More than half of sports parents feel some or lots of pressure to have their child specialize in one sport, but today the source of that pressure is less often the chase for professional careers or NCAA-level roster spots than a venue much closer to home: high school sports.
Project Play survey: Parents justify sport specialization so their child can play in high school
Project Play survey: Family spending on youth sports rises 46% over five years
Participation in youth sports is getting more expensive – and there seems no end in sight.
The average U.S. sports family spent $1,016 on their child’s primary sport in 2024, a 46% increase since 2019, according to the Aspen Institute’s latest parent survey in partnership with Utah State University and Louisiana Tech University. The rising commercialization of youth sports impacts who can access quality sports opportunities or whether some children play at all.