Want a good investment? Put your money into Kids Sports!

It's now a $15 billion per year industry!

And some communities are resorting to taxpayer-funded facilities.

What say you? Are you ready to have big-gub'mint steal more of your earnings so little Johnny can play in a multi-million-dollar facility? His parents think he's going to be a pro athlete. Do you?

At least the parents seem to be paying the bulk of the fees and expenses. Youth sports and school athletics have long been about parents' hopes of their kids getting good at a sport to earn scholarships to pay completely for university, and maybe even make pro to get big $$$.

These private efforts have come as many high schools are finally beginning to trim out-of-control spending on athletics. Of course, the reality is that few of these kids ever have a shot at a scholarship or much else, but parents want to spend big bucks to force the issue. This quote from the story says it all: " 'I've seen parents spend a couple of hundred thousand dollars pursuing a college scholarship,' says Travis Dorsch, founding director of the Families in Sport Lab at Utah State University. 'They could have set it aside for the damn college.' "

Taxpayers recently have begun to balk at paying for pro teams' new facilities, because it has become well known that spending big bucks on a new stadium doesn't mean that spectators and tourists will help recoup it all. Instead, everyone now realizes that this socializes risk and expense on them, but privatizes profits for the teams. The taxpayers are even less likely to tolerate spending tax dollars to pay for sporting facilities for children of well-to-do parents to train for nebulous chances at nonexistent scholarships.

They are calling it a "sports economy" where upper middle class kid's parent's are spending 20-30K a year in the hopes of perfecting little Johnny's swing. It is kinda like the adult triathalon, runner, cyclist types today who are spending crazy amounts of $$$ and training like they have a shot at the big leagues after 40. Why not spend on the rare kid who realistically could become pro according to someone who knows what they are talking about, and and let the rest of them join a little league team for fun and friendship which is almost all of them

I think it is more than humorous that a billion dollar industry is the outcome of parent worship and adults in general not being truthful and realistic about a kid's potential. Part of that "every kid wins a medal" mentality and the jealous parent/kid who says that if they had the best coaching available they would rise from mediocrity and become a superstar. Traveling 7 hours to basketball practice? You've got to be kidding me! Let me guess, someone (not a pro or a sport agent) said your kid has talent. Most likely it was someone with a vested interested in your kid playing a sport.

I say if a kid has that has true superstar potential then there will be talented coaches that will happy to help the kid out. Those very rare kids can make the career of a coach. If the parents can afford and desire to spend tons of money making their kids think they will be pro athletes than they can have their delusion as long as they do not expect anyone else to foot the bill. Not to mention the huge time sink of attending all those practices and games. I knew a small handful of very gifted athletes yet none of them became superstars in college and the best they were able to do was earn a partial/full athletic scholarship to mostly unheard of colleges.

The majority are going to find it genetically impossible to play any sport out of high school or perhaps a small Junior college. Most of the promising athletes at a Junior college are ones who either have issues with academic performance or may have faced some sort of disciplinary action otherwise they would be on a full ride at a 4 year college. Once their grades improve they transfer to a 4 year school.

I've also spoke with pro ballers who were drafted for teams which had bad seasons. One was 27 and the eldest on the team. He seemed desperate to find another vocation and was considered geriatric in terms of being a pro football player. He also had sustained some serious injuries.

It takes genetics, talent, commitment, lucking out repeatedly and avoiding injuries. Plus being on a college/pro team that is winning and visible. Think the odds are higher of winning the lottery.

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cfdavep
They are calling it a "sports economy" where upper middle class kid's parent's are spending 20-30K a year in the hopes of perfecting little Johnny's swing. It is kinda like the adult triathalon, runner, cyclist types today who are spending crazy amounts of $$$ and training like they have a shot at the big leagues after 40. Why not spend on the rare kid who realistically could become pro according to someone who knows what they are talking about, and and let the rest of them join a little league team for fun and friendship which is almost all of them

I know someone like this. Well past 40 and is training for the Tour de France, spends tons of money doing so. At least he can afford it and enjoys it but the time and investment is crazy! Better fully appreciate the journey and not be too focused on the destination.

Actually there are a number of over 40 people I know of who do this because they can afford to. Most of them over train and then spend the majority of their time unable to do anything but healing an injury. Doesn't sound like fun to me but it is their life.

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freya

I know someone like this. Well past 40 and is training for the Tour de France, spends tons of money doing so. At least he can afford it and enjoys it but the time and investment is crazy! Better fully appreciate the journey and not be too focused on the destination.

Actually there are a number of over 40 people I know of who do this because they can afford to. Most of them over train and then spend the majority of their time unable to do anything but healing an injury. Doesn't sound like fun to me but it is their life.

People should spend their money as they see fit. My problem with bike races, marathons, and 10K's is that they tie up city streets for multiple hours, thereby impeding commerce, travel, and emergency services for the residents.

