In the early 1960s there were six Little Leagues in Greene County with a total of 36 teams. Today the equivalent Bronco level has six teams throughout the county. No doubt, video games and the decline of the baseball’s popularity has contributed to the current situation. However, the proliferation of travel teams and sport specialization are viewed by many as the primary causes of the decline of youth sports.
In 2008, 45 percent of kids ages 6-12 played on some kind of sports team. Today, only 37 percent of that age group does so. This precipitous decline in just over a decade diminishes the health, emotional and societal benefits afforded by playing on a team. What’s even more troubling is the participation divide is along economic lines.
Historically, kids played a variety of sports on locally sponsored and coached teams. In recent years, more and more families are steering their children to specialized travel teams. The theory is this will prevent them from falling behind competitively and possibly lead to scholarship opportunities.
Unfortunately, not all families are able to afford the sizable financial and time investment associated with travel teams. Some parents spend well over $10,000 a year on registration, fees, and travel costs for such teams. The young people who do not participate in the travel circuit are then at a competitive disadvantage because local resources have been diverted and facilities occupied.
In addition to these concerns, there is a large body of evidence that sports specialization leads to increased injuries in young athletes. A recent multi-year study by the Orthopedic Journal of Sports Medicine is the latest contribution to the data that establishes this correlation. If young people specialize before the age of 14, they have an increased risk of tendon and joint injuries, stress fractures, and growth plate issues due to repetitive muscle movements and a lack of rest. This is particularly true of young females, who have a 30 percent greater risk of such injuries than boys.
The idea these teams will increase the likelihood of an athletic scholarship must be viewed in relative terms. Only six percent of high school athletes ever play a collegiate game at any level. Approximately one percent receive any scholarship money. Moreover, the average scholarship amount at the Division 1 level is $ 16,000. In reality, very few “full rides” are given out and only in a handful of sports. From a financial perspective, investing the travel money in a nice 529 College Savings Plan would serve as a more practical plan to pay for college.
I recently read an account of a professional football player who chose to keep his kids out of the travel team circuit. He related how he had not started playing organized football until his freshman year in high school. He also played soccer, hockey, basketball and baseball while growing up. His experience was on local teams that never traveled farther than 30 miles from his home. Somehow, he managed to carve out a decent career for himself. His name is Tom Brady.