I rejoiced seeing this monologue today. It's about time this was called out. Youth sports—and particularly travel ball—are getting more and more out of control. They've become the worst thing that could have happened to sports and families.
My son graduated from high school in 2018. He played high school baseball and enjoyed it very much. Eight years later, his best friends are still the boys he played with on that school team. My son is a firefighter, and his teammates are now a doctor, a chiropractor, a police officer, and a pilot. Not only did they play ball together, but they pushed each other to do well in life. Those were some of the best years of our lives. His coach was tough, but he was respectful of family life and encouraged church attendance on Sundays.
Now, families are traveling all over on the weekends, spending way too much money, dragging along kids who aren't even involved in the sport, and very often the parents get together and drink way too much at night. Family life should never revolve around sports, but for too many families, it now does.The fact of the matter is that your kid will likely not play in college, much less professionally. The kids who do go pro usually have tons of natural talent and don't need hours and hours of sports every week and weekend to hone their skills.
Stop Letting Youth Sports Control Your Sunday
— The Will Cain Show (@WillCainShow) March 15, 2026
In this powerful clip from Will Cain Country, David Pollack discusses the difficult choices parents face in the world of high-level youth sports. Pollack recounts telling a national travel ball coach that his family would not… pic.twitter.com/c2A6sflLpJ
For parents claiming they do it for scholarships: If they put aside the money they were spending on travel ball, they'd have plenty to send their kids to college without relying on hard-to-obtain sports scholarships.
Several of my son's friends who did play travel ball went on to play at D1 schools. One was redshirted, then released the next year; he transferred to a community college, played a couple of years, and eventually decided to move on. Another played ball for a couple of years before shifting focus to pursuing his career. None of them went pro—or even came close. On top of that, at the ripe old age of 25, one of them has already needed multiple Tommy John surgeries.
Youth sports organizations shouldn’t have games on Sunday mornings.
— Matt Wyatt (@RadioWyatt) March 15, 2026
America needs to return to the rec league model of sports. Before high school, kids should play in community leagues. If parents think their kids are really exceptional, they can hire a private coach for extra lessons. Traveling around the country to play teams from the next city over—and spending lots of precious time and money—needs to stop. It's terrible for families, community sports, and young athletes.
Yep, 100%. And we need more men to step up, speak and lead here. We need more Dads to do their spiritual duty. But also, as more and more are, we need to discuss the current state and business of youth sports. Because it’s not good. It’s financially and spiritually predatory. https://t.co/ptOzG2xj2W
— Fr. Joshua J. Whitfield (@frjoshTX) March 15, 2026
So well said. Financially and Spiritually Predatory is the perfect description of today's sport's leauges.
I like Pollack and applause his leadership and voice here. Gives me pause of what I would do, because that PT playing time is such a thing, not to be trusted with some of these fragile and fickle coaches https://t.co/EFBFgfQxTv
— Hans Schiefelbein (@HSchiefelbein) March 15, 2026
But, also, it's not that serious? Who cares if a Coach takes away playing time? It stinks, but in the long term, it's just really not that important.
Amen, these sports club tournaments on Sunday is part of the decay of our great society. We can’t keep taking faith from our lives. https://t.co/WG5TGi12Ld
— Doc Love (@DocLovetimothy) March 15, 2026
You're SO right. And the only reason they can get by hosting tourneys on Sunday mornings, is because so many Christian parents COWER DOWN TO THEM and skip church to comply.
— Billy Wood (@1baptistpastor) March 15, 2026
If just the Christians would say what you told your Coach... they wouldn't be able to pull off said…
Meh. The powerful stance is to move out of travel sports entirely. Going to church on Sunday as a family is a great. But in travel sports it’s not your local church. And the whole culture of the team is the problem. Your kids are being raised and influenced by the travel sports…
— Clay Thompson (@figdresser) March 15, 2026
That would be the best option. Sports should be local. Kids should play with people in their neighborhood and make lifelong friends. That's the really benefit of youth sports.
