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Youth sports create a lot for young players. Physical activity, health, discipline and teamwork are all things that are learned when they are children. These are all important life skills.

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There are around 45 million that participate in youth sports in the USA alone

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There are so many sports offered from a young age. There is hockey, basketball, football, baseball, soccer that are all very popular with young children.

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There are benefits like fitness and staying healthy, self-esteem boost, and even better grades in school!

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Research shows that kids doing too much with competition can lead to a burnout which leads them to drop out of sports and not play.

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The Womens Sports foundation has said that Title IX has increased participation from women by over 900% since 1972

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There are over 8 million people that participate in high school sports in the USA

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High Schoolers that play sports typically have a better graduation rate and also higher grades.

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High School sports are the most important part of colleges recruiting according to the NCAA

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Coaches are usually the most important part of a team. These are the people that teach children the team mentality, discipline, and make sure they are achieving academic goals.

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Social media is trendy and new compared to college sports. Nowadays, schools and athletics use social media to engage with fans. They can recruit silently this way too. Teams in the SEC for football have some of the best hype up videos I have ever seen and if I was a 5-star recruit, they are videos that I would watch every day.

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There are a lot of saftey protocols within youth/high school sports. With a rise in concussions and overworking injuries, it is important to make sure we keep the kids safe.

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High School sports typically contribute to their local community. Ticket sales and sponsorships are a big deal and also, depending on where you are, people may travel from all over to see the sports. For example, in Springfield, MA, they have the Hoop Hall Classic every year that brings in the best recruits and high school players from across the country. There have been players like Zion Williamson and Bronny James that have played. This brings people around.

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Because of the socialization aspect of sports, kids will learn how to communicate with others in stressful environments which is a good skill to have.

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Some children are limited with opportunity to play sports growing up. This can be because of being a part of a lower income family or living in a rural area.

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Injuries are something that comes with sports. Early sports specialization can increase the likelihood of injury in young players

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Having both parents be involved in their child's sport is something that leads to more enjoyment from the child

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Sports are positive for your mental health, and it is known to reduce stress and anxiety when children participate in sports. (Depending on how serious it is)

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High School sports in the USA are overseen by The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). They have 51 state members and serve 19,500 high schools.

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There are a lot of programs country wide that try and reduce disparities within youth sports. They target to get rid of this whether it be race, gender, or income that are a factor.

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The USA started college sports in the late 1800s. The first college football game was in 1869 between Rutgers and New Jersey. New Jersey is now known as Princeton. The game was player in New Brunswick, New Jersey

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There are three college divisions. D1 is typically the best and has the more popular schools and more money. D2 ad D3 are great places to continue your career if you are not good enough or are not ready for division 1.

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Players need to keep a certain GPA to play sports. This is typically a GPA set by the NCAA or the school. It keeps players focused on getting a degree but also managing their selected sport. This can be harder for the big-name teams that play so competitive that it is like a full-time job.

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The NCAA generates over a billion dollars a year. This comes from TV, tickets, sponsorships, and sometimes apparel. This is reason NIL conversations were finally sparked.

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Players can earn full ride scholarships if the school deems it so. It can be due to their performance exceeding expectations or if they are smart, they can even get academic scholarships and still play sports. It typically covers tuition room and board.

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There are so many scouts that go and watch players develop from a young age. This can take place in youth sports all the way up to college. Most people are recruited out of high school but when a player gets much better in college and gains attention, the transfer portal is now something that people take part in.

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Athletics are a reason there is more diversity within the universities across the country. Sports are for everyone and that means if you are good enough, people will want you to play for them. That is something that make sports so special.

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A successful sports team at a college brings a lot of attention to the school and typically is good for the brand. A school like Alabama has so much popularity due to their football team that everyone dreams of playing there. They have students that want to go there just so they can be involved with an environment like that.

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Title IX that was passed in 1972 mandates equal opportunities for men and women within college sports.

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With programs having a lot of money, there is more focus on nutrition services and athletic training programs. This allows athletes to invest positively in their own bodies. It also shows the program is committed to helping them better themselves.

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Sports are a driving factor and tool to bring students into the school through success on the ice, court, or field!

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There are many threats to the sports world of college. Scandals are something that nobody wants to see but it does happen. They can be any rules violation or something that a player may do outside of the locker room. A notable scandal is Jerry Sandusky from Penn State.

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Athletes have to balance academics and sports. This is a hard thing to do for anyone. Studying and still having to go and practice for hours a day can be stressful but worth it in the end. Often it can lead to making less friends outside of the teams and not a lot of hanging out with other people.

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Athletes cheating in school or on things like the SATs are still issues today. Locally we had a hockey player that cheated on his SAT or ACT to get into BC but ended up getting caught. This happens all the time for players trying to get into tougher academic schools.

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Professional sports teams view college as a major steppingstone to get to that next level. The NFL is a prime example of this. They typically only draft people out of college. And if they are college athletes then they must have done 3 years at college.

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Title IX has brought in so much opportunity for women in college sports. More programs, scholarships and the field continues to grow with more competition.

