Source: Bradstulberg
PE firms are systematically acquiring youth sports leagues and restructuring them around revenue extraction rather than participation. This creates a two-tier system: affluent families access elite coaching and travel; middle-class families get priced out. The infrastructure of childhood is being reorganized around investor returns, which changes what youth sports are for and who can participate. The financial engineering of Little League exemplifies how private capital is colonizing domains previously organized around community and player development.