ESPN wants to be a leader in youth sports. Can we trust the network?
Of all the potential stories about club sports, I never expected to write this one.
ESPN — apparently trying to live up to its legend as the worldwide leader in sports — is getting into the business.
That’s right … the folks employing Stephen A. Smith and Pat McAfee believe they should be a leader in guiding America’s youth through the athletic minefields littering our courts and stadiums.
A week ago in this space, we talked about the clash between club sports and high school athletics, and attempts by state lawmakers to allow athletes to compete in both at the same time.
This week we’ve got something just as intriguing. It’s called “Take Back Sports,” a yearlong initiative involving a significant investment by ESPN. It’s being established in collaboration with organizations such at the “Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation” run by Stephen and Ayesha Curry and the Women’s Sports Foundation’s “Sports 4 Life” program.
An ESPN press release last month said the network would be contributing $5 million to the effort. But before we hit the specifics of “Take Back Sports,” you’ll excuse me for expressing a bit of caution.
After all, ESPN is the same entity trying to cram college football down our throats on Friday nights — in direct competition with the tradition of high school football.
Until the network starts supporting those youths by backing off Friday night lights, I’ll remain suspicious. That being said, the goals of “Take Back Sports” appear noble.
ESPN officials say they want to expand the scope of youth sports by “breaking down the barriers to play” and creating spaces for “kids of all skill levels and backgrounds” to have opportunities.
Perhaps most interesting is the goal to encourage multisport play. If there’s a primary criticism of club sports, it’s the pressure to specialize in that one sport, thus monopolizing the time (and money) of parents and kids.
Much of what ESPN is promoting sounds good, but the proof is in the execution. Of particular concern is a quote included in the announcement.
“It’s time to take back youth sports from a system that has prioritized profit over well-being,” said Kevin Martinez, a vice president with ESPN. “Travel leagues have overtaken recreational leagues, specialization has replaced multisport play, and winning has come at the expense of fun.”
Wow … shot across the bow of club sports. Even the name — “Take Back Sports” — hints at a movement to defeat bad actors.
ESPN will invest in “community recreation leagues” and “quality coaching training.” They’ll be “promoting the fun in sports” and engaging in “powerful storytelling” across ESPN platforms.
It sounds like investment will be made by ESPN in low-income areas to increase accessibility for kids who otherwise couldn’t afford to participate. But if it costs money to parents elsewhere, how is the goal of making money any different from the typical club organization?
It’s one of the many questions ESPN needs to answer in the next year.
Will the storytelling focus only on the programs it supports as opposed to providing objective coverage? Where will all these trainable coaches be found? What is ESPN’s definition of fun?
Maybe it’s wrong to be dubious, but what has ESPN done to earn our trust in the realm of youth sports?