By James B. Ewers Jr. Ed.D.
I was thinking recently, what would we do without sports? Let’s suppose you could not cheer for your favorite team? What if you could not play on your high school varsity team? Lastly, what if you could not earn a college scholarship to pay for your education?
Those are dismal scenarios and thankfully we do not have to endure them. We don’t have to make plans without sports. They are here to stay.
Sports have evolved into a billion dollar industry. At any time, day or night, you can turn on the television and watch a sporting event. It has become increasingly segmented. For example, if you only want to see baseball there is a baseball channel. If you want to watch tennis then there is a channel for that, too.
There are many beneficiaries of sports. Coaches get to provide instruction to young boys and girls. I was a high school and college coach. Those were special times in my life and I will never forget them. To be called coach makes you feel proud to be in that fraternity.
Now, youth sports are taking over the athletic landscape. They have come in like a whirlwind and it has only just begun. Parents and love providers are giving young children the support and encouragement that they need. Taking them to practice and attending their games can’t be overstated. Kids look for their parents and supporters in the stands.
How do children become interested in sports? That question has a few answers. I believe it is through parents and kids themselves. The more obvious answer is through parents as many were involved in sports at some level. However, if you lived in a neighborhood with children, they kind of influenced you to try a particular sport. That is my opinion.
According to reports, “Approximately 27 million children (ages 6-17) in the United States regularly participate in organized sports teams or lessons. This equates to roughly 58% of American youth.”
The top sports, in my opinion, for youth participation are basketball and football. I think individual sports like golf, swimming and tennis are gaining traction as well. The recent success of America in The World Cup is making soccer a go-to sport, too.
The Aspen Institute’s Project Play research says, “American parents now spend more than $40 billion annually on their children’s sports activities, with average spending on a child’s primary sport hitting $1,016.00 in 2024, a 46% increase since 2019 running at twice the rate of inflation during the same period.”
Let’s note that is an expense for one sport.