The Benefits Of Youth Sports

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In the last 100 years, youth sport has grown to be commonplace regardless of one’s race, gender, or their families’ income level. Yet before WWII, youth sport and their respective tournaments were primarily populated by poor immigrant families. Afterwards, youth sport grew in popularity, especially with the middle class. “It wasn’t until the 1970’s that youth sport for both sexes was embraced by upper-middle-class communities, where parents came to believe that competitive youth sport was a requirement if their kids were to be successful” (Woods, 2016). As more parents grew to value youth sports positive influence on their children, growth skyrocketed. However, according to Woods, youth sport programs benefited most from the passage of Title IX in 1972 (2016). He attributed this rise to the already staggering growth rate and the addition to girls playing fewer “ladylike” sports, such as figure skating, swimming, or gymnastics, and more sports like softball or basketball. One of the questions that surround youth sport is who should pay for it. When public funds are not available private businesses have stepped in to ensure the sports are more affordable. Based on the nature of the businesses, they expect a return on investment that can be found in product recognition, fees, or even an increase of fanbase (Woods 2016). Woods defines two kinds of organized sport. Firstly, Athlete-organized sport. Defined by Woods, athlete-organized sport is when the athlete participates in a