Fixing Youth Sports, Again: A Four-Part Series and Path To Change
What Gives?
Why aren’t the stats changing? Why aren’t childhood obesity, access to sport participation, and the slew of other determinants of health we believe are positively impacted by sports moving in the right direction? Why aren’t sports participation trends markedly increasing?
We – as a society – have pumped millions and probably billions of dollars into programs, campaigns, and studies with what I would argue are mediocre results at absolute best and negative results at worst.
So, in 10 years (less the pandemic – giving a generous point on that one), why hasn’t meaningful change happened?
Because it’s nothing more than lip service.
Mo’ Money, Mo’ Power, Mo’ Problems
We’ve got national campaigns with major global brands, sports celebrity moguls, and media dynasties all telling us how important it is to change youth sports – all of which are making serious dough off the backs of sport participants, especially youth. Just look at the Project Play Partners page, or their recent line-up of “who’s who” speakers at the 2025 Project Play Summit. I can’t even begin to guess the combined market cap value for the individuals and companies involved. It’s a boatload of zeroes and commas, of that, I’m sure.
My take: *Most* are in it for money and exposure. Not your kids. Not my kids.
All these brands, individuals, influencers and companies CARE SO MUCH about this problem, surely, they are dumping piles of cash into the solution, right?
Wrong.
ESPN touts a substantial investment of $5 million in the “Take Back Sports” initiative.
Wow! $5Million dollars?! How generous!
ESPN’s net operating revenue in 2024 was estimated (by Grok and Copilot) to be in the ballpark north of $15 BILLION. With a “B”.
So wait, let me get this straight…
ESPN cares so much about fixing youth sports that they are investing approximately 00.03% of their operating budget to do so? So I’m clear, that is three-hundredths of 1% of their estimated 2024 net operating revenue. Sure, they’ll also probably donate some airtime to the initiative as well. How thoughtful.
And we should expect this to fix youth sports? I’m gonna go with no.
Despite all the initiatives, celebrities, brands, and PR campaigns in the world, none of this hoopla will solve the problems boiling over in youth sports. My guess, in a year when this campaign is over the stats will not have moved an iota. But there will be a lot of people patting themselves on their backs at their country clubs for their righteous cause virtue signaling.
Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too
You see, they can’t fix it because it runs counter to their core objective, which is – as we’ve outlined in detail – to grow their business’ value for their shareholders.
Hear me loud and clear, I’m not saying none of these people care about the problems plaguing youth sports. I’m sure they do at some level – they probably have kids in the game as well – but I am saying that fixing youth sports cannot be their primary objective because it is fundamentally incongruent with the objective of their businesses.
Do we really want to reform youth sports – the same youth sports elitism that drive viewership on ESPN for things such as the hyper-commercialized Little League World Series (think I’m wrong? Check this article out by The Wall Street Journal’s Jason Gay)…OR, do we want to say that we want to reform youth sports? Those are two very different things. (For kicks, go research which companies advertise on ESPN each summer during the LLWS. By this point in this article, I bet you can guess!)
If fixing youth sports was truly the goal, these sports organizations would put billions of dollars into real solutions (which would not even be a blip on their collective balance sheet radars). But they won’t, because their purpose is to make money. Putting billions of dollars into real solutions doesn’t make them multiple billions of dollars. If it did, they would be all in.
Well, I guess if this latest catchy phrase “Take Back Sports” doesn’t yield results, there are always the following consolation prizes for initiative organizers:
- Tons of media exposure to people who ironically drive their future viewership and thus advertising revenue (which, is another problem the industry is facing).
- The public perception that they are doing something good for your kids.
- Improved market position of these for-profit entities.
- Some tax write-offs for big wigs and big companies.
And if the initiative does surprise me and succeed? (Again, I hope it does!)
Great! More potential profits for these youth sports organizations that are raking parents for every dollar they’re worth. A win-win.
The “Dark Side” of Corporate Social Responsibility
In doc school I read an article debating whether Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) – or a company’s effort to be socially responsible to itself, its stakeholders, and the public – was just a clever cover for marketing. Many scholarly articles go so far as to call it the “dark side” of CSR. Doing actual good or looking good?
A CSR Example: The Dr Pepper Tuition Giveaway program handing out tuition checks to kids who win a contest throwing footballs into a giant can of pop (I’m from Ohio, so it isn’t soda!) at halftime of college football conference championship games.
Are they in it because at heart Dr Pepper cares about the future education of these aspiring students? Or are they in it for the millions of eyeballs in the stadium and viewing online that will hopefully buy Dr Pepper? You make the call.
Dr Pepper has lauded itself on giving away more than $12.5 million in the Dr Pepper Tuition Giveaway program since its inception in 2008. For reference, Grok estimates Dr Pepper’s 2023 revenue at $3.28 billion.
Congratulations, Dr Pepper, you have given away 00.38% of ONE year’s estimated revenue since 2008. No wonder US college students are getting smarter!
I’m glad they do it, I really am. And yes, I know it’s supposed to be fun. I get all that. At least Dr Pepper is making a measurable difference in several young adults’ lives. Well, depending on how well they can throw a spiral!
Will $5 million and a hashtag change youth sports? You know my opinion. I’d love to be wrong.
You get the gist.
Apologies for being frank, but what we are doing is NOT WORKING. And the fact that we do it time and time again expecting a different result is, well, insane.
