Ty Mathews of Nashville, Tennessee, founder of Mid State Sports, is encouraging communities to recognize the role recreational sports play in improving social connection, physical health, and everyday well-being.
NASHVILLE, TN / ACCESS Newswire / April 6, 2026 / Ty Mathews, founder and CEO of Mid State Sports, is raising awareness about the growing importance of recreational sports leagues as a way to strengthen community ties, promote active lifestyles, and help people build meaningful social connections.
Mathews launched Mid State Sports in Nashville in 2009 after noticing a gap in opportunities for adults who wanted to stay active and meet others through organized sports. What began with a handful of leagues has grown into one of the largest adult recreational sports organizations in the Southeast, with more than 20,000 participants each year across sports such as softball, kickball, volleyball, basketball, soccer, and flag football.
For Mathews, the mission has always been simple.
"Sports are the vehicle, but the real value is connecting with others," Mathews said. "When people participate on a team, they're not just playing a game. They're building relationships."
Why Community Recreation Matters More Than Ever
Across the United States, many communities are facing rising levels of social isolation and declining physical activity. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only about 1 in 4 adults meet recommended physical activity guidelines, while the U.S. Surgeon General has warned that loneliness and social disconnection are growing public health concerns.
Recreational sports leagues can help address both challenges.
Group sports provide regular physical movement, structured social interaction, and a sense of belonging. Studies from the Aspen Institute's Project Play initiative show that organized sports participation often leads to higher levels of long-term physical activity and improved mental well-being.
Mathews believes community leagues provide an accessible entry point for people who want to reconnect.
"Not everyone wants to join a gym or train competitively," he said. "But almost everyone remembers what it felt like to play sports for fun. Recreational leagues bring that feeling back."
From Small Leagues to a Regional Network
Mathews grew up in East Tennessee and was strongly influenced by his father, who left a stable corporate career with Farmer's Insurance to start the first baseball school in the state.
"It was a big risk for our family at the time," Mathews said. "But watching my dad choose something he loved instead of staying in a job that made him unhappy made a big impression on me."
Years later, that lesson helped shape his own entrepreneurial path.
After noticing the lack of adult recreational leagues in Nashville, Mathews launched Mid State Sports with just a few offerings-softball, kickball, and basketball. The leagues quickly grew as players invited friends and coworkers to join.
"Word spreads when people have a good experience," Mathews said. "If someone has fun playing one season, they bring three or four friends the next."
Today, Mid State Sports organizes leagues across the Nashville area and has become a regular part of the city's recreational landscape.
Creating Opportunities to Connect
Mathews says the most meaningful part of the work isn't the number of games played each season. It's the connections that form off the field.
"People move to cities like Nashville all the time and don't know anyone," he said. "Joining a recreational league is one of the easiest ways to meet people."
Many teams stay together for years, while others are formed through coworkers, neighbors, or new residents looking to expand their social circles.
"Sometimes people join just to stay active," Mathews said. "Other times they're looking for community. What's great is that they usually find both."
"When people are active and connected to others, it makes for more healthy people," Mathews said. "Personal connections in a society that's very isolated is healthy for all of us."
To read the full interview, visit the website here.
About Ty Mathews
Ty Mathews is the founder and CEO of Mid State Sports, a Nashville, Tennessee-based youth and adult recreational sports league organization he launched in 2009. Under his leadership, the organization has grown to serve more than 50,000 participants annually across multiple sports, including softball, kickball, volleyball, basketball, soccer, pickleball and flag football. Through Mid State Sports, Mathews focuses on creating accessible opportunities for people to stay active, connect with others, and build stronger community networks through recreational athletics.
Contact:
SOURCE: Ty Mathews, Mid State Sports
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