House subcommittee hears that private-equity consolidation and rising costs have priced many children out of youth sports

WASHINGTON — Witnesses told a House Education and Labor subcommittee on early childhood, elementary and secondary education that private-equity consolidation and rising costs are shrinking access to youth sports and leaving low- and middle-income children behind.

Tom Ferry, executive director of the Aspen Institute’s Sports & Society Program, said the nation’s youth-sports participation rate has fallen below earlier benchmarks and described Project Play’s 63 by 30 campaign aiming to raise participation to 63 percent by 2030. "If we can hit the 63 target by 2030, the nation will derive at least $80 billion in social benefits and direct medical cost savings," Ferry said.

Katharine Van Dyke, a senior fellow at the American Economic Liberties Project, said private-equity firms have used serial acquisitions and vertical integration to concentrate control of leagues, facilities and registration platforms. "Private equity is stealthily capturing youth sports," Van Dyke said, arguing that ownership of venues, ranking…