Up2Us Sports’ Founder & CEO Paul Caccamo penned a chapter in a groundbreaking new book on the landscape of youth sports in America. Written by a former Olympic consultant, this authoritative book examines youth sports in America today, from the organizations and companies that dominate organized youth sports to high-profile controversies ranging from burnout and out-of-control parents to the health risks of youth football.

Caccamo’s chapter is titled: Sports-Based Youth Development (SBYD) Movement. Read an excerpt below:

[Page 337] “It’s almost a cultural phenomenon in the United States to pay lip service to the social and economic divisions in the country without taking the action that is necessary to address them. This is no less true for youth sports. Costs of participation in sports have risen during the past decade and, as a result, more and more youth, especially in low-income communities, have found themselves shut out of the game. It is in part to address these inequalities in youth sports that the sports-based youth development (SBYD) movement began. However, it is not the only reason. Supporters of the SBYD movement contend that the intrinsic values derived by playing sports, such as teamwork, leadership, and discipline, have been impeded upon by a multi-billion-dollar sports industry and its never-ending thirst for talent, scholarships, and merchandizing, all of which have further monetized play and driven the expectations of the child athlete to excess.”

Skye G. Arthur-Banning, Editor. (2018). Youth Sports in America: The Most Important Issues in Youth Sports Today. Retrieved from http://publisher.abc-clio.com/9781440843020

Learn more about the book, or purchase a copy for your organization or classroom here.