How Youth Sports Became a $38 Billion Play | Power Players

Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. and his brother Bill have turned youth sports into big business. But can they chase profits while preserving what’s best for kids?

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[MichaelLoves]

The sixers owner said it will keep kids "off the street". No family spending $12k per kid is in roaming the streets. Its a huge hustle that preys on kids and parents.

[kevnev]

The cult of sports has no bounds. I'm all for kids playing and competing, but something looks very dubious when you're profiting off kids' efforts. They'll be easy to exploit especially kids from low incomes, from coaches to parents alike.

[dkobia]

The only non pay-for-play sport today is Football - at least where I am in the south. It is truly heartbreaking that this is what youth sports has devolved into.

[mack-uvgn]

Parents think their kid is the next MJ or Cal Ripken or Tom Brady that’s why they spend so much

[hugohoyzer]

peak america. squeezing the last bit of juice out of capitalism

[KK-pmud]

It's disgusting what has happened.

[BenB-hzhz]

Why not just skip playing on teams with crazy fees and invest the money into a 529 plan, etc? If the scholarship statistics are true, you have better odds of making money in the markets. You can likely have darn near a full ride if you start early enough.

[Redmenace]

Strange report. Make no mistake, youth sports is a full-on business. It is tricky to think we all have emotional attachment to sports, and huge emotional investment (personally and socially) in children. We all know how this ends up. In business, profit is number one- not children.

[davidnmfarrell]

Won't the professionalization of youth sports exclude more kids from sport?

[southlt]

How do you define an economic bubble without calling it a bubble? Overall, demand is decreasing but price is increasing.

[Broodjemetbeleg]

Reason why you guys will never compete with european football and basketball to an extend. Top players are all from overseas. Money money money.

[michaelrfx]

I had a once a life time moment (it was about 30-40 seconds) and shook the hand of legend Cal Ripken Jr. at Disney World last year. I was absolutely star struck, and he was completely gracious to take a selfie with me! It was an honor and privilege to meet him in person! I remember looking up to him as a kid seeing his baseball posters throughout gym class in school growing up and even to this day he is an absolute positive roll model that I continue to admire! Thank you Cal for being an inspiration to me to this day and beyond! -Mike

[urbanstrencan]

Sport is one thing that connect all of us ❤

[jo]

TLDR: because the bourgeoisie need somewhere to throw their money. i MeaN mAYbE mY KiD WilL PlaY iN tHE MLB wuuhhhh

[steven.events]

Ripken is a legend. He's not ashamed to be bald. He's the Michael Jordan of white guys.

[ZootYoot]

Youth sport not being funded well in europe is hurting the sports here. It is all about making it but in the u.s you really figure youth sport can cash too