JON FRANKEL: These days,
the places kids go to play sports have gotten
so big, that you can only appreciate
their size from high above. Sprawling complexes
with professional-grade fields, where teams can play all day
and all night. And since
there is no off-season anymore in big time youth sports, there are massive
indoor facilities, too. If you're a kid, heck, if you're an adult,
and you walk in here, you think you've died
and gone to sports heaven. This is fantasy land
for athlet
es. FRANKEL: Dev Pathik is an owner of Bo Jackson's Elite Sports
in Ohio, and is a consultant
to facilities like this throughout the US. You got soccer over here, you got a weight lifting
facility here. Regulation infield over here
for baseball being used, batting cages over there, and we're standing
on this tall gauntlet which has climbing walls
and climbing ropes and everything else,
what don't you have in here? The facility's amazing,
isn't it? These kids come in here, they get
mental toughness
training on this tower, they get skills training
out in the infield. They're in the cages. There're qualified,
well-trained coaches. These kids are headed somewhere. FRANKEL: The Bo Dome,
as it's known here in Hilliard, Ohio, is part
of a booming business. -(METAL BAT CLINKS)
-According to one estimate, spending on youth sports,
this year, will top 17 billion dollars, with some families spending
10,000 dollars a year per kid, or more. Some of these kids might sp
end
a 150, even 175 dollars an hour, to be
with a collegiate-level coach. They're spending 175 dollars
an hour? If they want to be prepared
for college, many of these consumers
believe they need it. And that's the sales pitch
to parents? The interesting thing
about a facility like this is there's no sales pitch
necessary. Parents with means are clamoring
to put their kids in the very best
sports programs. There is no sales pitch. -This, with GB. Here we go.
-(WHISTLE BLOWS) FRANKEL: But there is
a problem. The price of playing sports
has gotten so high, that millions of kids
can't keep up. Researchers say
that over the last decade, there's been an 8 percent drop in the number
of American children who play competitive sports. Eight percent in just a decade. For the first time
in American history, youth sports has become
for the haves and out of reach
for the have-nots. Now, even those who've profited
from the trend, like The Bo Dome's Dev Pathik, think it's time
to s
ound an alarm. This gap between who gets
to play and who doesn't is widening. We're watching it
before our eyes. Those with means get to play,
get to travel, get to be on travel sports,
leagues and private clubs, and those who don't have means,
don't get to play. But we've long held the belief
that sports is for everyone. It's no longer the case. Household income of less than
75,000 dollars a year is dramatically less likely
to play sport than a household income
of 100,000 dollars or more. I nee
d money in order
to play something that I once had for free? It's a massive change
in our society. FRANKEL: Years ago,
if a kid wanted to come out
and play basketball, -what would it cost them?
-It was free. If a kid wanted
to play volleyball or softball? Free. And if a kid wanted to join
the swimming team, -be part of a swim meet?
-Absolutely free. And today,
the idea of playing on a team that's sponsored
by parks and recreation, participating in a tournament, does that opportunity exist
anymor
e? Those days have pretty much
gone away. FRANKEL:
Gary Bess has seen it happen in his home city
of St. Louis, Missouri, where he's run public parks
and recreation departments for 40 years. Bess says that public funds
have gotten so tight, that half of the rec centers
in the city have had to be shut down. While ones that are still open
are badly in need of repair. It's part of a nationwide trend, as cash-strapped communities,
accepting that youth sports has become
a big-ticket p
rivate industry, have cut back on providing free
or inexpensive sports programs and facilities to the public. We have a two-tier system now. The system of people
who have money that can pay
for the travel sports, and we have a diminishing role of community recreation
that can't compete. FRANKEL: This public park
in St. Louis County used to host a thriving baseball league.
Today, it is abandoned. It's basically unusable. The dugouts don't exist,
the fields overgrown, -Right.
-there's no pitch
er's mound. -There's no base--
-Jon, would you play here? Would you want your kids
to play here in this condition? -I'd probably let my dog
run around in here.
-Yeah. I guess what it boils down to
is sufficient revenue to maintain the system. We lost 12 million dollars
out of our budget. We lost 100 employees.
Something's gotta give. FRANKEL: Back in Hilliard, Ohio, sports are thriving
like never before. At least, inside the walls
of the Bo Dome, with hundreds of kids spending
thousands of
dollars each. But outside these walls,
it's a different story. Corinna Tucker and her husband
moved to Hilliard for the great school system
and the opportunities the town offered
for their two daughters. But after her husband
lost his job, and the girls asked to join
a local soccer club, the family found out just
how inaccessible youth sports in Hilliard can be. There is a subliminal message
that this ain't for everybody. It's not. It's just not. We might go to the same church,
w
e might go to the same school, but we don't have--
everything is not the same, and that includes
the play field. -Your girls wanted soccer.
-Mm-hmm. -That was the thing that they...
-Yeah. -...really pointed out to you?
-Yes. -Could you afford it.
-Um, no. You're looking at
about 1,200 dollars before you start doing
the actual travel. FRANKEL: The stigma of hardship
is why Corinna asked us not to show her daughters' faces
on television. She says that when it comes
to most youth sports in Hi
lliard, her family
is on the outside, looking in. It's Saturday morning.
