Parents Are Spending $100,000 to Chase Youth Baseball Glory

Watch Parents Are Spending $100,000 to Chase Youth Baseball Glory - Bloomberg on Dailymotion

Transcript

00:00Youth baseball isn't a pastime anymore. It's an industry. And for families chasing big league

00:03dreams, the price tags can be staggering. Take Stryker Pence, a 16-year-old phenom throwing

00:09100-mile-an-hour fastballs. His family has already spent over $100,000 on equipment,

00:14travel, and showcase tournaments, all to help him and his baseball-playing brothers

00:18get noticed by scouts. But the Pences aren't alone. Across the U.S., millions of families

00:23are pouring money into youth sports, to the tune of $40 billion last year alone.

00:28By 2030, that number is projected to nearly double.

00:31I have so many of my friends, Greg, today that say, Alex, if you were a kid today, if you were 10

00:36years old, Alex Rodriguez would never make it to the big leagues. And I would say, why? Well,

00:41because you and your mother couldn't afford it. But where does all that money go?

00:44Start with gear. Bats and gloves can cost $500 each. And the drip? Cleats can cost $300. Batting

00:51gloves, $125. And that's just the beginning. Then comes travel teams. Coaching fees and

00:56showcase tournaments where a single weekend can cost thousands. It's an investment and

01:01for some, a potential path to scholarships or the pros. But critics say it's creating a

01:05two-tiered system where only wealthy families can afford to play. Still, many say it's worth

01:10every dollar. Not just for the dream, but for the time together chasing it.