TAMPA BAY, Fla., Aug. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- The boom in
youth travel sports has led to major changes with far-reaching
impacts for sport in America. Youth travel sports now accounts
for billions of dollars in new facility developments and sports
tourism related economic impact. Two such changes are heightened
income inequality for kids to access sports and early single-sport
specialization.
This changing landscape has increased income inequalities making
it more difficult for lower income children to play sport. Often
the fees associated with high performing travel sports teams can be
in the hundreds if not thousands of dollars. Furthermore, there is
a large cost associated with the travel itself – from meals on the
road, to multiple nights in hotel rooms. There are many families in
America who simply can't afford to play.
Additionally, privately run sports clubs often encourage
athletes to specialize at earlier and earlier ages. This narrow
approach to player development is counterproductive to creating
great athletes. Illustrating that fact, thirty of the thirty-two
2017 NFL draft picks were multi-sport athletes in high school.
Single sport participation has become such an issue, in fact, that
The Aspen Institute's Project Play has created a special task-force
called the Shared Goals Initiative with industry leaders like
Target, Dicks Sporting Goods, and the U.S. Olympic Committee to
uncover ways to encourage kids to sample multiple sports.
HBO Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel has been investigating
these changes, and their effects, and will highlight a story on
youth and amateur sports on Tuesday, August
22, 2017. Led by producer Nick
Dolin and Correspondent Jon Frankel, the show includes
visits to the City of Myrtle Beach
where SFM operates the Myrtle Beach Sports Center. The story
will also include interviews with SFA and SFM Founder and respected
industry thought-leader Dev Pathik.
Dev met with HBO camera crew on location in Rocky Mount, North Carolina where the Sports
Facilities Advisory has planned a 165,000 square-foot indoor
tournament facility that is currently under construction and is set
to open in September 2018. The Rocky Mount Event Center,
opened and operated by the Sports Facilities Management (SFM), will
be an economic generator that hosts both large special events and
sports tournaments as well as more local offerings like sports
leagues, birthday parties, weddings, and meeting spaces for the
community and citizens of Rocky
Mount.
Pathik said, "The Rocky Mount Sports and Events Center is a
unique facility that has been intentionally designed to optimize
sports tourism revenue for the City of
Rocky Mount while simultaneously serving as a downtown
revitalization project that will provide access to sport for
lower-income kids and families. It's facilities like this that are
combatting two of the biggest issues facing youth sports."
To record or watch the episode, tune to HBO Real Sports on
August 22 at 11PM EST.
About The Sports Facilities Advisory | The Sports Facilities
Management
The Sports Facilities Advisory & Sports Facilities
Management (SFA | SFM) are leading resources in recreation facility
planning and management. Since 2003 the company has helped more
than 1,000 communities to plan, fund, or optimize more than
$6 Billion in community based sport
and recreation assets.
Media Contact: Ashley
Whittaker, The Sports Facilities Advisory, 7274743845,
awhittaker@sportadvisory.com
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SOURCE The Sports Facilities Management