Press Release

Two-time College Football National Champion Extends His Sports Knowledge to Local Youth

Cleveland, Ohio (Feb 24, 2025)--JumpStartSports®, a growing national youth sports programming franchise, has announced the addition of JumpStartSportsofClevelandWest which will provide summer camp and a variety of other sports activities throughout the year serving such communities as North Olmsted, North Ridgeville, Westlake,Avon, Bay Village, Brooklyn, Brook Park, Elyria, Fairview Park, Lakewood, Lorain, Rocky River and Sandusky.

The company’s owner, Chris Tipton, is a two-time Division III college football national champion who spent his post-graduate years working in business development for the Midwest’s largest professional sports teams before shifting his attention to youth athletics.

Jump Start Sports of Cleveland West will focus on children ages 3-and-up in Cleveland’s western suburbs with access to a variety of sports camps and programs starting with soccer and T-ball.

After his playing days as a wide receiver at the University of Mount Union, Tipton accumulated

30 years of professional sales experience working with teams in the MLB, NFL, and Arena Football League (AFL). When Tipton wasn’t working for some of the country’s most well-known sports franchises, he was spending time coaching his children in a variety of sports. This experience helped Tipton realize that his true passion was helping children discover their love for athletics, just as he once did. Tipton’s realization led him to start working as an athletic director in a Cleveland primary school, where he obtained many of the necessary skills to start his own independent youth athletics provider.

“Sports are the universal teacher,” said Tipton. “The lessons that a child learns from being part of a team are some of the most important truths that last a lifetime. From learning about what it means to be responsible to learning about what it means to take care of the person next to you, sports are critical in youth development. I’m incredibly grateful that my parents once put me in a position to fall in love with a game that would later change my life for the better, and my goal is to help other children in Cleveland discover a similar passion.”

“Chris brings so much to Jump Start Sports and is representative of our franchise owners,” said Dave Rhodehamel, Franchise Development Officer of Jump Start Sports. “He grew up with organized sports and was fortunate enough to find success as a college athlete and work in pro sports. He also understands the importance of sports for all children and wants to provide as many as possible with the opportunity to participate. He will utilize our Jump Start Sports curriculum to provide access for so many. Chris knows that It’s not the score, winning and losing that matter. Instead his, and our goal around the nation, is to give children the chance to be involved in organized activities to provide exercise while we teach skills, generate teamwork and do so in a really fun way.”

Tipton and his team of trained instructors are eager to work with other local recreation providers in Cleveland’s western suburbs. Learn more about Jump Start Sports of Cleveland West by calling 216-586-4530.

Jump Start Sports is committed to providing safe, inclusive sports programming that is both fun and enriching for children. With a diverse set of accessible, quality offerings and world-class, community-first teachers, Jump Start Sports stands alone in its position as a best-in-class youth sports provider.

About Jump Start Sports

Jump Start Sports was founded in 2002 by Rick Hart to deliver inclusive, safe, and well-organized sports experiences to children of all ages and skill levels. The brand encourages learning through a focus on positivity and FUNdamentals, with an emphasis on positive reinforcement, fostering learning, development, and relationships. Jump Start Sports serves children across several states, including Arizona, California, Maryland, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Virginia.