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 systems and league operations creates conflicts of interest that let firms raise prices and limit competition.

Steve Boyle, cofounder and executive director of 2 4 1 Sports, described school-based, year-round programs that reach children who otherwise lack access, and said filling the after-school hours is critical. "Keeping them connected where they already are is the smarter and safer choice," Boyle said.

Witnesses and members cited similar figures: Aspen Institute research and witnesses referenced a roughly $40 billion youth-sports industry and survey data showing families now spend about $1,000 to $1,500 per child on a primary sport, increases many witnesses said have priced families out of local recreation leagues. Ferry and others described participation falling after COVID to as low as 49 percent and rebounding to roughly 55 percent, short of the Healthy People 2030 target.

The witnesses offered a mix of policy proposals. Ferry recommended better federal and local data collection, mandatory registration of youth-sport providers with the U.S. Center for SafeSport and financial incentives for background checks, coach training and injury prevention. He also suggested redirecting a portion of federal sports-betting excise revenue to support access programs. Van Dyke urged "aggressive" use of existing antitrust tools and modernization of the law to limit vertical integration, prohibit conflicts that give preferential access to facilities or recruiting exposure, and bar forced-arbitration clauses.

Members pressed for practical steps. Chair Wahlberg asked how cost increases have hollowed out local, low-cost programs; Ferry said the shift to early, tryout-based travel teams and commercialization has reduced in-town rec leagues. Representative Adams cited a GAO finding that K–12 budget pressures limit schools’ capacity to provide transportation, facilities and staffing and asked whether federal investment and local partnerships could counter rising private costs; Van Dyke and other witnesses said increased public funding and stronger enforcement are needed.

Several members raised related concerns: Representative Miller asked about participation by transgender students and equitable access; witnesses said the hearing’s primary focus remained access and broad participation goals. Members also highlighted operational barriers in rural districts, such as bus-driver shortages and transportation that limit school-based participation.

There were no formal votes. In closing, ranking member Bonamici said the discussion showed bipartisan agreement on programmatic, financial and cultural steps to expand access and urged more local and federal investment and partnerships between parks-and-rec districts and schools. "We must do more to counter private equity's outsized role in this industry," Bonamici said.

The subcommittee did not mark up legislation at the hearing; witnesses and members identified data collection, municipal permitting terms, targeted grants and antitrust enforcement as possible next steps to increase access and reduce price barriers for families.