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The end of HS sports

Posted by (Not) Joe Kinsey on February 9, 2026, 12:50 pm

Interesting take from @JoeKinseyexp today...

He comments on a ridiculous club baseball post about "9U players to watch" with this comment:

"I'm on record saying we're not far off from the end of high school sports as we know it. Money guys know parents don't have the backbone to stop paying.

Clubs will eventually replace HS sports across the U.S. at the higher levels. HS sports will become rec, or die out entirely."

Is he right?

Re: The end of HS sports

Posted by It's not what you WANT... on February 11, 2026, 10:33 am, in reply to "The end of HS sports"

... it's what you're gonna GET.

I respect and agree with the comments about the benefits of HS ball. Personally, I think the coaching and competition is far below club ball, but I put tremendous value on what HS sports do for community and opportunity for kids.

But I don't think that's gonna matter.

Youth sports have inelastic demand. Look at how much more expensive club is today than ten years ago... yet there are more teams, tournaments and private lessons to spend your money on than ever before. This is EXACTLY the situation that institutional investors salivate over.

You might pull back on eating out during the next recession, but you're not going to tell your kid that you can't play for the Bandits and instead need to play community travel.

I loved my local dentist. He sold to PE. I loved my local plumber. He sold to PE. I liked the guy who services my furnace. He sold to PE. The locusts are coming for our fields next!

My own forecast is that HS sports aren't going to "go away" - but they're going to be talent drained by club options. The HS teams of the future will be for freshman or those who [whose parents] don't have dreams of playing in college...

Re: The end of HS sports

Posted by Travel Softball Cost on February 11, 2026, 1:31 pm, in reply to "Re: The end of HS sports"

Softball fees are not that much more expensive than they were ten years ago.

What doesn't make sense, is that you're contending that it's gotten so much more expensive, but you think parents will decide on the route for MORE travel and expense? For what? The college coaches will be coaching their teams in the spring.

Re: The end of HS sports

Posted by Cost on February 11, 2026, 10:15 pm, in reply to "Re: The end of HS sports"

I haven’t kept the receipts from 8 years ago when my oldest played, so I can’t remember club fees. But there is no way I was paying $100/hr for pitching and hitting back then - not to mention strength training. And with her team playing a national schedule, we’re easily $30k a year all in (fees, travel, gear, training…).

I’m insane.

I would also pay $31k, $32k, $33k.

Again, I’m insane.

Re: The end of HS sports

Posted by Spring on February 11, 2026, 4:24 pm, in reply to "Re: The end of HS sports"

High school will never go away. It’s a very small percentage of girls that want more and mainly it’s the parents that are saying, oh suzie don’t play highschool and will travel every weekend down south to play. Sit back and enjoy watching your daughter. If you want to be that crazy parent that wants to travel every single weekend, than have at it.

Re: The end of HS sports

Posted by @Spring on February 13, 2026, 7:35 am, in reply to "Re: The end of HS sports"

My youngest was blessed to play a lot of good softball; Bandits, All Big Ten, etc. Some of her best memories came from high school, when competition was at its purest. Sure, the coaching wasn't the highest level, and you played teams you felt sorry for, but it was just about winning, not recruiting or getting a bump in your scholarship, and everyone had to contribute, not just the more talented kids.

Re: The end of HS sports

Posted by Dave Betcher on February 10, 2026, 12:43 pm, in reply to "The end of HS sports"

It would be a shame if high school sports ever stopped. Many good points made already

Playing with your friends

No college recruiting during college season

Cost to travel

Many travel coaches are not professional and they too have jobs and need a break

The way teams break up after only a 6-7 week summer season could you imagine the disaster of teams playing in April and May also- they would be breaking up before June
High school should be left alone and enjoyed by all who wish to play - if you really don’t want to - good time to focus on other things or skill development - you don’t need practice games during high school

Just my thoughts

Re: The end of HS sports

Posted by disagree on February 9, 2026, 6:27 pm, in reply to "The end of HS sports"

High School sports are not going anywhere.

I personally look forward to the high school season. I enjoy not having to travel all around the country every weekend or every other weekend. It costs a fortune to play travel ball on a legit good team. It would probably cost another 5-10 grand to play during the entire spring season, and the college coaches are not going to come out to watch the girls play in the spring season. It would not make much sense from my perspective to play year round travel ball.

Re: The end of HS sports

Posted by Never on February 9, 2026, 5:34 pm, in reply to "The end of HS sports"

It will Never happen
You play for your high school! Nothing is better than playing for your high school. All these travel sports are brutal. Pure money grab and so washed down. I see all these travel teams trying to make teams in the Midwest now.

Re: The end of HS sports

Posted by what? on February 10, 2026, 8:59 am, in reply to "Re: The end of HS sports"

"nothing better" than playing for your high school? have you watched any HS games? High School softball is horrible, and it gets worse every year. The coaches are clueless and do more harm to the players than good, 95% of the time. The only valuable high school sport left is Football, which is the only way to be recruited in that sport.

Re: The end of HS sports

Posted by @say what? on February 18, 2026, 2:20 pm, in reply to "Re: The end of HS sports"

HS softball has its extremes just like TB. I can say the same about TB coaches. Some are clueless and it gets worse every year. They ruin my players in the off-season. Maybe your kid should have gone to a competitive HS.

Re: The end of HS sports

Posted by Pgoggles on February 10, 2026, 5:02 pm, in reply to "Re: The end of HS sports"

You must be one of those parents with those parent goggles. Your baby isn’t going D1. High school sports are the best becoase they can play for their school and with friends. Yes it can be bad softball but who cares. I bet your daughter is on a team that plays 80+ games a year lol

Re: The end of HS sports

Posted by Huh on February 10, 2026, 3:20 pm, in reply to "Re: The end of HS sports"

Maybe you're in the wrong school district.

Re: The end of HS sports

Posted by Nah on February 9, 2026, 4:50 pm, in reply to "The end of HS sports"

There aren't many of us that want to travel to tournaments all over the country year-round.
Spring is a nice time to take a break. Plus the girls get a chance to play softball with their friends.

Re: The end of HS sports

Posted by Coach on February 9, 2026, 2:57 pm, in reply to "The end of HS sports"

I could see that happening if things don't improve.

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