“An American problem”: youth sports and its hurdles

Increasing costs. The pandemic. Crazy parents. American youth sports is facing some serious hurdles, and the numbers bear it out. Millions of kids still play, but participation has dipped. Dr. Amy Giddings, chair of Sport & Recreation Management at Temple University and a former collegiate scholarship athlete, even finds herself questioning how much youth sports, in their current environment, are worth it. The outlook for youth sports in the United States, however, isn’t all doom and gloom. Giddings says that despite recent struggles, the country’s youth sports culture could very well be positioned for long-term improvement.