By Brian Argabright
The 830 Times
Youth sports have been a part of Del Rio’s rich history for decades, and many former young athletes has some of the most interesting tales to tell.
But with the recent trends of parents not choosing to sign their kids up for sports, or kids not showing any interest in playing sports at all, youth sports are facing their toughest challenge to date.
Make no mistake … this was an issue before the pandemic. As times have changed, so has the attitude towards youth sports for many families. And it’s not just one thing that can be singled out as the reason for the change; it’s a variety of issues.
Near the top is cost. Leagues don’t operate to make profit. They do so to educate the youth in a sport they’re interested in and hopefully teach them lessons they can carry on with them through life. But youth sports aren’t cheap, either.
Leagues have to pay for insurance. They have to pay for uniforms. They have to pay for new equipment to replace old equipment that’s become dangerous to use or simply outdated or no longer viable due to changes in standards from the organizations they represent. They also sometimes have to pay for the use of facilities to compete. All of those costs are passed onto parents. Even with sponsorships from local businesses, the league still has to pay some big bills each season. Whatever is left over is typically used to start the next season, and it’s a never-ending cycle.
Registration fees are just part of the cost for families. Multiple kids mean higher fees. In addition, some leagues ask parents to buy specific equipment for their child to compete, usually due to safety reasons. Those safety issues became a greater issue with the rise of COVID-19 and guidelines set to help mitigate the spread of the virus. When it’s all said and done, the cost of putting a child into a sport can easily top $200.
Another big issue is interest, or lack thereof.
Every child is different, and that means every child’s interest in sports is different. Some kids want to play everything, eventually settling on something they like when they’re older. Others just want to stick to a specific sport. Some are enthused as youngsters barely big enough to wear a uniform, but when they get older their attention turns elsewhere. And some don’t have an inclination to play sports at all.
It’s the latter that has become more prevalent as the years have gone on. Kids may not want to play sports and that’s fine. Parents shouldn’t force them to either because then the child will grow to resent that sport and maybe even their parents. That’s not healthy for anyone involved.
The problem reared its ugly head recently when it was announced the Longhorns of the Del Rio Youth Football and Cheer League would not be able to field a team this season due to low player registration numbers. The league is still trying to register players, so visit the official league page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dryfl.footballcheer for more information.
Best of luck to all our young athletes, coaches and supporters on their upcoming seasons!
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Brian Argabright has been involved in journalism since 1996. He’s an award-winning writer and photographer and covers sports, features and a variety of other topics. Contact the author at drnhsports@gmail.com
