Pandemic Represents a Chance to Reset Youth Sports for the Better Going Forward
By Ken Reed
The pandemic has shut down a good portion of youth sports activities across the country. This has caused a lot of frustration for kids, parents, coaches and youth sports organizations.
Obviously, the goal is to keep children, and the adults they live with, as safe as possible during the pandemic. However, the pause in youth sports activities is negatively impacting our young people in many ways.
There has been nearly a 50 per cent drop in physical activity among U.S. children from the start of the pandemic, according to a survey done in September by the Aspen Institute. That spike in physical inactivity will undoubtedly have negative health implications.
In addition, many kids are struggling mentally and emotionally without sports. Suverys have shown that feelings of anxiety and depression have spiked during the pandemic among young athletes.
What’s also concerning is that young people are finding things other than sports to spend their time on during the shutdown. Their interest in playing sports has dropped. Nearly three out of 10 children who played a sport before the pandemic are no longer interested in participating, according to the Aspen Institute study.
The youth sports industry needed to start working together in a more coordinated way before the pandemic to increase participation, safety, etc. Given the statistics noted above, an integrated approach is even more important today.
“To have any chance for success, the youth sports industry must utilize and rely on those lifelong traits we learned from playing sports,” writes Brian Litvack, the CEO and co-founder of LeagueApps, a youth sports management platform, in a recent Sportico article. “We need to all work together as a team.”
Ah yes, teamwork. Coordination has never been an American strength in the world of sports (off the field that is), from the pro level down to the youth level. Countries like Canada and Australia have done a much better job integrating youth sports into the country’s overall sports policy initiatives.
Litvack lists several recommendations to make the youth sports industry more cohesive coming out of the pandemic, including:
Government participation — “Federal, state and local governments recognized the importance of youth sports during the pandemic,” writes Litvack.
“We now need to leverage that awareness to solicit government support and structured programs to support youth sports communities. We need to educate government agencies on their roles in youth sports.”
As an example, PLAY Sports Coalition, is a youth sports policy advocacy organization pushing for policies that advance the youth sports field.
More involvement from professional sports leagues and clubs — “The pros have a vested interest in developing the next generation of players and fans,” writes Litvack.
“We need these organizations to continue their efforts to invest in youth sport (and the future of all sports). Professional sports can help drive new ways to organize the ‘bottom of the pyramid’ and support rec programs—an area of youth sports that has struggled to evolve.”
You can read more about Litvack’s ideas for unifying the youth sports world here.
— Ken Reed, Sports Policy Director, League of Fans

Sports Forum Podcast
Episode #8 – League of Fans’ Sports Forum podcast: How Can We Save College Sports From Overcommercialization and Professionalization? – The guest is Dr. David Ridpath, a sports business professor and past president of the Drake Group, whose mission is to defend academic integrity in higher education from the corrosive aspects of commercialized college sports.
Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and Anchor.
Follow on Facebook: @SportsForumPodcast
More Episodes on Apple Podcasts; Spotify; Google Podcasts; PocketCasts; & Anchor
Episode #7 – League of Fans’ Sports Forum podcast: Brain Trauma and CTE Risk in Sports With Dr. Ann McKee – Dr. McKee works in the field of neuropathology and has demonstrated that “mild” repetitive head trauma can provoke chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a devastating neurodegenerative disease.
Episode #6 – League of Fans’ Sports Forum podcast: The Need for Quality Physical Education in Our Schools is Greater Than Ever – The guest is Clayton Ellis, one of our nation’s leading advocates for getting our young people to be more physically active.
Episode #5 – League of Fans’ Sports Forum podcast: Youth Sports with Positive Coaching Alliance Founder Jim Thompson – Thompson started Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) in 1998 to help create a movement to transform the culture of youth sports from “win-at-all-costs” to a positive, character-building experience.
Episode #4 – League of Fans’ Sports Forum podcast: The Biggest Issue in Sports Today? Brain Trauma – The guest is Patrick Hruby, a journalist who has done extensive research and in-depth writing on the topic of brain trauma in sports, most notably football.
Episode #3 – League of Fans’ Sports Forum podcast: Coaching Styles with Sports Sociologist Jay Coakley – The guest is veteran sports sociologist Jay Coakley, a former college athlete who went on to earn a Ph.D. in Sociology from Notre Dame.
Media
"How We Can Save Sports" author Ken Reed appears on Fox & Friends to explain how there's "too much adult in youth sports."
Ken Reed appears on Mornings with Gail from KFKA Radio in Colorado to discuss bad parenting in youth athletics.
“Should College Athletes Be Paid?” Ken Reed on The Morning Show from Wisconsin Public Radio
Ken Reed appears on KGNU Community Radio in Colorado (at 02:30) to discuss equality in sports and Title IX.
Ken Reed appears on the Ralph Nader Radio Hour (at 38:35) to discuss his book The Sports Reformers: Working to Make the World of Sports a Better Place, and to talk about some current sports issues.
Sports & Torts – Ken Reed, Sports Policy Director, League of Fans – at the American Museum of Tort Law
League of Fans is a sports reform project founded by Ralph Nader to fight for the higher principles of justice, fair play, equal opportunity and civil rights in sports; and to encourage safety and civic responsibility in sports industry and culture.
Books