Industry Watch
Private Equity Found Youth Sports. Your Club Dues Are the Product.
September 8, 2026
Here's the part that should actually worry you.
Read More →Research & Data
The Travel Sports Truth Blog
Independent research, data, and analysis to help parents make better decisions, before they sign anything.
The System
The Media Finally Noticed Pay-to-Play. Here's the Part They Left Out.
September 4, 2026
Denver Post and New York Magazine both exposed the cost of youth travel sports this year. Here's the one thing neither story could give you.
Read More →The System
The Building Boom (And The Form Nobody Reads)
August 24, 2026
A youth sports parent looks at the facility boom behind travel sports, and the public tax form that shows where a lot of club money actually goes.
Read More →The System
Where the Money Actually Goes: The Business Behind Your Kid's Travel Club
August 13, 2026
Nobody ever hands you the whole number. Let's add up what a big club actually takes in, follow where it goes, all the way to Wall Street, and ask the three questions the model is built to discourage.
Read More →The System
Everybody Knew. Nobody Said a Word.
August 3, 2026
The people who already got burned know exactly how this works. And every signup night, they watch a new family make the same mistake, and say nothing. Here's why the silence holds, and why I stopped waiting for someone else to break it.
Read More →Cost & Transparency
When You Try to Leave: The Release Rule Most Parents Never See
July 28, 2026
Your child wants to switch clubs. You assume you can just leave. Then you find out the club you're leaving may control whether they can play elsewhere. Here's what to ask before you sign.
Read More →Cost & Transparency
The Contract Red Flags Sitting in Plain Sight
July 19, 2026
Most parents sign a club contract in under five minutes. The clauses that cost families thousands are not hidden. They are sitting right there in plain language, and this is how to spot them before you sign.
Read More →Research & Data
The NCAA Quietly Rewrote the Scholarship Rules. Most Recruiting Families Haven't Heard.
July 14, 2026
Sport by sport scholarship caps are gone, replaced by roster limits. That sounds like good news, and in some ways it is, but it also means fewer kids can be on the team at all. Here's what actually changed and what to ask before you commit to a program.
Read More →Cost & Transparency
Why Parents Keep Naming the Same Complaint
July 2, 2026
Nearly 700 players surveyed. One issue kept rising to the top. 32% cited fees as their biggest grievance, and among high schoolers, that number reaches 45%.
Read More →Safety & Injury
ACL Injuries Are Rising: Here's Who's Most at Risk
July 2, 2026
A 12% increase in ACL tears over 15 years. One sport and one gender carry a disproportionate share of the risk. Here's what the data says, and what parents should watch for.
Read More →Research & Data
What Kids Actually Say They Want From Sports
July 2, 2026
A new survey of 3,827 young athletes asked the question most travel sports parents never hear the answer to. The results should change how you think about the season ahead.
Read More →