Kenneth Ruoff

Millions of American families spend tens of thousands of dollars annually to have their children participate in club travel sports. In What is the Goal: The Truth About the Youth Sports Industry, the authors educate parents about this industry''s money vacuum designed to suck up a family''s resources by attaching itself to parents'' dreams and fears of missed opportunities for their children''s future. The industry is driven largely by the quest for prestige and preferential admission to college. Within the industry, system-wide conflicts of interest cause unintended harm to the young athletes that sports programs should be designed to benefit. Linscott and Ruoff demonstrate how the Youth Sports Industry (YSI) accentuates the wealth and participation gap by pricing out most families. Young athletes have become valuable commodities to the sports clubs who secure greater earnings in a lucrative industry if they play their business cards right. The authors explore who is making a living off of the YSI and who are its consumers. Linscott and Ruoff analyze the travel tournament, a critical money-generating element of virtually all YSI clubs that accomplishes little in terms of developing athletes. The authors provide a guide for navigating the YSI should parents choose to involve their children. The book also proposes broad, society-wide interconnecting solutions and potential regulations for colleges, medical professionals, legislators, program directors, coaches, and parents to consider. Linscott and Ruoff further the discussion that sports leaders and researchers have initiated to facilitate needed reforms and return the fun and self-empowerment back to the youth athletes.