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There are more and more student athletes coming from all over the world. This is a driving factor for more diversity and better players getting the chance to showcase their talent in college.

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College sports bring a lot of money to their local communities. People will travel from all over to see their favorite teams. March Madness, CFP and more bring in a lot of money and tourism to wherever the host cities are.

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These coaches are so important to the development of student athletes. They are ultimately responsible for how their players act, how they do academically, and for the success of their teams.

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There are many different things that people can look forward to with the future of college sports. With things such as NIL and players making money, there are many positives to look forward to.

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Something that goes hand in hand with the future of sports in college is the competition. It seems as though athletes get better and better every year, and we seem to get a great talent pool in college sports. Because of this, we have a very bright future to look forward to when it comes to college athletics that will make us even more excited for our future professionals!

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Finally, in 2021, the NCAA allowed players in college to make money off of their name, image, and likeness (NIL). This was groundbreaking as players who get so much attention could finally profit from it instead of just the school or NCAA making the money.

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From high school all the way to the pros, playoffs are that one thing that athletes strive for. It is the ultimate goal. Players sacrifice everything for the possibility of reaching the finals. With basketball there is March Madness- 64 teams that are granted entry and only 1 team that walks away champion. The CFP have always been 4 teams, but we will see for the first time ever, 12 teams under the new format. This is something that will be more exciting to see the possibility of Cinderella stories and huge upsets. With hockey, the most important destination of the season is the Frozen Four. This is the best place to be in the hockey world and the most exciting.

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Something that is important to schools and athletics is the revenue it brings in. Billions are made yearly just from sports like football and basketball. The notoriety this puts on the schools and college athletics is monstrous.

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The NCAA has reported that student athletes have reached an all-time high for graduation rates. For the majority of students that do not go to the professional level, they can be happy to know that there is a 90% graduation rate for student athletes!

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Club sports are offered at most schools. This is a great thing to have because some people love the sports, they played growing up that they want to pay to play more. These are the people that just play for the love of the sport, and it is great for schools to provide this opportunity for other "athletes" that are not good enough to play at the D1-D3 level.

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Rivalries are important for schools because they bring a sense of competition into fans. Fans are a driving factor for college sports and can be argued that the fans care more about the success of the school more than the athletes. Alabama vs. Auburn, the Iron Bowl... There is something special about the moments that comes out of these games. (Kick Six circa 2013)

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The transfer portal is kind of like free agency in my opinion. I like the idea of it because it gives players that feel as though they are not getting the opportunities they think they deserve, a chance to play somewhere else and thrive. It makes it easy for student athletes to move between school programs.

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Endorsements are a large part of sports. High School teams have certain brands they wear, as do college teams. This also gives brands the chance to sign players to NIL or have brand ambassadors.

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Boosters have been around forever. They can be huge for college sports because they go out fundraising and trying to get more fans to the games. They also can fund scholarships and even raise money for facilities.

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Programs have a lot of money these days and they are using it to invest in their players and sports teams. They provide services such as nutrition and physical therapy. These could be driving factors for recruiting.

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American Academy of Pediatrics. (2021). Concussion management in youth sports. Retrieved from https://www.aap.org

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2020). Youth sports and health benefits. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov

Journal of Sport & Social Issues. (2020). Socialization in youth sports: A review. Retrieved from https://journals.sagepub.com

Mayo Clinic. (2020). Youth sports and mental health benefits. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org

National Alliance for Youth Sports (NAYS). (2020). Benefits of youth sports participation. Retrieved from https://www.nays.org

National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA). (2021). The risks of early sports specialization. Retrieved from https://www.nata.org

National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). (2021). Overview of high school sports participation. Retrieved from https://www.nfhs.org

National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). (2022). The financial impact of high school sports. Retrieved from https://www.nfhs.org

National High School Coaches Association (NHSCA). (2020). Coaching in high school sports. Retrieved from https://www.nhsca.com

National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA). (2021). The academic benefits of high school sports. Retrieved from https://www.niaaa.org

NCAA. (2020). History and governance of collegiate sports. Retrieved from https://www.ncaa.org

NCAA. (2021). College recruitment, NIL rights, and student-athlete performance. Retrieved from https://www.ncaa.org

Positive Coaching Alliance. (2020). Best practices for coaching youth sports. Retrieved from https://www.positivecoach.org

Sports Business Journal. (2021). Revenue and media rights in collegiate sports. Retrieved from https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com

The Aspen Institute. (2019). Youth sports specialization and parental involvement. Retrieved from https://www.aspeninstitute.org

Women’s Sports Foundation. (2020). The impact of Title IX on sports participation. Retrieved from https://www.womenssportsfoundation.org

U.S. Department of Education. (2020). Title IX and its impact on collegiate sports. Retrieved from https://www.ed.gov

National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA). (2021). The role of intramural sports in colleges. Retrieved from https://nirsa.net

NCAA Sport Science Institute. (2021). Athlete support services and mental health. Retrieved from https://www.ncaa.org

ESPN. (2020). College sports rivalries and cultural significance. Retrieved from https://www.espn.com