SUMMARY
Roughly 5 million kids are competing for travel or club sports teams that have cropped up across the country. Many benefit from that participation, including some who get college scholarships, but youth travel sports also come with increasing costs and challenges. As Stephanie Sy reports, those trade-offs and concerns are a part of the story that's getting more and more attention.
View the transcript of the story.
NOTE: If you are short on time, watch the video and complete this See, Think, Wonder activity: What did you notice? What did the story make you think? What do you want to learn more about? You can also make a Google doc copy of these general discussion questions.
News alternative: Check our recent segments from the News Hour and choose the story you’re most interested in watching. See the Google doc above for discussion questions.
WARM-UP QUESTIONS
- How big is the youth sports business?
- Who is primarily profiting from youth sports business?
- Where were the opportunities to make money in youth sports?
- Why are many parents choosing to pay for private sports leagues despite the costs?
- What are some changes Tom Farrey says should be made in youth sports?
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
- Tom Farrey argues sports are “anticompetitive…pushing aside a lot of kids who could actually go on to be our best athletes.” Do you agree with this statement? Explain your reasoning.
- Do you think the way youth sports are designed discriminate against those without the money to pay for them? How might this discourage kids and families from sports?
Media literacy: Whose voice(s) would you have liked to hear in this video? Why do you want to hear those perspectives in particular? What do you think they would have said?
WHAT STUDENTS CAN DO
Do you know how much sports in your community cost? Maybe you are part of a youth sports league, or maybe you know someone who is. You might also be on a school team, or know someone who is.
First, brainstorm all the expenses that go into participating in youth sports, including registration fees, travel costs and equipment costs. What do you think is the biggest financial burden for those participating in sports?
Next, as a class, discuss your list of expenses. What is the most surprising or unexpected that you came up with as a class? How do you think the federal, state or local government could help make sure these expenses are less of a burden on families and sports are more accessible to all?
ws Hour Classroom's Intern Sophia Sharaa with editing by Luke Gerwe.
Sign up to receive our weekly newsletter with Daily News Lessons and community events.
To provide feedback on News Hour Classroom's resources, including this lesson, click here.
