball, boys' baseball, softball and multiple age divisions of soccer through the YMCA. These aren't just jersey sponsorships; many include marketing and community engagement components that help Ziply Fiber show up as a true community partner, not just a name on a uniform.
Showing up on game day
One of the things we're most intentional about is making sure our presence goes beyond the jersey itself. Sponsoring a team means we want to be there: setting up a booth, cheering from the sidelines and finding small ways to make game day a little more special for everyone involved. Whether that's handing out hot chocolate on a cold October morning at a soccer match or being present at a community picnic, Ziply Fiber believes that showing up in person is what separates a sponsor from a neighbor.
Fast internet for kids
It's worth noting that Ziply Fiber's presence in these communities isn't limited to the playing field. As a fiber internet provider, we’re actively building and expanding our network in many of the same neighborhoods where these leagues play. The same families cheering at Saturday morning games are the ones who benefit from fast, reliable fiber internet at home, for homework, for video calls with grandparents, for streaming the highlights later that night.
Supporting youth sports is one way we express our commitment to the communities we serve. But it's part of a larger picture: being a company that genuinely invests in the places and people that make up our footprint.
Here for the long game
From a handful of programs in 2022 to a multi-state, multi-sport initiative in 2026, Ziply Fiber's youth sports sponsorship program has grown because it works, not just as a marketing strategy, but as a genuine expression of who we are as a company.
We're proud to see our logo on jerseys from the coast to the mountains. We're proud to know that somewhere out there, a kid is lacing up their cleats, pulling on a Ziply Fiber jersey, and getting ready to take the field. That's what being in your neighborhood really looks like.
Read more about our community involvement.
