How a Knoxville native created one of the biggest adult recreational sports leagues in the Southeast

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A Knoxville native is building community through recreational sports in Nashville with a league that now serves thousands of players each year.

Mid State Sports Leagues provides recreational sports leagues and tournaments for adults and children, including: basketball, volleyball, flag football, pickleball, soccer, softball and kickball.

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Founder Ty Mathews says his interest in sports organizations started in East Tennessee, where he watched his father launch Thunder Baseball School in Knoxville.

“That was kind of just in my DNA, I guess,” Mathews said. “When I was 12, (my father) quit his job. He was working in insurance, making good money, and quit his job to live his dream, which was to start a baseball school, which at the time that was kind of a new thing."

Mathews' mother was also an entrepreneur, starting her own therapy business when he was a kid. Mathews said that watching his parents work to do what they loved was an inspiration to him. 

After moving to Nashville, Mathews began refereeing games, and that's when he said he noticed a gap in recreational sports opportunities for both adults and children.

“I've done youth and adults (as a referee), and I just saw a need in the market to say that there wasn't enough quality recreational sports for both kids and adults," Matthews said. "And I just decided that I think this is a good time, as the city was starting to grow ... and I just saw an opportunity and thought ‘I can do this.'"

Mathews said his organization has grown significantly over the past 15 years and is now one of the largest independent adult sports leagues in the Southeast.

“It was about, you know, making some side money in the beginning, but it was really like, 'Man, Nashville needs this,'" Mathews said. "I think for me it was just not stopping with it's a need, but it was trying to find more needs and just find more opportunities where I could help organize sports."

According to Mathews, about 30,000 adults and 50,000 children participate in the league each year.

Among them is the 9-year-old son of Elizabeth Scott.

“Social-wise, he's got friends in all different little areas because a lot of the kids are from different areas in Nashville,” Scott said. " ... Ultimately, it keeps him active and healthy, but also it keeps him out of trouble and kind of gets that energy out and keeps him off the video games."

The league also includes coaches like Dominique Redding, who played for the University of Tennessee women's basketball team under Pat Summitt and helped lead the team to a national championship in 2007.

“I wouldn't be where I am today if someone didn't take a chance on me and saw my potential at 10 years old back in Clearwater, Florida, and it's just my way of giving back to the kids, and I love it,” Redding said.

Redding said the experience of playing under Summitt created lasting relationships among teammates.

“It's a brotherhood. I'm one of 161," Redding said. "All my sisters — whether you're here or someone has passed away — we're just a strong unit. That's one thing Pat said — you have sisters for life, and that's really it. We have each other's back through and through, and we still stay connected."

That lifelong connection is what inspired Redding to create D13 Elite and coach young athletes in Nashville through Mid State Sports Leagues.

Mathews echoed the idea that the recreational league provides more than just a physical benefit. He said it's also helpful for players of all ages to grow socially.

“I think the social aspect for adults is huge, recreational fitness, and then for kids, you know, I have three kids myself. It's their favorite part of the week is to play sports. It gets them off the screen,” Mathews said.

Mid State Sports Leagues manages seven parks across the Nashville area and recently opened its own gym to host basketball tournaments.

“This is a dream come true. I've been talking for a decade about us having our own gym where we could run our own tournaments, so I'm really, really happy to have this,” Mathews said. "We're very much an individualistic society now, so sports force you to get out and talk to people. But they also help you recreationally to have physical fitness, both for kids and adults. So it really…I love what I do. I feel like it gives something to society that we need both on the social level and the physical level."

He said that applies to adults who play in the league as well. 

"When I started this, I was about 24 years old, and I just realized people didn't have social opportunities as adults. It just became a lot harder," Mathews said. "And so in the last 16, 17 years, I've seen people meet their future spouse on the athletic field."

As the years have passed, Mathews says the league has continued to grow. Mid State currently manages seven parks in Davidson County, and recently opened its own 30,000 square foot gym.

"It’s the largest indoor sports facility in Davidson County. We don't have anything like it," Mathews said. " ... We opened it because we've been dreaming of a place like this because during the week, you know, we (would) rent gyms from churches and schools all week and then on the weekends, we'd use basketball courts all over Middle Tennessee. So, having our own place that we could call home was really important, and so that's what this is."

Mathews said he feels fortunate to do what he loves and have a passion for his career, just like his father did. 

“Following in footsteps like that ... I don't know, it's pretty cool," Matthews said. 

Looking ahead, Mathews said he is open to expanding the league into larger parts of Middle Tennessee to provide more recreational athletes with opportunities to build community through sports for athletes, coaches and staff.

"I just want to provide more jobs for people in sports, and if that means we have to do something like this in another part of town, I'm really happy to do that," Mathews said. "Because people love sports, and I think it's important to love what you do for a living, so having the privilege to provide that for other people is really one of the greatest satisfactions in what I do."