There’s a lot to celebrate this week — like Girls and Women in Sports Day. Universities and institutions across the country are hosting a ton of fun events to get girls more involved in sports.
On the contrary, a new study says 70% of kids drop out of youth sports by age 13.
Read this week’s Youth Sports Highlight Reel to stay up-to-date on all of the things happening in youth sports this week.
Youth Sports News ThisWeek
1. 70% of kids drop out of youth sports by age 13. A new study by the American Academy of Pediatrics chalks it up to the over professionalization of youth sports — including overtraining, pressure to specialize causing injury, intense competition, and burnout.
2. Girls and Women in Sports Day (Feb. 8) celebrations this year are sure to be bigger than ever before because girls sports are it this year.
For example, the University of Northern Colorado hosted more than 100 girls for a clinic led by student-athletes from its cheer, softball, soccer, track and field, volleyball, and women’s basketball teams. The wrestling team also joined, due to the recent growth of the sport among girls.
The celebrations didn’t stop there — the Las Vegas Aces honored women in sports day, in partnership with UNLV, with a free sports clinic for girls 8th grade or younger with coaches and players from the aces and handful of women’s teams at UNLV.
University of Central Florida is celebrating with the 2024 UCF Women in Sports Dinner to raise funds for women’s sports teams, as well as the NGWSD Childrens Chilic Feb 3.
Penn State’s celebrations will span Jan 28 through Feb 10, with events including the women’s tennis, swimming & diving, hockey, track & field, gymnastics, basketball, softball, and lacrosse teams.
3. Massachusetts ranks as the third most popular state for lacrosse, due to all of the great lacrosse opportunities it provides. This includes club programs like Laxachusetts, its high-ranking, NCAA Division One teams, and the PLL Boston Cannons. One of the most impactful players in women’s lacrosse, Charlotte North, hails from the Boston College Eagles Lacrosse Team — and her youth camps in Marlborough are very popular.
4.The referee parent war rages on—Paul Pabst explains his near ejection from his daughter's youth basketball game.
5.Youth sports is generating a ton of $$ for the US economy (not as much as Taylor Swift, though). In fact, youth and amateur sporting events generated nearly $88 million for just West Michigan’s economy in 2023—including 278K athletes and visitors to the area.
6.Vandals stole a Jackie Robinson statue at McAdams Park youth baseball field in Wichita. League 42, a baseball org named in Robinson's honor, renovated the field (which included the statue) in 2021.
Weekend Wins
1. Congratulations Pelican State Volleyball 16U Blue on winning the 16 American Championship at the Pounders Tournament!
2. Way to go Team Esface Basketball 5th Grade Goers on winning the BullDawgs Dream It Tournament!
3. Top Flight Elite Basketball 7th Graders played UP in the 8th grade bracket this weekend — and won! Nice job, team.
4. Congrats TAV Houston on all of your wins at HPL this weekend!
5. GTS Softball 16U Elite — Gonzalez, congrats on winning the 18u Division at the Perfect Game Burst the Bubble Tournament in Iowa this weekend!
6.Congratulations Up on Top Volleyball for all of your tournament wins this weekend!
7.Nice work this weekend USA South Volleyball, congrats on all of the wins!
8.Congrats BAVC 15S for taking first place in Silver at the Sooner Super Regional and 11s for bringing home the gold at UCO!
9.Charleston Elite Lacrosse 2028/2029 box team won the Carolina Box Championship this weekend! Let's go!
10.Nice work Missouri Volleyball Academy 16 Gold for taking home first place in the Stratton Sports Series tournament!
11.Texas Tornados 13 National went 3-0 this weekend at HPL, and 18 Adidas brought home a bid and a gold ball after winning the Liberty Division at the Norther Lights Qualifier!
12.Lots of wins for Virginia Elite Volleyball Club this weekend—way to go!
13.Congrats to all of the Austin Skyline teams who took home hardware this weekend at the Central Texas Classic!
14.Reston Raiders Hockey Club 18U Blue and 16U Blue both brought home banners this weekend—they're now the Eastern Junior Elite Prospects League 18U Diamond and the 16U Diamond Playoff Champs!
Did we miss you?! Tag us @LeagueApps so we can spotlight you in the next issue!
Resources
Social Spotlight
Richard Coraine, COO of the hospitality group behind Blue Smoke, Gramercy Tavern, Daily Provisions, and more, thinks youth sports leaders can learn a thing or two from restaurants.
