A new era in youth sports

Sports have long been lauded as a way for kids to build character, learn the value of teamwork, discipline, and, lest we forget, a great way to have fun! 

But the youth sports ecosystem has changed a lot in recent years. Local recreational leagues, already underfunded and reliant on volunteers, were hit hard by the pandemic and have struggled to recover. Meanwhile, for-profit leagues – with high end facilities, intensive practice schedules, and travel mandates – are thriving, thanks in part to investment from private equity and venture capital. 

The ‘professionalization’ of youth sports has ushered in rising costs. According to one survey, family spending on kids’ athletics jumped nearly 50% between 2019 and 2024. In 2025, the top sports-related fundraising cause on GoFundMe was “competition travel.” 

The heightened stakes are also raising concerns over athletes’ mental and physical well-being. And some argue that culture on the sidelines has gotten worse – pointing to recent reporting on ill-behaved parents and a national referee shortage.

So, how did youth sports become a 40-billion-dollar industry? And who are the winners and losers in this new normal? 

Guests: 

• Linda Flanagan, journalist, researcher, and former cross-country and track coach. She’s also the author of “Take Back the Game: How Money and Mania Are Ruining Kids’ Sports–and Why It Matters.” 
• Kevin Armstrong, enterprise reporter for NJ.com. He spent six months investigating why a growing number of Garden State student athletes are repeating the eighth grade.