Sports are becoming less popular with younger demographics. And if leagues and networks aren’t ready to encounter it now, it may become a huge dilemma that they can’t help but face.
Research has already shown that Gen Z has a significant falloff when it comes to being sports fans, and if trends continues, future generations may be even more tuned out from sports.
Perhaps sensing the need for change when it comes to youth and sports, ESPN announced this week a massive investment in youth sports that hopes to make a transformative impact.
ESPN is launching an initiative called Take Back Sports as part of the Aspen Institute’s Project Play Summit with the goal of removing barriers and increasing participation in youth sports. The network is specifically partnering with Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry and his wife Ayesha Curry’s foundation that is doing similar work in Oakland.
ESPN has also highlighted four areas of focus for a $5 million investment in youth sports nationwide, identifying several organizations that they are partnering with in the areas of community leagues, training, multi-sport encouragement, and promoting fun.
- Community recreational leagues where kids of all skill levels and backgrounds have a place to play.
- ESPN has made grants to the Women’s Sports Foundation’s Sports 4 Life program, Special Olympics Unified Sports, among other programs that provide access to sports.
- Quality coaching training where coaches become further developed in critical competencies to better help kids thrive.
- ESPN is teaming up with Positive Coaching Alliance and the National Recreation and Park Association as part of the Million Coaches Challenge to provide training to coaches throughout the country.
- Encouragement of multisport play in an effort to prevent injuries and burnout, ultimately helping kids develop into stronger athletes.
- ESPN has invested in multisport programs through Boys & Girls Clubs of America ALL STARS program, as well as 2-4-1 Sports.
- Promoting the fun in sports, which according to a study by the National Institute of Health, children cite ‘fun’ as the primary reason for participation in organized sport and its absence as the number one reason for youth sport attrition.
- ESPN is collaborating to better equip kids to have fun through support of mental wellness programming with Doc Wayne, including its sport-based therapy programs and trauma-informed education for coaches, as well as Athletes for Hope CHAMPS program.
“It’s time to take back youth sports from a system that has prioritized profit over well-being,” Kevin Martinez, Vice President of Corporate Citizenship at ESPN is quoted as saying in the announcement. “Travel leagues have overtaken recreational leagues, specialization has replaced multisport play, and winning has come at the expense of fun. We need to shift the focus back to what matters — making sports accessible, enjoyable and rewarding for all kids. With ESPN’s deep sports expertise and unwavering commitment to community impact, we are uniquely positioned to help drive this change to elevate the conversation, invest in meaningful solutions and unite stakeholders to reimagine youth sports for the next generation.”
ESPN also says there will be a national campaign in the year ahead aimed at making youth sports stronger with content planned for studio shows and event coverage. Furthermore, the network is pledging “purposeful storytelling” about youth sports that will partner with athletes and leagues across their various platforms.
From exhaustive and expensive travel leagues to out of control and toxic parents, youth sports are in a fractious and stressful place in America. With the demands and stresses placed on kids these days, it’s no wonder that so many more youth are becoming disinterested and dispassionate about sports.
Unfortunately, the issues plaguing youth sports seem so large that this effort from ESPN really needs to be one of many similar nationwide campaigns from sports leagues and their media partners to change the tide. But here’s hoping it is at least a step in the right direction.
