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Youth sports provide incredible opportunities for our children. At their best, sports offer kids everywhere the chance to engage in a healthy activity that enhances physical skills while also helping them grow mentally, socially, and even morally or spiritually. Until relatively recently, the cost to access these benefits was usually low; while expensive travel teams have existed for decades, nearly every community also had very low-cost school or recreational programs aimed at getting kids involved without financial barriers to entry. Unfortunately, those options are now fewer and farther between.
For many families, rising costs have meant kids simply cannot participate or might have to choose a single activity rather than staying active all year. That's the concern of Dr. Clark Power, a long serving professor at the University of Notre Dame and founder of the Play Like a Champion Today Educational Series. In this week's video, Power talks about the evolution of youth sports from a public good to the current pay-to-play model. He shares his concerns about the current state of play, while offering hope for a community-minded approach that benefits all our children.
Each of us can advocate for the children in our community. For some, this might mean contributing to a scholarship fund that allows families who cannot afford fees to join your local league [you might also consider donating used uniforms/equipment to an organization that repurposes this to those in need]. Others might find this an opportunity to get your employer involved, as corporate sponsors can play a significant role in mitigating league expenses and keeping participation costs down. Volunteers with parish, school or community leagues might be in a position to advocate to keep registration costs low, or work with community leaders to do the same. Consider this a challenge to find some way that you can get involved and keep the benefits of youth sports open to as many as possible. It's critical that we work together toward solutions to the pay-to-pay problem.
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