Marathons are by far the worst--they result in over 26 miles of blockaded roads for an entire day. And for what? So the runners can run until they shit their pants? Bullshit. It's nothing but fanfare-seeking and attention-whoring. If they love running so much, they should run around their homes 9000 times and let the rest of us go about our business unimpeded.

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cfdavep
They are calling it a "sports economy" where upper middle class kid's parent's are spending 20-30K a year in the hopes of perfecting little Johnny's swing.

They would do better by taking that 20-30K each year and investing it in tax free bonds, etc...and reinvesting the profits each year. Little Johnny and his siblings would then have a well funded college fund, and wouldn't have to fucking worry about a sports scholarship. But hey, that's too practical, so what would I know?

Don't get me started on sports programs. Schools are in major need of repair, there are 35 kids to a class, textbooks are outdated, arts programs are being cut. Tulsa schools are looking at a 4 day school week to save $$$$, but of course the football team gets a blank check and the coaches rake it in every year.

Don't get me started on this.

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StudioFiftyFour
It's now a $15 billion per year industry!

And some communities are resorting to taxpayer-funded facilities.

What say you? Are you ready to have big-gub'mint steal more of your earnings so little Johnny can play in a multi-million-dollar facility? His parents think he's going to be a pro athlete. Do you?

Add in the medical costs. we reduced a 10 year old's dislocated shoulder at work yesterday.

Football. kick ball get check.

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“There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man.”

https://www.yahoo.com/beauty/shocking-video-shows-denver-high-142228565.html

This girl is being forced into the splits and she is "just" a cheerleader. That is not a way to get flexible. The kid may have a serious injury and will be paying for it when she gets older,also I hope that the people doing this will be charged

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cfdavep
https://www.yahoo.com/beauty/shocking-video-shows-denver-high-142228565.html

This girl is being forced into the splits and she is "just" a cheerleader. That is not a way to get flexible. The kid may have a serious injury and will be paying for it when she gets older,also I hope that the people doing this will be charged

Parents spend massive amounts of money on cheerleading, as well. Believe it or not, this is even more misguided than the traditional sports parents insofar as even if the girls somehow make it to the "pros," cheerleading is not at all a lucrative choice in professions.

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cfdavep
https://www.yahoo.com/beauty/shocking-video-shows-denver-high-142228565.html

This girl is being forced into the splits and she is "just" a cheerleader. That is not a way to get flexible. The kid may have a serious injury and will be paying for it when she gets older,also I hope that the people doing this will be charged

I hope so too and I hope this girl survives the aftermath of this in her school.

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StudioFiftyFour

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cfdavep
https://www.yahoo.com/beauty/shocking-video-shows-denver-high-142228565.html

This girl is being forced into the splits and she is "just" a cheerleader. That is not a way to get flexible. The kid may have a serious injury and will be paying for it when she gets older,also I hope that the people doing this will be charged

Parents spend massive amounts of money on cheerleading, as well. Believe it or not, this is even more misguided than the traditional sports parents insofar as even if the girls somehow make it to the "pros," cheerleading is not at all a lucrative choice in professions.

I looked into being on a professional dance team in my 20's because I thought it would be fun to be on a team. I couldn't afford it! You have to find a job that will work around the practice schedule and because your hours are severely limited, you have to live with roommates. I found that most women at that age were very flighty as far as paying rent or moving in with boyfriends and leaving their roommates high and dry. I guess it could be done if you lived at home with your parents and were willing to work the equivalent of two jobs for the pay of one. No thanks!

I actually know people that spend an incredible amount of money for their 12 year old daughter to be on a traveling softball team. They honestly think that this will get her a scholarship, and they say that's why they're doing it. (Nevermind that dad apparently played college baseball but insists that has nothing to do with it and his daughter loves not having a social life and driving all over the Pacific Northwest every weekend). I'm left scratching my head trying to explain that if they let her be a kid and maybe play on her school team for a few months of the year (and likely have more fun with less pressure) they could invest that money elsewhere where it would make a bigger impact on their lives. It's like talking to an irrational brick wall.

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cfdavep
https://www.yahoo.com/beauty/shocking-video-shows-denver-high-142228565.html

This girl is being forced into the splits and she is "just" a cheerleader. That is not a way to get flexible. The kid may have a serious injury and will be paying for it when she gets older,also I hope that the people doing this will be charged

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2775356/

Cheerleading Injuries and Safety

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“There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man.”

A lot of cheerleading injuries are from them trying to be gymnasts, but don't have actual gymnastics (or diving) coaches teaching them proper technique nor are they doing the conditioning for their muscles to gain the strength to get the height they need. So the girls just throw their bodies around trying to do aerial skills but have no air sense and haven't set the skill properly, so they end up getting injured.

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