When you think about the future of youth sports, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Could it be enhanced technology offerings or a change in how much field space you have access to? Maybe it’s something unexpected, like the addition of Artificial Intelligence tools or a decline in the number of interested players. The possibilities are endless.

We recently surveyed a cross section of youth sports leaders spanning a range of sports and club sizes to get their take on trends in the future of youth sports.

So what exactly is keeping these leaders up at night? Let’s take a deeper dive.

Mental health is top of mind.

The future of youth sports will place major emphasis on player well-being:

• 67% of respondents representing large clubs said an added focus on mental health and well-being would be the top upcoming trend in their sport
• 65% and 60% of respondents, representing medium and small clubs respectively, said the same (this was also their top answer)
• 69% of executive-level respondents predict an added focus on mental health as a top trend, as do 60% of directorsents predict an added focus on mental health as a top trend, as do 60% of directors

Key takeaway: Players’ well-being may have always been high on your priority list, but get ready to focus a bit more on things that will stimulate them mentally as well as physically.

Trends are different depending on club size.

Technology adoption is a bit of a mixed bag:



• 71% of large clubs anticipated an increased use of data and analytics as a forecasted trend, and 55% of small clubs said the same
• Artificial Intelligence ranked lowest among anticipated trends across all respondents

Key takeaway: While priorities differ based on the organization’s size, one thing is clear: technology will remain a critical part of youth sports. Shocking, right?

Increases are coming from every direction:

• 84% of respondents anticipate increasing the cost of membership fees
• 63% will increase the amount of financial assistance offered to players
• 49% expect to increase their technology spend
• Only 43% anticipate an increase in corporate sponsorship revenue

Key takeaway: In order to stay competitive in your sport, you’ll need to offset these financial increases somehow. Time to get creative.

Infrastructure constraints and rising equipment costs are top of mind:

• 57% of all respondents said their biggest upcoming challenge would be outgrowing their current infrastructure
• 92% of these respondents said they would prioritize the purchase of new fields and/or upgrades to their facilities if they had additional capital to spend
• 80% also said rising expenses would be a major challenge, and 90% of them indicated they’d be increasing the cost of membership fees

Key takeaway: Unsurprisingly, field space is in high demand for most. Having your own fields may seem like a pipe dream, but don’t stop believing.

You can download the full report here.