The bleachers were packed for the 1989 Little League championship game because every kid in my community played in the same league, and if they weren’t in the game, they were there to watch. Also, it was inexpensive and required no travel. After the season, we switched to the next local sport. When we made it to high school, we weren’t burned out or riddled with overuse injuries. It was common to play multiple varsity sports, and the quality of play would rival what you see today, if not better, in some sports.
Times have changed, and the 2026 World Cup helps highlight that. The early success of Team USA led many fans to believe men’s soccer had finally arrived in America, but it was a mirage. The hype ignored the team’s losses against top European opponents before the tournament. Folarin Balogun and Malik Tillman were breakout stars, but we soon learned they were developed in systems outside the U.S. The lopsided loss to Belgium clarified what many parents could have told fans: The youth system is holding us back.
Soccer is not alone. Most youth sports in America are broken — more commercialized, time-intensive, travel-oriented and cost-prohibitive than ever. To make matters worse, teams increasingly expect a year-round commitment, incentivizing specialization before puberty. This prohibits the physical and mental benefits that come from being a multisport athlete and dampens the joy kids should experience in sports.
No one should be surprised to see cases of youth injuries rising and kids quitting sports before they turn 13.
As a professor, I focus on what leads some societies to achieve higher levels of prosperity and others to decline or remain underdeveloped. Through my lens, the youth sports system in America resembles the institutions of many developing countries. The system has extractive elements, which blocks access for the benefit of more affluent or connected families. This has led to worse results since talent is spread widely throughout society. Reform is needed, and studying peer countries is a helpful exercise to see what’s working for other societies.
Norway became an object of American fascination during the World Cup. It turns out that its institutions are designed for successful youth development. There is no travel or specialization before age 13. It’s inexpensive, local and accessible to all kids. The government invests in community sports and implements protections for children. The system retains more kids playing sports and makes it fun and social, which in turn keeps the talent pool as deep as possible. The point is promoting a healthy life, not professional stardom.
The success there goes beyond soccer — the medal count at the Olympics is even more impressive for a small country.
I like to point to Portugal as another model to consider, which promotes access for kids and produces a disproportionate number of great soccer players per capita. My wife and I had front-row seats, since our boys participated in their system. To start, primary school has more recess time and after-school programs than in the U.S. Kids simply spend more time playing sports at school daily, which includes a lot of open-play soccer.
Beyond school, Portuguese youth sports are run through sporting clubs and neighborhood associations with national oversight of the system. Soccer is the dominant sport, and many clubs form “escolas de futebol,” or soccer schools, run on a year-round basis. They prioritize player development over winning. Fees are much lower than in the U.S., and the kids are coached by former players. You train two to three times per week in your age cohort; for our kids, practices were highly productive with four coaches running different stations. If “called up” by the coaches Thursday, the kids play one game Saturday for a team at their skill level.
All games are within a reasonable travel distance, and there are no weekend tournaments. The system respects family time, so there are no practices or games Sundays, holidays and school breaks. This also prevents burnout and gives time for recovery to lower injury risks.
When I pivot back to the U.S., I arrive at five institutional changes informed by lessons learned from Norway, Portugal and other countries. First, elementary schools should meaningfully increase recess time by lengthening the school day; recess is where kids develop creative, athletic and social skills in kid-regulated games. Local government authorities need to increase their investment in youth facilities and leagues to ensure full access to a quality nontravel alternative through age 12. Next, middle schools require more resources to offer the same sports as high schools to guarantee equitable access for all teenagers. For youth travel teams, a state-level body should be established to set age-appropriate guidelines on games, practices, travel and tournaments. Lastly, the state should provide vouchers to subsidize fees at nonprofit sporting associations that follow their rules.
I was recently back in Portugal, and my kids were able to train with a local soccer coach. Casually, I asked him: “What would be an easy way to improve soccer in America?” He replied: “Prohibit parents from coaching competitive teams.”
I laughed because I thought he was joking. He wasn’t.