We're out in the car, and I've driving up, and I'm seeing
a large group of people. I mean, it's packed.
And this is what happens. "Hey, that's my friend, Ava.
Hey, that's my friend, Lindsay. I know that's her.
Why can't I play? She's playing.
She's my friend, Mom." That's the difficult part. FRANKEL:
The disappointment was bitter, but it got worse
as Corinna advanced in her job as a sales manager
at a local hotel
and started working
with a new set of clients. Yes, travel sports teams
coming to Hilliard to play in youth tournaments. They call and they book with me and I negotiate the prices
and the rights. So you see all the money that's
being spent on travel sports? -Mm-hmm.
-Do you see some irony here? There's quite a bit of irony because you're coming
to my town to come play and my kids can't do it. My kids-- I can't afford
to do that. FRANKEL: The Tuckers are far
from the only ones left on the o
utside here. So many children
can't afford sports in Hilliard, but just a few miles
from the Bo Dome, we found a very different kind
of recreational program. (OVERLAPPING CHATTER) A faith-based organization
for families in need. It's a sign of the times. For many kids today, their only chance to play sports
is charity. Outside of your program, how much access
do these kids have to sports? Very, very little to none. FRANKEL:
Kim Emch started this program when she realized
there were
thousands of kids in Hilliard who are underserved. At this local church
on a week night, they get help
with their homework and a much-needed chance
to run around. Emch took us
to the parts of Hilliard that children
she works with call home, to show us
their open play space. These are the conditions that
they're having to contend with? -Right. Yeah.
-And if they can't play here, -what are they left with?
-Yeah. They're left
with their video game and their TV in their apartment
on thei
r couch. And these same kids
who are living here are going to the elementary schools
or the middle schools in town with kids who have everything
and more. Right. Sorry, you guys,
this is making me sad. Yeah, it's terrible because... they hear their friends
talking about that, and then they can't be involved
at all. Even where they live, there isn't a place to play
that's safe. They don't have
the same opportunities, and it changes
the trajectory of their life. FRANKEL: The problem stretches
far
beyond Hilliard. At least 25 million
school-age children in America now live in homes classified by
the federal government as low-income. That's at least 25 million kids who are being priced out
of sports. Worse still, the one place
kids used to know they'd get a chance to play
is often no longer providing it. Thanks to budget cuts
in recent years and an emphasis on test results
mandated by federal law, schools around the US
have largely slashed physical education
from their pro
grams. There are very few kids
in America who go to gym class during the day anymore. -Really?
-Really. It was the highlight of my day
to go to gym class. And you're telling me
that most kids today in America are not doing that? Not only that,
can you imagine sitting in that chair
for eight hours, class after class,
without physically moving, without getting
some physical exercise? It's not good for kids. FRANKEL: According to
the Centers for Disease Control, less than four percent
of schools
in the U.S. require daily
physical education. Even when schools do
have the money to offer a wide variety of sports teams
for their students, like here in Hilliard, many kids often decline
to participate, discouraged by their inability to compete with
the privately taught kids. Every year, our numbers dwindle
from eighth grade to ninth grade to tenth grade. A lower percentage of students
are participating in sports. Kids just simply
are dropping out? And I think
it's probably that wa
y in any high school
you would talk to. FRANKEL: Dr. John Marschhausen
is the superintendent of the public school system
in Hilliard. There comes a point
where the kids who played the elite club
are just head and shoulders in terms of skill and talent. They've been working on it
for 12 months a year, in some cases
since they were in fourth grade. Where does that leave the kid
that can't afford to do that? Well, we see them
coming out to a point, and then when they see that this
isn't going to
be an option, they quit. This is an uncomfortable issue. For us as
a public school district to say we have kids who can't compete
because of their socioeconomics. And yeah,
the opportunity is there, because they can try out, but because
they don't have the skills, it's not really there, it's a false sense
of opportunity. Do you worry about the kid
who's not in sports? Yeah, I worry about the kid who
might leave high school at 2:45 and has no structure
from 2:45 until 10 at night. What choices i
s that
young man or that woman making? Come on in, guys. FRANKEL: Education officials
aren't the only ones worried about how many
inactive kids there are today. So is the medical community. At the Children's Hospital
of Philadelphia, doctors are so concerned about
the rise in childhood obesity that they don't just focus
on eating habits. They are prescribing
another remedy for their young patients:
exercise. INSTRUCTOR: Two, three, four... FRANKEL: The therapists here
have a simpl
e goal. Get the kids moving and more comfortable
in their bodies. Because their future
depends on it. Today, we're at close
to 40 percent of our children are obese, overweight. They will have diabetes
and other health consequences that will cost all of us
a tremendous amount of money. This is a health crisis. FRANKEL: For Dev Pathik, who helped fuel the boom
in youth sports and now sees the downside,
the stakes couldn't be higher. He sees a generation of kids
in the balance. This cris
is that we see
in terms of who's getting access in this disparity, it will go on
for many, many years to come. We have to come up
with solutions now. Thanks for watching. Remember,
you can catch the rest of the latest edition
of Real Sports all month long on HBO. ♪ (THEME MUSIC PLAYS) ♪
Comments
I grew up and played with Parks and Recreation - it was all free - I played softball, soccer, basketball, track and swimming. I loved it so much. There was no try outs. My parents (nor any parents) rarely even came to watch! We played because it was so much fun and we made great friends. So sad those days are done.
