GG Galore: There's No Betting in Youth Sports! Right?
Plus, more news and youth sports reads worth your time.
Welcome to our semi-regular jaunt through the latest happenings and favorite reads in the youth sports news-o-sphere. I used to call it “This Week in Youth Sports” but decided to rename it Good Game Galore because …. A) I’m not afraid to admit I kinda like alliteration. B) I really like the letter G. There are so many lovely adjectives that begin with G. Unfortunately, the one that best describes me this week is GULLIBLE.
Ok, so it’s Monday and I’m scrolling through Twitter/X/whatever demonic word you’d like to insert when I come across some youth sports breaking news that stopped me in my tracks.
An in game app that allows you to bet on travel baseball? Seriously, WTF?
Clearly, I’m an idiot who could use a calendar. For all the stupid “holidays” that have been concocted - and that includes doozies like “Talk Like a Pirate Day” and “National Bobblehead Day” - the one we celebrate on April 1st is THE worst. Also, I’m an idiot for not reading the part about betting on how many time the “second baseman who can’t seem to hit water from a boat will strike out.”
Joke’s on me, though given all the money grubbing in youth sports it’s not theeeee most far fetched thing in the world.
Luckily, not only is this app not a thing, there is a legitimate push to curtail underage youth sports gambling, with Massachusetts leading the charge. State attorney general Andrea Campbell just announced the formation of the Youth Sports Betting Safety Coalition, which will feature a robust education curriculum aimed at stopping underage sports betting before it becomes problematic. “Sports gaming is everywhere. It is accessible, and because it is so accessible, it poses a serious public health risk, particularly for young people,” Campbell said at a 3/28 presser.
Massachusetts legalized online sportsbooks last year but of course the issues extend well beyond one state. Professional sports are essentially becoming enveloped by sports betting. Here’s hoping we can keep the kids away from this dangerous vice though I often worry about fantasy sports as a gateway.
In other news…
Josh Harris and David Blitzer, serial sports investors, are adding a youth sports holding company to their massive portfolio which includes the NBA’s 76ers and NHL’s Devils. (Harris is the majority owner of the Washington Commanders as well.) Unrivaled Sports will center on youth sports experiences and operate outfits already owned by the duo including Cooperstown All-Star Village, Ripken Baseball, and ForeverLawn Sports Complex (which hosts the NFL FLAG championships). Unrivaled is targeting new verticals like action sports and eyeing an international expansion. If you’re thinking, ‘well, this isn’t going to do much to solve the massive inequality in youth sports,’ I think you’re right.
A New Jersey legislator is the latest to attempt a reining in of toxic behavior at youth sports events. The ‘Penalty Box’ bills contain a litany of harsher punishments. This includes an increase in penalties for assault and harassment against sports officials and players, from disorderly persons offenses to third- or fourth-degree crimes. They also could be from attending youth sports events for lengthy periods of time. It’s not clear if offenders will be put in a literal penalty box but I’m all for it.
Kudos to those pushing back on Teamsnap’s recent decision to start charging $1.99 to see the All Team Schedule view. If you have multiple kids in sports and those kids also play multiple sports, the all team feature is one of TeamSnap’s most valuable tools and had been free since its inception. You can still import calendars into your app of choice but it’s the idea that leagues we pay registration fees to upon joining (a few pennies of which presumably go to Teamsnap) are already paying for Teamsnap or whatever management app of choice. Even the busiest of youth sports parents can sniff out double dipping when it’s so clearly in our faces. Hope is not lost.
A sad and too-realistic-for-many-of-us read about how one mom is piecing together her finances to pay for her kids exorbitant youth sports costs.
A more uplifting piece on how young basketball players in the Cleveland area have a chance at the ultimate inspiration, attending the Women’s Final Four.
With the Women’s Final Four, there’s going to be girls and young women sitting in those stands watching and being inspired by how much attention this current edition of student-athletes, as well as the game by and large, are garnering. - Chris Lillstrung, The News-Herald
Bravo to this off-duty nurse who saved a man’s life at a youth basketball game in Fairfield, Ca.
Let’s wrap with more positivity in the form of beautiful sportsmanship from a group of second-grade Ohio basketball players. A school called Boardman was up 12 in a tournament when they decided to hand the ball over to opposing player, 7-year-old Jerick Mayrobb, who suffers from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and had never scored a basket. He missed his first three attempts but the sweet boys from Boardman kept gifting it back to him. When Mayrobb’s shot dropped on the fourth attempt, the emotional crowd went wild. Talk about parents raising their kids right. 👏👏👏