Game on: The $40 billion play in youth sports

Game on: The $40 billion play in youth sports

American families spend over $1,000 annually on average for a child’s primary sport 

06.23.2025

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Game on: The $40 billion play in youth sports
Game on: The $40 billion play in youth sports

Sports for littles is big business: There are some 48 million children ages 6-17 according to U.S. Census data, and more than half of them (54.1%) play organized sports.1,2 This is fueling a booming youth sports market, with parents spending an estimated $40 billion annually on kids’ sports activities.3

Read more: Power players and the business of sports

Pay to play

Neighborhood pick-up games and sports “for the fun of it” used to be a sandlot era rite of passage. Today, organized youth sports are taking on a different identity: Exclusive, expensive, and high-pressure. Starting as early as age 6 or even before, kids are playing on teams designed to prepare them for high school and college athletics, and potentially beyond, with multiple practices weekly, intense year-round schedules, pricey camps, and competitive travel tournaments led by paid coaches, not parent volunteers.4

Parents are devoting more time, money, and resources than ever to their children’s sports activities.5 Many families hire their own private coaches and invest in top-tier equipment to help their kids gain a competitive edge on the field and court — and on their college applications, with aspirations of attracting an athletic scholarship to potentially ease college costs.6 But training young athletes to slam-dunk like LeBron or bend it like Beckham has many Americans feeling the kick in their wallets. According to a recent study, “sports families” in the U.S. spent $1,016 on average on their child’s primary sport in 2024 — up 46% since 2019, and about $475 more on the same child’s other sports.7 And that roughly $1,500 tab multiplies for families with more than one kid in sports.

Private travel and club teams may be the game changers, with costs for everything from joining fees to participate to uniforms, equipment, and travel costs, which can add up.8 In fact, The Aspen Institute reports that some parents put their youth sports costs at as high as $25,000.9 Hockey checks as the most expensive, with a $2,583 annual price tag — and maybe the hopes of a shot at becoming the next Gordie Howe.10 Then there’s the added costs of travel tournaments, which might mean two nights in a hotel for around $400, plus meals, gas, and other incidentals.11 

Read more: Business of Play: Women’s sports set to top $2 billion in 2025

Investors come off the bench

In recent years, private equity has taken notice of professional sports franchises and their potential as long-term investments. And now private equity and venture capital investors are playing ball with youth sports too, particularly in team-based activities in the areas of technology integration and differentiated experiences.12

The venture capital arm of retailer Dick's Sporting Goods is making the latest play, taking the lead in a $120 million round investment in Unrivaled Sports, a private equity youth sports properties and programming group focused on enhancing experiences for young athletes.13 The partnership will expand Unrivaled Sports’s destinations and offerings, including investing in sports complexes and playing fields, and building up lodging, retail, and food and beverage amenities to support players and sporting event attendees.

Meanwhile, the umbrella company of Unrivaled Sports, which includes more than a dozen youth sports ventures, is hoping for a home run with its investment in Cooperstown All Star Village, neighbor to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.14 The sports village has added as much as $95 million to the local economy, last year drawing a record 12,000 players from 763 youth baseball teams to showcase their talents.15

While Unrivaled Sports ranks among the most prominent developers, consolidation of leagues, assets, and investors has been happening nationwide, including Chicago firm Waud Capital Partners LLC scooping up a majority stake in scheduling/roster management app TeamSnap Inc. for upwards of $50 million.16

Read more: Private equity turns to luxury brands, beauty, hotels and sports teams

Scoring lifelong benefits

Even with the hefty price tag, investment in youth sports shows no signs of slowing. Research from The Harris Poll and First Tee reveals 92% of parents believe playing sports helps children build character and 90% think it teaches them important life skills.17 Though few child athletes ultimately become professional ones, 9 in 10 parents believe the experience pays off: Youth sports participation, shaped by meaningful coaching, can have long-term benefits like building confidence and resilience, and developing life skills.18

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1 The U.S. Census Bureau, “Age of Own Children Under 18 Years in Families and Subfamilies by Living Arrangements by Employment Status of Parents,” 2023.

2 Centers for Disease Control NCHS Data Brief, “Organized Sports Participation Among Children Aged 6–17 Years: United States, 2020,” August 2022.

3 Project Play, The Aspen Institute, “2024 Parenting Survey FINAL REPORT,” 2025.

4 Bloomberg, “Private Equity Is Coming for Youth Sports,” August 29, 2024.

5 Ohio State News, “Parents spending more time, resources and money on kids’ sports,” June 12, 2025.

6 Bloomberg, “Private Equity Is Coming for Youth Sports,” August 29, 2024.

7 Project Play, The Aspen Institute, “2024 Parenting Survey FINAL REPORT,” 2025.

8 Engage, Towson University, “The economic weight of youth travel sports,” April 11, 2025.

9 The Aspen Institute, “Project Play survey: Family spending on youth sports rises 46% over five years,” March 3, 2025.

10 Cleveland.com, “The ridiculous cost of youth sports includes pay-to-stay-to-play hockey tournaments: Our Best Life,” August 16, 2024.

11 Cleveland.com, “The ridiculous cost of youth sports includes pay-to-stay-to-play hockey tournaments: Our Best Life,” August 16, 2024.

12 Youth Sports Business Report, “The 2025 Sports Investment Landscape: Where Smart Capital is Flowing in the Evolving Sports Ecosystem,” March 20, 2025.

13 Women’s Wear Daily, “Dick’s Sporting Goods Is Making a Big Investment in Youth Sports,” May 6, 2025.

14 Bloomberg, “Private Equity Is Coming for Youth Sports,” August 29, 2024.

15 Bloomberg, “Private Equity Is Coming for Youth Sports,” August 29, 2024.

16 Bloomberg, “Private Equity Is Coming for Youth Sports,” August 29, 2024.

17 Forbes, “Parents Continue To Believe Investing In Youth Sports Will Pay Dividends, New Study Shows,” May 12, 2025.

18 Forbes, “Parents Continue To Believe Investing In Youth Sports Will Pay Dividends, New Study Shows,” May 12, 2025.


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