Welcome to episode 267 of Sports Management Podcast.
Can you build an entirely new sport from scratch?
In this episode of Sports Management Podcast, Marcus Filipsson speaks with Greg Roe, former Team Canada trampoline athlete and Co-Founder of the Freestyle Trampoline Association.
Freestyle trampoline started as an athlete-led movement fueled by backyard videos, social media and a generation that wanted to experience trampoline differently from the traditional Olympic system.
Today, the association operates events around the world—but getting there meant creating everything from judging systems and equipment standards to insurance, sponsorship models, international events and an entirely new sporting culture.
Greg shares what it really takes to build a sport from zero, why freestyle trampoline has been described as a sport "born on Instagram," whether Olympic recognition actually matters, and why brands are becoming less interested in follower counts and more interested in direct access to customers.
We also discuss the realities of entrepreneurship, protecting a sport from investors too early, the future of action sports and Greg's remarkable journey from a Russian orphanage to Team Canada and eventually building a global sports organization.
In this episode:
• How a new sport gets created from scratch
• Why freestyle trampoline was born through social media
• Athlete-led sports vs traditional federations
• Can an Instagram-born sport reach the Olympics?
• What sponsors actually want in 2026
• Why follower counts are losing commercial value
• Building events, rules and infrastructure from zero
• Protecting the culture of a young sport
• The reality of 12 years of entrepreneurship
• Greg's journey from Russia to Team Canada
• The future of freestyle and action sports
00:00 Introduction
00:14 What Is Freestyle Trampoline?
01:29 Building an Athlete-Led Sport
03:20 How Do You Create a Sport From Scratch?
05:18 Why Athletes Wanted Something Different
07:19 Breaking Away From Traditional Trampoline
09:07 The Viral Video That Changed Everything
10:18 Finding the Right Co-Founder
10:49 Building the Sport Without Advertising
12:43 Can a Sport Born on Instagram Reach the Olympics?
14:20 The Rise of the "Flipping" Sports Industry
15:35 Competition Between New Action Sports
18:06 Building a World Championship
21:15 The Business Behind a New Sports League
24:38 Why Some Sports Never Grow
26:26 Why Taking Investors Too Early Can Be Dangerous
27:13 Working With the X Games
28:41 Why Follower Counts Matter Less to Sponsors
30:50 What Brands Actually Want
33:55 Does Freestyle Trampoline Need the Olympics?
35:29 Building a Business Beyond Competition
39:16 The Reality of Being a Sports Entrepreneur
42:46 Fighting an Established Industry
44:23 Greg's Journey From a Russian Orphanage
45:23 Becoming an Elite Trampoline Athlete
47:46 Team Canada, World Records & America's Got Talent
51:24 From Athlete to Entrepreneur
51:37 Where to Find Freestyle Trampoline
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