This is Buying Sandlot — the only newsletter that focuses solely on the business of youth sports.
Let’s get to it.
In the email today:
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Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) is not the first politician to criticize the rising cost of youth sports.
But he is arguably the most prominent and potentially impactful, which is why the industry should take note.
Booker — a former Stanford football player — said “youth sports in America should not be a luxury good” in a video posted to his personal X account on Saturday afternoon.
The post also had content derived from a New York Times story last fall that asked teenagers for their thoughts about youth sports costs.
Booker’s comments in full:
“This isn’t right. Youth sports in America should not be a luxury good or only available to the wealthiest in our society. Look, I would not be where I am today if it weren’t for the sports I played growing up.
“We need to take on the big companies that are driving up prices for their unjust profit. Congress needs to be more aggressive and fund youth sports in our country. Kids should have an opportunity to be kids, to play, to compete, to find their path and to enjoy the benefits of sports. It’s something that is truly American that’s now being moved further and further out of the reach of most Americans. This is wrong.”
Booker is up for re-election this fall. Many expect he will run for president in 2028. Booker is also considered a contender to be the next Senate Democratic leader.
In other words: It seems unlikely this was a one-off. Booker will probably have more to say and do. So stay tuned.
Kyle S. is out of the office today, but I will shout out his 2026 prediction about lawmakers taking a head-on approach to youth sports’ accessibility and affordability issues.
Booker hinted at two possible legislative approaches/avenues in his video.
Congress providing more funding for youth sports seems pretty straightforward. The details would obviously matter a great deal, but the concept should be welcomed by all and draw strong bipartisan support.
Booker’s pointed words about “big companies” and “unjust profit” figure to be far more polarizing.
Remember: The most forceful witness at last December’s House hearing on youth sports was the American Economic Liberties Project’s Katherine Van Dyck, an FTC attorney during the Biden Administration. She railed against private equity in youth sports and called on Congress to deploy antitrust laws to curb PE’s involvement.
Booker’s comments would seem to potentially mesh with Van Dyck’s line of argument. And if he and fellow Democrats go down this road, it could have a significant impact on the youth sports industry, from media attention* to congressional hearings to federal investigations to, potentially, new laws and legal ramifications.
That approach could also find some surprising allies. The Justice Department’s antitrust enforcement under President Trump has been aggressive in markets that impact ordinary consumers.
Youth sports would be a textbook example of that — especially for a president and administration that have made sports and youth fitness key aspects of their political operation.
Tomorrow is the one-year anniversary of the start of Booker’s 25-hour floor speech, the longest in Senate history. He knows how to draw attention to his causes — and it seems youth sports may be his newest one.
* — Another reminder that when the NYT or Wall Street Journal or any other prestige media outlet reports on the industry, the tent of people paying attention always gets bigger.
🏟️ Two Weeks Until The Buying Sandlot Summit
It is now about a fortnight until we #seeyouinphilly.
The full Buying Sandlot Summit agenda is available on the event website. There are still 1-2 panels and some moderators we are working through, so please be mindful that times are subject to change slightly.
Ticket prices increase to $749 on Wednesday, so get them now!
🏈 Buying Sandlot At Flag Football World Championships
Our Kyle Pagan was on the scene at Disney World last month when Unrivaled Sports hosted the Youth Flag Football World Championships in partnership with Under Armour.
He got a first-hand look at the booming business of flag and spoke with Jim Reynolds, Unrivaled’s CEO for football and emerging sports.
Kyle also located the drippiest gloves of all time.
Be sure to check out his video report above.
⚾️ Perfect Game Launches New Original Content
PG debuted the first episode of “Uncommitted,” a series that "takes viewers inside the lives of athletes who have faced setbacks, been overlooked or taken nontraditional paths in their development."
The program will be hosted by travel baseball coach Nelly Gonzalez; it is available on YouTube and the PGTV app.
PG said the project is a collaboration between its media and scouting arms. New episodes will be released monthly.
🧢 Bank of America’s New Initiatives
Initiative No. 1: BOA has partnered with U.S. Soccer and the Soccer Forward Foundation to kick off the Soccer in Schools program ahead of this summer’s World Cup.
The program aims to make soccer accessible at every school in the country by 2030 with a focus on training/retaining volunteers and expanding access to safe playing fields.
Initiative No. 2: BOA will also partner with eight-time major winner Tom Watson and his nonprofit to expand youth golf access nationwide.
Watson Links "pairs junior golfers ... with adult golf mentors for nine-hole rounds designed to drive fun, teach golf etiquette, and develop important social and life-readiness skills."
WL served over 1K athletes in 21 states last year and is expected to serve thousands more through the partnership.
Remember: BOA announced the Sports for Us campaign, which features soccer legend David Beckham as the face, earlier this year.
Quick Take: Two major trends pop up again — the push to get 63% youth sports participation by 2030 and the elimination of barriers to youth golf access.
🏒 Bond Sports Scores Hockey Partnership
The sports facilities management software provider will team with Sub-Zero Software, which provides ice maintenance and arena management solutions.
The companies have integrated their platforms specifically for ice venues to “streamline communication and coordination between facility management and ice maintenance operators.”
The collaboration is specifically designed to align scheduling, resurfacing workflow and locker room management, reducing friction and providing greater operational efficiency.
⚽️ More Focus On Soccer Participation
Boys and Girls Clubs of America aims to double participation in its soccer programming — from 91K athletes to 180K — this year through a slew of partnerships.
BGCA wants to reach 1M kids in total through activities and events; it will emphasize training coaches and referees and infrastructure improvements.
💼 A Big Youth Sports Job Opening
GameChanger is hiring a VP of brand marketing.
The role "will help us define what an iconic brand looks like in the era of social media, AI, and always-on culture,” CCO Cynthia Kleinbaum Milner posted on LinkedIn.
More about the position can be found here.
🤦♂️ Parents Behaving Badly
This is a doozy.
A coach and parent in Texas is suing his kid’s Little League organization, contending it broke state law by refusing to turn over election and financial records.
The man — who was kicked off the Katy American Little League board after filing his lawsuit — wants a judge to order a full financial audit.
Several other board members and parents have expressed concerns about the organization’s financials in the past, according to a Houston TV station.
The TV station also reported the league president’s wife is listed as a director on the league’s IRS forms despite a prior theft conviction involving a former employer.
The woman overpaid a vendor almost $200K “in hopes of beginning a romantic relationship with him,” according to the station.
The league declined to comment, claiming it has not yet been served with the lawsuit.
Quick Take: The full accounting (no pun intended) still has to be done with this specific matter. But financial malfeasance at the local level remains a major problem for the industry. And someone really needs to launch a youth sports-focused TV court show.
🔗 Youth Sports Links
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