Youth sports in the United States is a multi-billion-dollar industry.  As a parent and a coach I think that it’s absolutely necessary to remain aware of the business related aspect of youth sports as we make decisions for our children.  Make no mistake, private sport clubs need players. No club can function without participants and without the revenue that participants create. In the youth sport industry our children are the commodity that is being traded, literally.  This does not mean that youth sport clubs are inherently bad or destroying our youth. On the contrary, thanks to the boom in youth sport options, today’s children have opportunities that most parents could only dream of when we were children.  The key in all of this is to make sure that YOUR child is getting what THEY need and that they are reaping the benefits that well managed club sport participation can provide.

There are, and hopefully there always will be, community-based youth sport organizations that teach fundamental skills and allow for basic, local, competitive options.  For the most part these organizations are effective gateways into any number of sports and with their low cost, localized approach and reasonable travel they allow young athletes to test the water and find out if their love of a specific sport needs to be nurtured and pursed at a more competitive level.  That “more competitive level” can get complicated and expensive… quickly. It can also be a life changing positive experience. Understanding the lay of the land, the opportunities and the pratfalls, is crucial for parents who are trying to help their young athlete chase their passion for their chosen sport.

At the end of the day that last line is really the key to this entire discussion.  “Helping young athletes chase THEIR passion for THEIR sport.” The most basic and effective advice I have ever heard regarding how to navigate youth sports for your child is; don’t push, let them pull you in the direction THEY want to go.  When a child is motived and excited about something that excitement is both obvious and infectious. Make sure, as parents, that we allow our child to pull us in the direction that they want to go.  Pushing them in the direction that WE want them to go is, at best, problematic.  To be fair, and to add to the confusion, we do need to find ways to push youngsters to do great things but, it is my educated opinion, that without a fundamental desire to both enjoy and succeed, all the pushing in the world is futile.

Not every child is a highly competitive, team oriented, athlete waiting to happen.  Many of my most gifted and athletic friends have no desire to play a team sport but excel at track and field, tennis, golf, distance running and any number of other athletic endeavors.  There is a path to greatness in all sports no matter if it’s team sports like basketball, football and soccer or individual sports from golf to cross-country skiing, crew or bowling. They key to success in any of these endeavors is commitment and it is a passion for the sport that drives that commitment.  You can’t force passion, but you CAN nurture a young athlete’s passion and make sure that they have the support and guidance they need.

This is where youth sport organizations come into play and this is exactly where things get confusing and highly emotional for both parents and players.  When passions run high, and to find success at the highest levels they have to, it can be very difficult to step back and figure out what is right for our children.  There are a number of factors that lie at the heart of the discussion regarding whether to pursue a pay to play, club level sport environment. These factors are vital building blocks to help parents and young athletes to begin to decide how much they are willing to invest, financially, physically, mentally and emotionally, in the sport (or any organized youth activity) of their choice.  I’ve broken down these key factors into four sub groups to help focus this discussion and provide as much direction as possible. Please note, this discussion is about youth sport options, but these options are not sport specific and they can be applied to any organized youth activity.

Commitment

As I mentioned before, the path to greatness in any endeavor requires a great deal of commitment.  A young person cannot become a great musician or a great athlete or a great anything without spending a great deal of time practicing, honing their skills and absorbing as much information as possible as often as possible.  Our capacity for learning and growth is staggering but repetition and commitment to a singular goal lies at the heart of most success stories, no matter the activity.

Cost  

Most communities have inexpensive options but most of those options are run by volunteers who provide a gateway into whatever activity they are offering.  It’s a big jump from the local little league to the major leagues and similarly, from a community theater to Broadway. These ‘big jumps” don’t come cheap.  They require specific training, travel to practices and travel to competitions or performances. Unless you plan to put your pre-teen on a bus to Manhattan or to MLB Spring Training in the hopes that they “make it” you need to plan on making those trips right along with them.  You’re also going to have to make sure that their mentors/coaches etc. are right there with them as well. Great coaching and great programming, costs money, plain and simple.

Community  

If you are going down the path of the truly committed youth sport athlete, you are going down that path with the community that forms around your chosen club or team (or dance troupe etc.).  You will miss local events because you have to travel to regional and national competitions. You will have to leave town and travel when other families may be planning a relaxing weekend working around the house and firing up the BBQ.  Your new community may be an outstanding and fulfilling experience for you and your child but you, like your child to his/her sport, will have to be committed to this new community. You can’t skip out on important dates, you can’t (or shouldn’t) show up late and you also won’t likely have much say in the schedule that’s created.  Parent’s with multiple children may well find themselves deciding when and where they are able to support each of their children in their varying efforts. We can only be one place at a time and, at the elite level, that place is often far from home.

Competitive Level  

I honestly believe that there is a level for everyone.  You can play soccer, baseball, basketball, participate in a chess club and tryout for a part in your local theater’s production in most towns.  Most towns and regions have any number of opportunities. I can enroll my son in a yogi camp and then run him over to basketball practice and top it all off with tee-ball.  You could never leave your own town and still be awash with options in any number of completely viable activities. That said, there is a limit to how “big” you can go if you only participate in any activity at the local level.  If your youngster has that passion and really wants to find out how far she/he can go then you need to begin to pursue increasingly competitive opportunities. At each stage you should be able to see if your child can compete at that level or not.  If they can compete and succeed you can continue to search for the next level. If they can’t compete you have to make the difficult decision to help push them towards that next level or perhaps help them shift their focus to an activity that more suits their skill set/needs.

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