06/07/2025
To our incredible Hmong Wausau Festival community,
First and foremost, thank you. Thank you to the countless athletes, coaches, fans, and families who have continued to show up, play hard, and build a powerful community through sport.
As we gear up for this year’s 2025 Hmong Wausau Festival, we want to take a moment to share with honesty and transparency why we’ve made changes to the sports payout structure this year—and how this change is meant to benefit you, the athletes.
In 2023 and 2024, the Hmong Wausau Festival proudly invested in our sports programs by paying out:
$13,000 in Soccer prize money
$8,600 in Flag Football prize money
$8,200 in Volleyball prize money
And over $16,200 to cover referee costs
We’ve done this while averaging:
20 soccer teams
24 football teams
And 90+ volleyball teams
We’re proud of those numbers—but we believe we can grow even more.
That’s why, in 2025, we are implementing a new payout scale that ensures 100% of every team’s registration fee will go directly back into the prize pool—plus bonuses added on top. This change isn’t about giving less—it’s about giving more, in a smarter way that encourages higher team participation and sustainability.
We know change can sometimes raise questions, and we understand that. But please know, this decision was made with you in mind. The more teams that join, the larger the prize pools become. More teams mean more competition, more excitement, and a larger platform for all of us to continue building up Hmong sports at the local and national level.
We’re committed to creating a fun, fair, and meaningful experience for everyone involved. Your participation helps shape the future of this festival, and we hope this new structure empowers more teams to step onto the field and court with us this year.
Let’s grow together.
Let’s compete together.
Let’s celebrate together.
John Yang
The Hmong Wausau Festival Sports Coordinator