Sports Privilege and Technology

Yesterday, I sat down with the team at Axios to discuss the hard truth of sports: playing sports can create so many advantages in life (lower risk of obesity and depression, higher likelihood of going to college, etc.) that when a large number of kids don’t get have access to those benefits, it represents a real inequity. Those who get to play have a privilege—a sports privilege. 

So, how do we go about evening the playing field? How do we turn access to sports from a privilege to a basic right for all kids? Let’s start with technology. Is it part of the solution? Or fueling the inequity?

Like every developing industry, tech will inevitably play an essential role in the youth sports experience. It can create efficiencies, enable growth and scale, and ultimately deliver better experiences for participants. Plus––tech is already a central part of youth life and will only become more so. We can’t ignore this fact, we need to work with it. 

At LeagueApps, we use technology to support and empower the organizers that are working to increase access to sports across the country and to connect them with other youth sports leaders.

But tech is not accessed equitably as it stands now and the organizations that serve those with the most needs often have the least resources to invest in tech.  

At LeagueApps, we’re tackling this in two ways: 

1. FundPlay. Our impact branch that provides technology, training, and support to sports-based youth development programs across the country. Every dollar that’s spent on our platform helps fund kids who need it most to play sports. We’ve pledged 1% of our revenue to impact 500,000 kids by the end of 2022. 
2. Strategic Partnerships. We support the MLB Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) program through our tech and partnership, enabling growth in underserved communities largely left behind by the increasing cost of youth sports and giving time back to the organizers that support the families and participants in these programs. 

As an industry, we need to find more ways of allocating tech resources to youth sports organizations working in underserved communities and look for opportunities to amplify our impact by teaming up with key stakeholders and influencers. Tomorrow, I’ll share more about the kinds of strategic partnerships and collaboration available in the industry. Stay tuned… 

If you want to watch the Axios Hard Truths event recording, click here.