Before taking a week off in Vermont, I wanted to share a few things we’re working on here in our newsroom and get a few ideas and subjects on your radar.
> In our In-Depth section this week, we cover youth sports, examining measures taken by professional leagues and governing bodies to promote youth participation. I asked SportsBusiness Journal staff members with children who play competitive sports to share their thoughts on the pressure on their kids to participate.
Michael Smith’s 16-year-old son, Colson, has played some form of travel baseball since he was 10.
“It’s almost like youth sports — mainly travel ball events — are becoming less about the sport and more about the experience. The travel tournament is a new and different genre of vacation for the select families who can afford it. In baseball, travel tournaments are held at the beach, in Omaha during the College World Series, and just outside of New York at fields that feature a view of Manhattan.
“Youth sports are more sophisticated than ever when it comes to raking in the revenue. Sanctioning bodies in my son’s sport of baseball often charge more than $1,000 for a team’s entry fee. The last event we played in Atlanta charged $2,500 per team. They sell sponsorships, charge parents an admission fee, and some even charge to park. The ‘fill-in-the-blank World Series’ typically assigns the families to stay in a specific hotel at a ‘team rate,’ which for us recently was $139 a night at a Holiday Inn Express in Atlanta. If you don’t meet the minimum number of nights, the team can be assessed a financial penalty.
“Where am I going with this? My main fear is that youth sports — specifically travel ball — has priced out many families who can’t afford to miss a week of work, spend $1,000 at the team hotel and even more for gas and meals, to attend their son’s baseball games. And these costs are on top of team fees, $400 bats and the other equipment that’s required. The families, to their credit, are extraordinarily committed. They have to be.”
Don Muret’s 14-year-old daughter, Maddie, loves softball and has played rec league ball for the past seven years.
“For two years, Maddie tried unsuccessfully to make her middle school team, which has one of the stronger programs in Charlotte. She told me afterward she doesn’t like the pressure of competing at that level compared with rec league ball, where it’s more about trying to get better and forming new friendships. That’s fine with me.
“Last year, Maddie played travel ball on a 12U team and it was an eye-opener for both of us. The rules are much different, including one-hour time limit for games. At the end of one game, with her team losing, Maddie was up at bat with two outs. Her coach told her to swing deliberately and strike out so we could get another inning in before time expired. She got confused at the plate and ended up walking. I understood the strategy, but, in my opinion, it goes against the basic rules of doing your best at all times. Maddie’s good, though, at letting things slide off her back. She will be a high school freshman this fall and will try out for the junior varsity — but she will also play rec league to continue improving. I’m proud of her.”
I don’t have children, but coached CYO basketball for five years, and witnessed the exciting elements of training and competition dragged down at times by boorish behavior. I thought Michael’s and Don’s comments fit well with other sports industry parents who shared their stories on Pages 12-22. I appreciate everyone sharing their points of view.
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SportsBusiness Journal/Daily editorial operations in Charlotte
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> One of the most exciting things to happen to our editorial group this summer has been combining our SportsBusiness Journal/Daily/Global/Resource Guide Live team all on one floor in our corporate offices in Charlotte. While before we were split across various parts of the American City Building that sits just on the cusp of downtown Charlotte, our editorial group now combines to run the length of one side of the building’s third floor, in a newly designed office space with more areas for discussion and collaboration. We’ve had a number of guests visit already — and if you’re ever through Charlotte, hit us up, as we are proud of our new digs and love to show the space off.
> We’ve been fielding a number of inquiries about our Forty Under 40 program and our timing to open those nominations. Starting early next month, look for promotional areas on our website through which you can submit a nomination for the 2016 program; those eligible have to be born on or after Jan. 1, 1976. That nomination period will remain open through October, and we are scheduled to notify honorees for the Class of 2016 in February. Meanwhile, we always like to see members of our Forty Under 40 Hall of Fame — recipients of our honor over three different years — continue to prosper in the business. That’s the case with Sam Kennedy (Class of ’08, ’10, ’13), as it was announced earlier this month that the Brookline native will be promoted to president of the Boston Red Sox.
> We are also in the process of reviewing selections for our Champions: Pioneers and Innovators in Sports Business for our Class of 2016. If you know of anyone whom you feel deserves consideration, shoot me a note with the reasons why. We’d like to make our announcement of this year’s recipients before year’s end, and they will be honored in the first half of next year.
>We are in the process of developing our editorial calendar and programming for 2016. Here’s your chance to weigh in. What are hot industry topics that you feel need to be addressed? What are new features you would like to see us consider in SportsBusiness Journal/Daily/Global?
In SportsBusiness Journal over the last year, we developed our Company Watch feature, which has been a subtle addition allowing us to spotlight emerging companies and a way to introduce readers to new names in sports business.
At SportsBusiness Daily, new features — The Grid and Social Studies — give industry insider perspective on topical issues as well as the use of social media. If you know of a company or individual that we should consider spotlighting for any of our features, let us know.
> A few other things: We are doing a full debrief on our Sports Business Awards and looking at each of the categories to see if there is a refresh to consider.
And we are actively planning content, speakers and programming for our next five conferences and events:
■ Game Changers Conference on Sept. 17 (featuring appearances by Ogilvy & Mather Chairman Emeritus Shelly Lazarus and NBA Commissionder Adam Silver).
■ NeuLion Sports Media and Technology Conference on Oct. 28-29 (where we’ve landed CBS Chairman Les Moonves as a keynote for Oct. 29).
■ Momentum Sports Marketing Symposium a week later, on Nov. 4-5 (where you’ll hear from Anheuser-Busch’s Lucas Herscovici).
■ Daytona Rising/NASCAR Motorsports Marketing Forum in Las Vegas on Dec. 1-2 — with additional sessions being held at Daytona Rising on Feb. 17.
■ And finishing up with our always popular IMG Intercollegiate Athletics Conference during College Week in New York City on Dec. 9-10.
There’s a lot here, but feel free to send me your questions, thoughts and comments as we develop our editorial plans.
It promises to be a busy fall, and before that madness hits, I’m going to Vermont for a week to visit my parents, and all seven Madkour siblings will return for a family reunion. It will be a week of hiking Mount Equinox, playing bocce, and traveling to Maine for lobsters, fried clams and steamers. So I’m checking out, and putting on some pounds, while getting recharged for an ambitious final few months of 2015.
Abraham D. Madkour can be reached at amadkour@sportsbusinessjournal.com.
