Elite, Premier, Select, and National youth sports teams are designed to showcase the best that youth sports has to offer — but is this really the case these days? While there are certainly some elite programs that still feature the best kids, we are also witnessing a number of other supposed elite programs (in name) comprised almost entirely of kids with average athletic talent. Largely driven by fiscal incentives, at some point “elite” stopped being a level, and instead became a very alluring marketing term. After all, who doesn’t want to have their kid on an elite team? But if seemingly every kid makes a team, and no one really earns a spot, is it really as “elite” as you might think?
“Elite” youth sports today
There are more “elite” and premier youth sport teams across sports than there has ever been before. The problem, however, is when the label “elite” expands faster than the standard required to earn it, the meaning of the label erodes. Over the last 15-20 years, club and elite programs have shifted from being very selective, development-focused teams to a large, tiered ecosystem (A/B/C teams, multiple age groups, year-round seasons). At the center of that shift is a simple reality: more teams = more revenue.
This new “elite” sports business model rewards expansion, not restriction, and increasingly more parents are wondering if their kid really is the next potential sports star, or simply on the team because mom and dad paid for him to be there? And to be clear, we are not talking a mere couple hundred bucks — associated fees with elite sports programs these days can quickly get into the thousands of dollars range due to:
- Tryout fees
- Seasonal dues
- Uniform/gear
- Tournament fees and travel costs, including gas, food, lodging, and other incidental fees
- Private training add-ons, including skill/position coaches, dieticians and nutritionists, strength coaches, and sport psychologists
I regularly talk to parents who are astonished by how quickly the fees add up, with increasingly more asking if it is all worth it? Things become especially difficult when families pay a lot of money, yet see that their child is a reserve player who doesn’t play much. Or, their child plays, but the competition doesn’t appear to be much greater than what she played against in recreation leagues. Still, huge time and financial investments are made with hopes that the experience is worth it and will help the child maximize sport abilities, and maybe have a chance to one day play at college.
With all that said, it is important for parents to do their homework and ask important questions, including the following:
- What does it actually take to make this team? What are the skills expected to have been mastered before joining, and what expectations should we have moving forward?
- Are kids being evaluated — or accommodated?
- Is this club developing important sport skills, or simply sustaining participation numbers for increased revenues?
- Would this roster look the same if money was not involved, or would a number of kids be cut if their parents did not have the financial means?
Final thoughts
While it is true that there are still some elite sport organizations that cater to very talented kids, we are seeing many clubs today expand to meet an increasing appetite for “elite” youth sport development programs. This shift occurs when families who can pay big club fees, even if their child does not have the athletic skill or potential to be on the team. As the clubs continue to grow and flourish from the influx of revenue, the on-field product continues to be watered down and more resemble a recreational sports model than it does a premier sports model. None of this is good or bad, right or wrong, but it does add new challenges for sports parents when vetting youth sport programs, and trying to discern what program is legitimate, and what program is there just for the money.
drstankovich.com
