The U.S. youth sports problem that connects soccer and baseball

Key Points:

• Ali Curtis, EVP of MLS sporting development, and Kenneth Wood, father of MLB All-Star James Wood, are working to reduce cost barriers and increase access in youth soccer and baseball, respectively.
• Curtis highlights the complexity of diversifying U.S. soccer talent, noting the suburban, middle- and upper-class dominance in youth soccer, and stresses the need for collective alignment and better access to facilities and clubs.
• Kenneth Wood experienced firsthand the high costs of youth baseball travel teams, contrasting it with basketball, and co-created KeoApp, a platform to simplify scheduling and reduce fees for youth sports teams in the D.C. area.
• Both Curtis and Wood emphasize the importance of making youth sports more affordable and accessible to broaden participation and talent development, with Curtis optimistic about soccer’s cultural growth following the recent World Cup.
• The article underscores the broader issue of escalating youth sports expenses in the U.S., which often exclude lower-income families despite the potential for sports to unite and develop diverse talent.