The Commercialization of Youth Sports

Nothing sounds more wholesome than kids and sports. But as legal scholar Dionne Koller illustrates youth sports have become increasingly commercial, unregulated, and competitive with companies, including private equity firms, replacing publicly-subsidized recreational programs. This highly lucrative industry profits from, among other things, clubs, camps, equipment, mega facilities, and youth sports tourism — exacting a high cost from families and even greater physical and mental cost from children.

Dionne Koller, More Than Play: How Law, Policy, and Politics Shape American Youth Sport UC Press, 2025

Photo by Ben Hershey on Unsplash

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