Is Youth Athlete of the Year a Scam? What the Rules Actually Say

Youth Athlete of the Year 2026 opened for public voting today, July 28th. Within hours of the launch parents across the country are sharing their athletes' links on Facebook and Instagram. And alongside those posts the same questions are appearing that appear every time a Colossal contest launches.

Is this real. Is the Sports Illustrated feature actually real. Does Russell Wilson actually have anything to do with this. Where does the donated money go. Is this a scam.

I am going to answer all of these directly based on the official rules, publicly available charity records, and what I know from competing in Baby of the Year myself with my son Julian.

Who Actually Runs This Competition

Youth Athlete of the Year is run by Colossal Management LLC, a Delaware-registered for-profit professional fundraising company. Russell Wilson, 3BRAND, and Sports Illustrated are brand partners and sponsors, not operators of the competition.

The 3BRAND FAQ page explicitly states that Colossal runs the Youth Athlete of the Year competition as part of a fundraising campaign on behalf of DTCare, a 501c3 charity.

This distinction matters because it addresses a common concern that the celebrity association implies celebrity oversight of the competition's integrity. It does not. Colossal Management runs the competition and is responsible for all operational decisions.

Is the Sports Illustrated Feature Real

Yes, with an important clarification. The prize includes a feature in a custom 3BRAND advertising campaign published in Sports Illustrated magazine. This is a purchased advertising placement not an editorial feature. The winner appears in an advertisement, not in a news story or editorial profile written by Sports Illustrated journalists.

This is the same type of clarification that became controversial with the Favorite Chef contest and its Bon Appétit magazine association. The prize is real but it is advertising not editorial endorsement. Understanding that distinction before entering is important.

Is the Charity Legitimate

Yes. Youth Athlete of the Year benefits two independently verifiable nonprofits.

The V Foundation for Cancer Research was founded by ESPN and basketball coach Jim Valvano in 1993 with a commitment to find a cure for cancer. The organization has funded nearly $400 million in cancer research according to official competition materials and maintains transparent public filings.

The Why Not You Foundation was established by Russell Wilson and Ciara and focuses on fighting poverty through education and youth empowerment. It is a registered 501c3 with verifiable public filings.

Donations flow through DTCare, a registered 501c3 public charity, which then grants them to both foundations after deducting competition fees of 36.5% and variable costs. The fee structure is disclosed in the official contest rules.

The Legitimate Concerns

The fee structure

As with all Colossal contests 36.5 percent of donations go toward competition fees before the grant reaches the charities. This is disclosed but worth understanding before you ask your child's coaches, teammates, and community to donate.

The ranking confusion

Your athlete's ranking on their profile shows their position within their specific group. There are hundreds of groups running simultaneously. Every group has a first place. The appearance that everyone is doing well is a structural feature of the competition not evidence of manipulation.

The celebrity association

Russell Wilson's involvement is a brand partnership. His name and his foundation's involvement lend credibility and visibility to the campaign. He is not overseeing the mechanics of the competition or guaranteeing outcomes.

The Concerns That Are Not Supported by Evidence

Winners are not real

This claim circulates on social media. It is false. Local news outlets in multiple markets have covered Youth Athlete of the Year contestants and verified winners over multiple years. The Enquirer Journal coverage in North Carolina covered local high school athletes competing in the 2025 competition. The 2025 competition results are publicly documented on the official website.

The lawsuit means the contest is criminal

The 2021 class action against the Favorite Chef competition, which uses an identical structure to Youth Athlete of the Year, was dismissed by the court. The court found no unlawful gambling and determined contestants received exactly what they paid for.

So Is Youth Athlete of the Year a Scam

No. Youth Athlete of the Year is not a scam in the legal or criminal sense. The charities are real and independently verifiable. The rules are publicly available. The fees are disclosed. The court examined an identical contest structure and found it lawful.

What it is legitimately is an unusual fundraising structure that most parents have not encountered before and that Colossal has never explained clearly enough in their public communications.

If your athlete is competing and you want to understand how to compete effectively round by round before your first Thursday cutoff arrives the free strategy training at Voting Academy was built for exactly this situation.