Youth sports groups are a pipeline to much more than just fun and games

Sport business programs often focus much attention on college and professional sports because they are culturally significant, highly visible and financially lucrative. Focusing on something different can reap benefits for students and programs. For instance, much attention has recently been paid to esports and the commercial aspects of women’s sports, providing benefit to student learning, research agendas and programs overall. Yet the youth sports segment, an essential and consistently large sector of the sports industry, often doesn’t get the level of attention equated to its strength and size.

Youth Sports are BIG Business! 

Some estimate the industry to be worth around $20 billion, surpassing the revenues of some professional leagues. Youth sports is a booming market and is arguably quite resistant to economic downturns typically experienced by most industries. The segment significantly contributes to the overall sports economy in a powerful manner. Revenue is generated in a variety of ways for youth sports organizations such as the Texas Twelve — which I founded in 2006 — 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 serves as just a single case of one youth sport organization, in one region of the country, organized around two sports. The youth sports market is immense. Texas Twelve uses the tagline “something different” as a way to differentiate the brand from others in the youth sports space. What began as a service to local baseball athletes in College Station has burgeoned into a 2,100-member organization of athletes and families, with six locations throughout Texas and over 160 softball and baseball teams. 

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

Student opportunities 

While maybe not as alluring, obtaining student experiences in this segment is likely easier, possibly more accessible than pro and college sports options and provides a lot of potential for positive work-life balance. Using youth sports examples in classes can facilitate student learning by providing a fertile ground for professors to teach complex business concepts. Doing so helps grow knowledge in concepts including operational logistics and efficiency, revenue generation, customer engagement, financial and business modeling, and branding and marketing strategies.  

Youth sports organizations can also generate numerous opportunities for students, including volunteering, practicum and internships focused on all the aforementioned business functions. Even ownership is possible in youth sports. It is seemingly a whole lot more friendly of a space for a young entrepreneur interested in working in and making an impact within the sports industry. 

The Twelve employs a significant number of professionals with responsibilities in coaching, various management roles, fundraising, marketing, finance, accounting and partnerships working full time in this space. CEO Kevin Hodge, the architect of the organization’s success, has a decade of professional baseball playing experience and two sport management degrees, yet he has made a career in youth sports that has arguably benefited 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 provides sought-after careers. 

Benefits for Professors

Along with being able to utilize examples in the classroom, professors can also benefit from youth sports via consulting and research opportunities. By tapping into 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 creates a plethora of opportunities for creative professors seeking to develop or maintain their scholarship. While there are several quality research streams focused in this area, there remains a dearth of scholarship in various areas affecting youth sports that warrants inspection. Organizations such as the Twelve provide plenty of potential participants and myriad business functions that, in practice, are fertile grounds for exploration by sport business scholars.

Many state and federal agencies prioritize research focused on children. Sport participation, youth development and health-related studies utilizing a youth sports athlete sample could create a very competitive proposal that leads to funding. While extramural funding is often not a priority of our programs, securing grants is positively viewed by administration and can only benefit research production. Professors can serve as consultants for youth sports organizations, helping them optimize a variety of business activities. This not only benefits the organizations but also enables professors to gain real-world experience that has a positive impact on their research and teaching.

So, should we focus on something different? The youth sports industry is massive, diverse and provides myriad opportunities for faculty and students interested in being creative with their academic pursuits. 

Gregg Bennett (gbennett@tamu.edu) is the founder of the Sport Marketing Association and the Texas Twelve, and a Fighting Texas Aggie sport marketing professor whose youngest is named after Bill Sutton.

Questions about OPED guidelines or letters to the editor? Email editor Jake Kyler at jkyler@sportsbusinessjournal.com