Stop making youth sports inaccessible

Sports are a cornerstone of childhood development. Sports teach children to form healthy habits, work with others and develop self-confidence. Yet for children in low-income households, the joy of rounding the bases, scoring that touchdown or making that shot is slipping out of reach. The shift toward privatizing athletics prevents many children from participating.

Something needs to change.

Travel (or private) sports teams are made up of elite youth athletes. They travel to games, tournaments and clinics. These teams are separate from school-affiliated or recreational leagues. They are, instead, part of club or private programs. These teams focus on developing higher-level skills and showcasing athletes in front of scouts.

In my experience, youth travel athletes typically range from 8 to 18, with most I’ve seen starting around 10 years old.

Travel teams operate independently, relying primarily on funding from families of the athletes. While fundraising efforts and sponsorships can lessen the burden, parents are responsible for covering equipment, registration fees, travel and other associated fees

I have been around travel softball teams since I was 11 and my dad started coaching one. I spent a lot of time accompanying him to practices and games before I decided to join a team.

Being on and around travel teams has helped me in so many ways — from developing relationships that have lasted over a decade to learning skills like commitment and organization. I was also able to travel and see new sights. However, it wasn’t so much the travel team that benefited me. It was the people I was around.

Maddie Wright

I cannot sit here and ignore the barriers these teams create for children growing up in low-income households. I’m grateful for the privilege of being able to play on and continue to be around travel teams. Still, I can’t help but wonder how much talent is lost simply because kids are priced out of playing on these teams.

Over my time playing, I have had teammates who took private planes to tournaments, stayed in high-end hotels and drove luxury cars. I remember a particular teammate staying at the Renaissance at a tournament in Providence, while the rest of us stayed at the Days Inn. On the other hand, I’ve had teammates who could not afford to buy new cleats or a new bat. They would use hand-me-downs from others willing to give up their old equipment. I have also seen teammates traveling with others’ families for away tournaments because their family could not afford to take time off work.

My dad continues to coach, and my younger cousin now plays. I see that kids from wealthy households are becoming more of the typical demographic. A New York Times op-ed recently reported that “34.1 percent of kids from the poorest families were on sports teams or had coaching outside of school, compared with 67.7 percent of the wealthiest families.” Kids in low-income households are being pushed away.

Though it varies, the promedio seasonal fee to play on a youth travel softball team was around $1,258 back in 2017, said Bill Lennon, founder of Groundwork, which helps youth sports organizations collect fees. This figure does not include additional equipment or travel costs. For example, the newest model of the bat I used during my last season, in 2019, now sells for nearly $500. This is simply not feasible for kids growing up in low-income households. A survey of 4,000 Kansas City children by the Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program found that “children from low-income households were three times less likely to play on traveling teams than those from high-income homes.” This figure reflects a lack of opportunity, and that is unacceptable.

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