Sports ETA Members: Please see press release below from Play Partners on their survey looking at the impact of COVID-19 on America's youth sports. 

WHEN WILL AMERICAN FAMILIES BE READY

TO RETURN TO YOUTH SPORTS ?

New National Survey Will Measure Impact

of Covid-19 on Amateur Sports

National & Regional Partners

Reach out to Youth Sports Parents

at www.sportssurveys.org

HAZELWOOD, MO /April 23, 2020 – Covid-19 has impacted all ages, all industries and all sectors of our society. The youth sports industry is no different, but how deep does the impact go into family behaviors?

A new survey by St. Louis-based non-profit, Play Partners, is working to answer that question. The organization is asking dozens of youth sports organizations, associations, clubs, park districts and sports venues around the country to get the pulse of youth sports participation in a post Covid-19 world. 

A new national survey opens today to allow thousands of parents of youth athletes to share their input and feelings on what the future of sports will look-like in the months and years ahead. 

“There are so many people hurting and trying to figure out what the future will hold, including thousands of companies, associations, sports organizations and clubs wondering what American sports will look like,” said Dan Buck who is orchestrating the national collaboration. “We need to give sports families a voice and get a true gauge of what they are thinking and how quickly they plan to return to the fields, courts, rinks and gyms.”

The industry of youth sports has been growing at an annual rate of 20 percent for over a decade, and prior to Covid-19 had become a $20 billion industry. Dozens of communities across the country have invested hundreds of millions of dollars on new complexes and incredible sports destinations in recent years to accommodate this huge tourism industry.

“We all believe that the youth sports industry will come back strong," said Michael Grade, a national consultant for youth sports tourism venues across the country. "We know that the kids miss their friends, miss being part of a team, miss being able to compete, and are excited to get back to playing. The question we all need answered is, are the parents equally as excited and how soon will they return?”

In America, more than 40 million children play some level of team and individual sports or participate in other competitive activity (including music and fine arts competitions). Many of these tournaments and competitions generate tremendous economic impact to communities because they require travel over extended days. 

“Youth sports tourism could be a major leader in our country's economic recovery as it was the fastest growing sector of the American tourism industry before Covid-19,” said Josh Akright of Legacy Global Sports, which manages hundreds of thousands of hotel room bookings for tournaments nationwide. “What everyone is asking is how quickly and to what level will sports families return to competitive athletic events.”  

The new 11-question national survey is available on-line at www.sportssurveys.org and will be sent out to over 300,000 youth sports families and through various social media channels. 

“The support from so many national organizations to get this survey distributed and data collected has been tremendous,” said Buck, who serves on the Board of Play Partners, and is also the CEO of the POWERplex in St. Louis, MO, a new 160-acre sports campus development scheduled to open in early 2021. “There’s a lot of speculation, rumors and questions on when sports will return. We need to go directly to the source that matters: the parents of millions of student/athletes to find out how important youth sports will be as we move forward,” added Buck. 

“I don’t think there’s any doubt, that youth sports can play a vital role in getting a huge sector of our society back to normal. Playing ball again isn’t just about the economic boost it will bring to the hotel and hospitality industry, but the mental, social and emotional recovery it can bring to children and families is huge,” said Bob Hebrank. Athletic Director at Pattonville High School, one of the thousands of school districts across the US struggling with what to do as it relates to large sports events in the future. 

The survey will be open for 10 days on the website and Play Partners is hoping to get strong feedback from a wide-range of different sports families. Among the groups currently sending out the survey include the following national and regional organizations: USA Volleyball, AAU, Gameday Baseball, USA Softball, Legacy Global Sports, PSE Housing, USA Hockey Association, Ripken Baseball, Greater Midwest Baseball, and dozens of youth sports clubs and organizations around the country.  

The survey will close on May 4, with the research summary and results compiled by FrontlineCo., an association management firm in Springfield, IL that compiles vital data for a wide-range of trade associations and organizations across the US. 

The findings and executive report will be published and available on the website, www.sportssurveys.org on May 15.  

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MEDIA INFORMATION:

Contact Julie Lally or Nancy Milton, Insight PR St. Louis, at insight@insightrocks.com to arrange interviews or for more information.

Video Link:

https://youtu.be/OSdHLnWkPV0

Interview Opportunities via Skype:  

Dan Buck, Play Partners (Conducting the survey) 
Josh Akright, PSE Housing/Global Legacy Sports 
Michael Grade, National Youth Sports Consultant 

About Play Partners:

Play Partners is a non-profit organization founded in 2019 that focuses on bringing sports associations, organizations and youth athletic facilities together in a unified manner to improve the youth sports experience for athletes, siblings, parents and coaches. 

Through collaboration, all involved in the youth sports industry can make stronger strategic decisions that will improve and benefit the student-athlete experience and provide families a trusted advocate for youth sports.