More Perfect Union — a progressive nonprofit news outlet — posted a 15-minute video on Friday titled “How Private Equity Destroyed Youth Sports.”
The report played all the usual notes, plus some news — a trio of Congressional Democrats plan to introduce legislation aimed at youth sports costs later this month.
The Let Kids Play Act will be sponsored by New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy and Pennsylvania Rep. Chris Deluzio. All three have spoken out on youth sports matters.
The bill will:
1) Call for a ban on private equity involvement in youth sports.
2) Seek to prohibit “stay to play” practices.
3) Aim to redirect financial resources back into community sports.
The MPU report also features American Economic Liberties Project’s Katherine Van Dyke — not an elected official, but clearly one of the voices drawing the playbook being used.
The former FTC attorney represented private gyms in a lawsuit against Varsity Brands that secured a $43.5M settlement.
Van Dyke also called on Congress to use antitrust law to curb PE’s involvement in youth sports during House testimony last year. She was at Deluzio’s recent field hearing (also featured in the report) in his Pittsburgh-area district and is set to speak at this week’s Project Play Summit in Boston.
Also: The Michigan attorney general’s office has reportedly opened an antitrust investigation into the state’s youth hockey industry and stay-to-play tournaments. A public radio affiliate in the state obtained a questionnaire sent to a youth hockey parent that said prior Buying Sandlot sponsor Black Bear Sports Group is a subject of the probe, but is not the sole focus. BBSG told the radio station it was unaware of any investigation.
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