Here’s why:
“70% (& growing) of kids leave organized sport by age 13.
The reason: ‘It’s just not fun anymore.’
We’ve demonized Rec Ball & we’ve politicized Travel Ball.
And you know where most end up making a living anyway?
Not playing sports professionally.
Society is missing it.”
-Ray Zingler on X
See we get so thrown off because those who are playing sports are playing an abysmal volume of often a single sport. For this reason, we assume that EVERYBODY is playing sport.
In reality, the overwhelming majority aren’t playing sports at all, the smaller subset who is playing is just playing more than ever.
This is a major problem for a variety of reasons.
Not only are the current volumes for those who are actually playing unhealthy, the fact that we’ve walled off nearly ¾ of kids because instead of making them about fun, we’ve converted them into politicized money ball is atrocious.
“Oh he’s just a rec ball kid..”
Yeah? You know where he and the highest of high level of travel ball kid are going to end up?
Not playing sports professionally.
One will experience the joys of the game in a pure environment and the other will experience heaping volumes of toxicity, always running to (perceived) greener grass.
And both of them, again, will end up furthering their “sports careers” in Adult Softball Leagues.
When they look back at it 20 years from now, who do you think we’ll have had the better experience?
Exactly.
“But.. it’s about college and recruiting!”
I’m not saying there is anything wrong with desiring to play at a high level, be recruited, and play collegiately, I admire it.
However, I do think it’s important to note that the vast majority of bachelors degrees are cheaper than travel sports.
The point I am trying to make is that we can and should have BOTH.
Just because a kid doesn’t want to tie his or her identity to a single sport and immerse themselves (in an additional, unnecessary) high pressure environment doesn’t mean they shouldn’t play.
Those kids should be able to leverage the same opportunities sport has the potential to provide.
Love of the game, team work, camaraderie, and etc.
But they don’t get to anymore because we’ve washed it out for them.
Go check out your local rec leagues.
Where there used to be 12 teams, there are now 2, if any at all.
We’re missing the whole point of sports and it’s not because of “kids these days.”
It’s because of adult egos and easy money.
And it’s a damn shame.
