The benefits of sports involvement for kids are extensive. Physical activity, social interactions and a sense of accomplishment are just a few examples why participation in athletics has always been important for youth development.

In more recent years, youth sports have become a multi-billion dollar industry including increased cost to join programs or teams, inflation in prices for equipment and more extensive travel.

Modern trends also include earlier shifts to competitive levels, increasing focus on winning and year round training, all of which lead to increased pressure on parents.