Youth sports groups offer much more than just fun and games

Sports business programs often place great emphasis on college and professional sports because they are culturally significant, highly visible and financially lucrative. Focusing on something else can be beneficial for both students and programs. For example, a lot of attention has recently been paid to esports and the commercial aspects of women’s sports, which has a positive impact on student learning, research plans and programs as a whole. Yet youth sports, a vital and consistently large sector of the sports industry, often does not receive the attention commensurate with its strength and size.

Youth sports are big business!

Some estimate the industry’s value to be around $20 billion, exceeding the revenue of some professional leagues. Youth sports is a booming market and arguably quite resilient to economic downturns that most industries experience. The segment makes a significant contribution to the entire sports economy. For youth sports organizations like the Texas Twelve – which I founded in 2006 – revenue is generated in a variety of ways, including membership fees, merchandise sales, tournament fees, camps, sponsorships and partnerships, coaching lessons, strength and conditioning programs, and other streams.

The Texas Twelve brand

In a sea of ​​thousands, the Texas Twelve is just one example of a youth sports organization in a region of the country that revolves around two sports. The youth sports market is huge. Texas Twelve uses the slogan “something different” to differentiate the brand from others in the youth sports space. What began as a service to local baseball athletes in College Station has grown into a 2,100-member athlete and family organization with six locations across Texas and over 160 softball and baseball teams.

Texas Twelve teams have won numerous tournaments, including major national invitation-only tournaments featuring the best teams in the country. The organization has a partnership with the Boston Red Sox that includes scouting teams and player development activities, while hundreds of twelve players grace college rosters, including more than 90 from the 2021 signing class alone. Four players – Colton Cowser, Blake Mitchell , Kendall George and Braylon Payne – have been drafted in the first round in the last four years, including two in the summer of 2023. Cowser, Spencer Arrighetti and Luken Baker are former Twelve players on the major league roster, with more on the way.

Opportunities for students

While it may not be as tempting, it is likely easier and potentially more accessible to gain student experience in this segment than in professional and collegiate sports and offers a lot of potential for a positive work-life balance. Using youth sports examples in the classroom can facilitate student learning by providing professors with fertile ground for teaching complex business concepts. This helps expand knowledge of concepts such as operational logistics and efficiency, revenue generation, customer retention, financial and business modeling, and brand and marketing strategies.

Youth sports organizations can also create numerous opportunities for students, including volunteer work, internships, and internships with a focus on all of the business functions mentioned above. Personal responsibility is also possible in youth sports. It seems like a much friendlier place for a young entrepreneur interested in working and making an impact in the sports industry.

The Twelve employs a significant number of professionals with responsibilities in coaching, various management functions, fundraising, marketing, finance, accounting and partnerships working full-time in this area. CEO Kevin Hodge, the architect of the organization’s success, has a decade of experience as a professional baseball player and two degrees in sports management. Still, he had a career in youth sports that arguably served him more than working in the sports segments we often prioritize. Twelve employees would be attractive candidates for college and professional coaching and management jobs, suggesting that working in youth sports offers desirable career opportunities.

Advantages for professors

In addition to being able to use examples in class, professors can also benefit from youth sports through consulting and research opportunities. By leveraging youth sports, professors can enhance their research, consulting and service activities while contributing valuable insights to a growing sector. The size and focus of the youth sports market provides a wealth of opportunities for creative professors looking to further develop or sustain their scholarship. Although there are several high-quality lines of research in this area, there remains a lack of scientific research in various areas affecting youth sports that warrants closer attention. Organizations like the Twelve offer many potential participants and myriad business functions, which in practice provide fertile ground for exploration by sports economists.

Many state and federal agencies emphasize research that focuses on children. Sports participation, youth development and health-related studies using a sample of young athletes could produce a very competitive proposal leading to funding. While extramural funding is often not a priority in our programs, securing grants is viewed positively by the administration and can only benefit research production. Professors can serve as consultants to youth sports organizations, helping them optimize a variety of business activities. This not only benefits the organizations, but also allows professors to gain practical experience that has a positive impact on their research and teaching.

So should we focus on something else? The youth sports industry is vast, diverse, and offers endless opportunities for faculty and students interested in being creative in their academic pursuits.

Gregg Bennett ([email protected]) is the founder of the Sport Marketing Association and the Texas Twelve, as well as a Fighting Texas Aggie sports marketing professor, the most recent of which is named for Bill Sutton.

Questions about OPED guidelines or letters to the editor? Email editor Jake Kyler at [email protected]