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House subcommittee hearing calls out private‑equity consolidation and rising costs in U.S. youth sports
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Summary
Witnesses told a House Committee on Education and Workforce subcommittee that rising costs and private‑equity consolidation are driving children out of youth sports, and urged measures including better data, local partnerships, antitrust enforcement, registration of providers, and redirected revenues to expand access.
A House Committee on Education and Workforce subcommittee hearing on youth sports on Dec. 14 heard bipartisan concerns that rising costs and market consolidation are squeezing many children out of organized sports.
Tom Ferry, who leads the Aspen Institute’s Sports & Society Program, told the panel that the group’s Project Play initiative aims for “63 by 30” — a 63% youth‑sports participation target by 2030 — and that reaching it would “derive at least $80,000,000,000 in social benefits and direct medical cost savings and worker productivity gains,” if implemented, according to a peer‑reviewed study he cited. Ferry and other witnesses said participation fell during the COVID downturn and has not fully rebounded, while costs have risen sharply.
Katharine Van Dyke, a senior fellow at the American Economic Liberties Project, framed the issue as one of competition and consumer protection. “I’m here to sound the alarm about the anti competitive consolidation of the youth sports industry,” she said, arguing that private‑equity rollups, vertical integration and marketing promises (for example, exposure to college recruiters) have pushed prices up and reduced choices for families.
Steve Boyle, cofounder and executive director of 241 Sports, described school‑based, year‑round programs that reach low‑ and middle‑income children and stressed the importance of after‑school hours. “Keeping them connected where they already are is the smarter and safer choice,” he said, describing programs that bring sports to schools and community sites rather than relying on expensive travel teams.
Witnesses and members discussed concrete policy options. Recommendations raised at the hearing included: improved federal data collection and local reporting on participation; registering youth‑sport providers under a system similar to the U.S. Center for SafeSport background‑check and training requirements; redirecting a portion of sports‑betting tax revenue toward coach training, injury prevention and programs for low‑income youth; and using existing federal grants (such as Land and Water Conservation Fund matching programs and economic development assistance) to prioritize community access to fields and facilities.
Van Dyke also urged stronger antitrust enforcement and statutory updates to bar vertical integration and forced arbitration in youth sports contracts so parents and small providers can enforce rights. She said breaking up or limiting the integrated control of venues, governing bodies and ranking systems would reduce conflicts of interest and lower prices.
The hearing included repeated calls for preserving and strengthening school‑based programs and parks and recreation budgets, with members from both parties pressing for ways to restore community access after budget cuts and the pandemic weakened local programs. Some members also raised separate concerns, including school safety; one member noted the committee had not held recent hearings focused on gun violence.
No formal votes or legislative actions were taken at the hearing. The committee left the record open for 14 days for written statements and additional materials.
The subcommittee will determine next steps in follow‑up hearings and potential legislative language after members review witness materials and submitted testimony.
