Sports business programs receive a lot of attention from college and professional sports because of their cultural importance, high visibility, and economic advantage. A different focus benefits students and programs. For example, there has been a great deal of recent attention to the commercial aspects of esports and women’s sports, benefiting student learning, research agendas, and overall programs. However, the youth sports sector, an important and consistently large sector of the sports industry, often does not receive the level of attention commensurate with its strength and size.
Youth sports are big business!
Some estimate the industry is worth about $20 billion, more than the revenue of some professional leagues. Youth sports is a booming market and is arguably very resilient to the economic downturns that most industries typically experience. This segment contributes significantly to the overall sports economy in a powerful way. Revenue for youth sports organizations like Texas Twelve, which I founded in 2006, comes from a variety of sources, including dues, merchandise sales, tournament entry fees, camps, sponsorships and partnerships, coaching lessons, strength and conditioning programs, and other sources. is produced by a method. .
texas twelve brand
Greg Bennett, his son Cade Bennett (center), and Matthew Bennett attend the U.S. Baseball National Team Championship in Cary, North Carolina, in June of this year. Matthew Bennett is the coach of the Tampa Bay Rays.
Texas Twelve is just one case of one youth sports organization, among thousands of others, organized around two sports in one region of the country. The youth sports market is huge. Texas Twelve uses the tagline “Something Different” as a way to differentiate itself from other brands in the youth sports space. What began as a service to local baseball players in College Station has grown to a 2,100-member organization of athletes and families with six locations across Texas and more than 160 softball and baseball teams. It has grown to
Texas Twelve teams have won numerous tournaments, including major national invitation-only events featuring the best teams in the country. The organization has a partnership with the Boston Red Sox that includes a scout team and player development efforts, while college rosters are dotted with hundreds of Twelve players, including the 2021 signing class. That alone includes more than 90 people. Over the past four years, four players have been drafted in the first round: Kolton Cowser, Blake Mitchell, Kendall George and Braylon Payne, two of whom were selected in the summer 2023 draft. Cowser, Spencer Arrigetti and Luken Baker are former major league roster Twelve players. More will be added in the future.
student opportunities
While it may not be as glamorous, gaining student experience in this field is probably easier and more accessible than professional or collegiate sports options, and there are plenty of possibilities for achieving a positive work-life balance . Using youth sports examples in class provides fertile ground for professors to teach complex business concepts and facilitates student learning. In doing so, you will increase your knowledge of concepts such as operational logistics and efficiency, revenue generation, customer engagement, financial and business modeling, and branding and marketing strategy.
Youth sports organizations can also offer many opportunities for students, including volunteer work, practicums, and internships that focus on all of the business functions mentioned above. Even ownership is possible in youth sports. It seems like a much more friendly space for young entrepreneurs interested in working in and making an impact in the sports industry.
At The Twelve, we have a number of professionals working full-time in this area with coaching, various management, fundraising, marketing, finance, accounting and partnership responsibilities. CEO Kevin Hodge, the driving force behind the organization’s success, has 10 years of experience as a professional baseball player and two degrees in sports management, but his career in youth sports is unmistakable. , which was more beneficial to him than working in the sports sector, which we often prioritize. The 12 employees are attractive candidates for college and professional coaching and management positions, suggesting that working in youth sports is a popular career.
Benefits for professors
In addition to drawing on classroom examples, professors can also benefit from youth sports through consulting and research opportunities. By leveraging youth sports, faculty can provide valuable insight into a growing field while enhancing their research, consulting, and service activities. The size and focus of the youth sports market creates many opportunities for creative professors looking to develop and sustain scholarship. Although there are several streams of high-quality research focused on this area, there is still a dearth of scholarship worthy of investigation in the various areas impacting youth sports. Organizations like The Twelve offer a large number of potential participants and a myriad of business functions, making them in fact fertile ground for exploration by sports business scholars.
Many state and federal agencies prioritize research that focuses on children. Sports participation, youth development, and health-related research that utilizes samples of youth athletes can generate highly competitive proposals for funding. Although extramural funding is often not a priority for our programs, securing grants is viewed positively by the administration and can only benefit research production. The professor works as a consultant for youth sports organizations, helping them optimize various business activities. This not only benefits the organization, but also allows professors to gain real-world experience that positively impacts their research and teaching.
So why focus on something else? The youth sports industry is large and diverse, offering countless opportunities for faculty and students interested in being creative in their academic pursuits.
Greg Bennett (gbennett@tamu.edu) is the founder of the Sports Marketing Association and Texas Twelve, sports marketing professor for the Fighting Texas Aggies, and named his youngest son after Bill Sutton. It is named.
Have questions about the OPED Guidelines or Letters to the Editor? Email Editor Jake Kyler at jkyler@sportsbusinessjournal.com
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