This is why I coach Little League and don't charge for my off-season workouts......baseball shouldn't be just for the elite....I have coached, to date, 19 players that have gone onto D1 Baseball Scholarships
This is making me mad and I don't play sports. Why do I have to watch this for a quiz
As a parent who has "the means", it's not about my kid going pro. It's about giving them opportunities that I didn't have because my parents didn't have "the means". Hopefully, some of these kids will grow up to be parents with the means to provide their own kids with opportunities that they didn't have when they were kids... and the cycle continues.
It’s always been this way though. We just had coaches that covered kids without means. I see it from both sides. How can organizations and programs provide without any cash? A lot of grants don’t support sport recreations anymore. Government funding is low, so we need to find a new way to support youth sports. I hate the fact that youth sports is decreasing in the US.
Gotta love gundam 00. UC is good too.oh and narrative just kinda come out. 00 is my favourite.
I don't know of many places that don't have youth leagues run by volunteers that charge much less, whether that be baseball, soccer, basketball, or football. Parents get fooled into thinking their kid is the next big thing, but the fact still remains DNA plays a bigger role than many ever will on an athletes success.
People that have kept up with US soccer have known this for a long time . That’s why ours men’s team is garbage
Wayne Gretzky -- "In youth hockey, in most cases, it's really important for kids to play other sports - whether it's indoor lacrosse or soccer or baseball. I think what that does is two things. One, each sport helps the other sport. And then I think taking time off in the off-season - that three- or four-month window - really rejuvenates kids so when they come back at the end of August, they're more excited. They think, 'All right, hockey's back, I'm ready to go.' "
I bet Bo Jackson never had to learn to play baseball and football in some private academy. How sad.
It’s only getting worse in 2023. We drop over $10k a year on my 4th grade boy. He has done it for a couple years now and the difference in skill set to any other kid playing rec league is remarkable. He focuses on one sport most of all and if we tried to shift him sports, it might already be too late to make a comp team. Have to start early and dedicate money and time just to play.
This video was eye opening as I thought that certain sports would remain accessible to the public. I understand that certain sports such as hockey or lacrosse are inherently more expensive to play due to high gear costs, but it seems crazy that the skill gap due to personal training would be enough to push out kids from sports such as soccer or basketball. Soccer especially seems to still have an appeal to the masses as there are 11 players on the field so it would seem much less likely that the entire team is made up of players with year round personal trainers.
Leaving all of the good talent behind...I see it on the diamond
The Bo Jackson Dome is a joke. They charge 60 for a half hour lesson that shows you nothing you don’t already know. They care about money. Not kids. My son played baseball this last year, and It was a nightmare, a buddy system. Scores manipulated to suit their child on the team. One parent spending tons and tons of money to ensure her kid has a spot on the team, whether he is good or not, the list goes on and on. I wouldn’t have my son on that team again if it were free. They teach nothing about good sportsmanship, all they care about is WINNING at any and all costs. Many more great organizations out there!! You don’t have to spend thousands like we did!
What’s diminishing is the PARENTS who will take time to work with their children
As a parent of a son who is club level soccer player and a daughter who is a competitive gymnast there is a lot of truth and falsehoods in this story. Recreational leagues are booming at a higher level all throughout the U.S. The main difference is that fewer are run by cities and are private non-profit entities. They are affordable and are a great way to have your child play. I think the hard reality is that parents live vicariously through their children and are imagining if I had this chance I might have made it or I was the worst and I want my kid to be better than I was so I will shell out over 5000 a year for them to be a little bit better. Now when you practice against higher talent you get better, but your natural skills and genetics play a role in this as well. There are truths about elite training being priced out of a lot of individuals budgets, but the last time I looked fields are still there and all you need is a ball, and a bat and glove to play baseball or basketball or football or soccer. Look at Dempsey he grew up playing in his trailer park and he was able to tear it up in the premier league so are these facilities really necessary?
I'd love to see an update on this. I feel like this problem has gotten significantly worse since Covid. This was released in 2019. Since then the number of club teams in my area have grown exponentially. I don't think Covid caused this growth directly but I think it contributed to it.
I'm Europe the best soccer players in the world, Messi, Ronaldo, neymar, Marcelo, and cotinhio. played in the streets and parks for FREE to be scouted for the best teams. Now you have go to academies and pay alot of money to be in a 15th place finsher team in la liga and EPL.
I coach little league softball..... any extra time i have, I'm 100% willing to lend my time to the girls on my team. I once had a parent ask how much they owe me and i said nothing......seeing the girls improve is all care about, not the money
This is such a scam. There are some families already buried in mortgage and auto debt and decide sending their kids to travel sports (instead of recreation). Many of them think they "have the means". They also forget to mention the cost of the trips to see the orthopedic surgeon, since they play year-round.