Good Game Galore: Can the U.S. Government Revamp Youth Sports?

A wrap-around look at some youth sports news worth knowing.

Hi Good Gamers and special welcome to our new subscribers! We haven’t taken stock of the monstrosity that is youth sports in a while so let’s take a peek at some of the recent happenings that caught my eye … for better or worse.

Should the U.S. Government Be in Charge of Youth Sports?

Imagine if youth sports fees, equipment, and travel were tax deductible. Imagine if volunteer coaches could also deduct their expenses and receive low interest loans if they opted to pursue a career in coaching.

At the heart of a new independent commission is the aim of making youth sports more accessible and relieving individual sports’ Olympic and Paralympic bodies the responsibility of overseeing non-elite athlete development. (That latter part was news to me.)

This independent commission calls for the national government to create a coordinating body for youth sports. Co-chaired by law professor Dionne Koller and athletes’ representative Han Xiao, the commission was created in the wake of sexual abuse scandals in gymnastics and swimming. It argues that a new Office of Sports and Fitness under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services would streamline youth sports participation, standardize codes of conduct, fill the gap between rec and elite that has been clogged by the pay-to-play model, and allow Olympic/Paralympic bodies to only focus on elite athletes.

My take: An interesting idea that has zero chance of happening. Ok, maybe .0001 percent. After all, setting up a government office and offering tax breaks costs a pretty penny. There are many other broken systems equally in need of repair (ahem, education). As much as you or I care about the myriad issues plaguing youth sports, a national outfit seems like a hard sell.

I am, however, hopeful that some of the notions and details in the commission’s findings get some national attention. A nice Congressional hearing on the ills of youth sports could maybe shame some local and regional organizations to stop the price gouging and have a stricter compliance model for coaches.

As far as honing the Olympic and Paralympic Committee piece, well, the United States has won double the amount of Olympic medals as any other nation as of Beijing in 2022.

Stop the madness

Before I joined the youth sport scene I assumed coaches were largely the culprit of bad behavior toward officials and unruly fans. After all, I grew up watching coaches yelling at refs on TV. Of course that lens changed rather quickly after my kids started playing sports. It is mostly parents who are responsible for the extreme attrition rate of officials. And parents who are sucked into the professionalization of youth sports, living and dying with every moment.. Just last week, four dudes in Rhode Island were arrested for coming to blows over a call made in a basketball game featuring … get this … 5-7 year olds.

To combat this type of behavior, a Minnesota state representative has proposed a bill to rein in problem parents. Rep. John Huot’s proposed bill would impose a $1000 fine for any incidents of referee interference before, during, or after a game. Huot said the Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission estimates there are about 1,000 incidents of referee interference per year, which includes reports of stalking umps by trailing them home after games.

My take: Yes, all for reining in the savory behavior though I do have concerns about oversight. But clearly something must be done. Leagues across the board must do a better job emphasizing respect toward officials, and have clear ramifications - like banning parents from games or better yet, mandating they spend a few hours in the ref’s shoes. But really, treatment toward officials is just one symptom of a toxic ecosystem with priorities getting more out of whack as revenue skyrockets. Can we just tear it all down and start over?

Elsewhere

• Interesting article on Major League Baseball doubling down on programming and outreach to try and boost the number of Black players in MLB. The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at Central Florida started tracking African American representation in 1991 when 18% of MLB players were Black. Only 6.2% of MLB players on Opening Day rosters in 2023 were Black, the lowest rate since the study began.

• Fantastic interview with UCLA women’s head basketball coach Cori Close who shared her concerns about youth sports with USA Today. Love her approach to leadership by shying away from an outcome-oriented culture.

• And the winner (or loser depending on your perspective) of being the most costly youth sport to play is…ice hockey. Where does your kid sports/s rank?

• A Pittsburgh organization put on a masterclass in what not to include as a raffle prize for a youth sports fundraiser. Major yikes.

• In much sweeter fundraising news, kudos to a group of California incarcerated fathers for raising $16,000 for the Monterey High’s girls’ volleyball and basketball teams. The Fathers Behind Bars program provides the incarcerated with a sense of responsibility and community and prepares them for reentry into society.

• And finally, we have begun the spring sports season. If your kid was cut, here’s a brilliant chart from the University of Alberta on how to be supportive and best ease the blow. I am curious what you all think of team formation at the middle school level. To cut or not to cut?