Sandlot For Sale

Youth sports used to be an activity that brought people from different backgrounds—economic, social, political—together. Like so many other unifying activities, youth sports, even the all-American pastime, have been segmented in ways that further separate us from our neighbors—in ways that have left the playing field anything but level. How unlevel? Bloomberg (Gift Article): Private Equity Is Coming for Youth Sports. “The sandlot era when kids played sports largely unsupervised is long gone. And the days of parent-coached recreational leagues are fast receding. In their place has come the age of travel squads. Kids as young as 6 are playing on teams with paid coaches, year-round schedules, multiple practices per week, long-distance travel and, in many cases, intense competition for roster spots. In theory, these teams prepare kids to play at the college level and beyond. In practice, they’re making youth sports increasingly expensive, exclusive and pressurized.”

+ Scheduling Note: NextDraft will be off on Friday. Have a good Labor Day Weekend!