It's a Business, Man

🎙 In this episode: I sit down with Cameron Korab, founder of the Youth Sports Business Report, to unpack why the word business makes so many people feel uncomfortable when placed next to youth sports and why ignoring that reality might be hurting families more than helping them. With the industry valued at $54 billion and projected to skyrocket to $300 billion by 2035, Korab breaks down what’s driving the growth, who’s entering the space, and how the right brands could actually lower the cost for families. 🔹 The Business Nobody Wants to Talk About People get uncomfortable admitting youth sports is an industry, but the numbers don’t lie: it’s already a $54B market and rapidly expanding. 🔹 A Mission to Inform Korab created the Youth Sports Business Report to be the most trusted source for news, insights, and analysis across the entire youth sports landscape. 🔹 Everyone Is Connected to Youth Sports Like “the 7 degrees of Kevin Bacon,” almost everyone either played youth sports or knows someone who did…making it a universal topic. 🔹 The Narrative Has Turned Negative Korab believes the national conversation often focuses on what’s wrong, overshadowing how positive youth sports can be when done right. 🔹 Private Equity’s Long Game PE firms entered youth sports 15–20 years ago, eyeing consolidation and opportunity. Korab sees a chance for new players to improve the space rather than exploit it. 🔹 Recreational vs. Travel: A Shift in Balance Rec sports should make up the biggest slice, but the explosion of travel teams (A through M squads) has crowded out traditional rec options. 🔹 Brands Could Become Heroes With the right intentions, big brands could step in to relieve financial pressure instead of adding to it. 🔹 The Wild Potential of the Audience The youth sports audience is as large—or larger—than that of all professional sports combined, with over 55 billion cumulative annual touchpoints. 🔹 Good Actors vs. Cash Grabs Korab argues that “good actor brands” could reshape affordability, while I raise concerns about pop-ups chasing quick money off parents’ FOMO. 🔹 Families Want Simplicity Parents are overwhelmed by too many apps, platforms, and teams. A major consolidation feels overdue. 🔹 Hoping for a Better Future If the right companies step into the space, youth sports could become more accessible, less predatory, and more balanced for families. 🔹 A Final Hot Take We wrap with a spicy truth bomb about how to actually know whether your employer values you.

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