Landon Donovan says America is missing soccer talent because kids can’t afford to play.
“Only 2% of kids playing organized soccer in America came from households that made less than $50,000.”
“If you don’t make $50,000, your kid cannot play organized soccer.”
“Think about how many kids you’re missing out on in this country because they can’t afford to play the game.”
“There is zero chance I could have played club soccer.”
“My mom made $34,000 a year, single mom raising three kids.”
“She couldn’t pay $4,000 for me to play club. Are you kidding? She couldn’t pay $400.”
“That’s not a good system to create good players.”
If you think someone dancing with you at an event means they aren’t racist—or won’t vote against your interests—you need a deeper understanding of how power works.
I’ve seen a lot of conversations about race relations in Louisiana that are rooted in feelings instead of voting records. If someone dances with you on Saturday, then votes to cut funding for your schools on Monday, they’re not your ally.
We should never confuse social interactions with political solidarity. If your vote helps elect people who weaken Black representation or reduce funding for Black communities and projects, you’re supporting financial discrimination—whether you intend to or not.
Speaking on the @globalblackeconomicforum stage at @essencefest.
If people are going to take your tax dollars, you should have a say in who spends them and how they’re spent.
Share if you care. 🦾
Congress held a hearing on private equity's role in turning youth sports into a fee-extraction machine. Average family spending on a child's primary sport increased 46% between 2019 and 2024, widening the participation gap between lower-income and affluent families.
Bipartisan lawmakers looked at firms buying up local leagues, tournaments, and sports facilities turning a community institution into a consolidated, profit-driven commodity.
They examined rising fees, mandatory add-on costs, "stay-to-play" hotel requirements, vertical integration across leagues, tournaments, and camps, and the way large operators can squeeze out smaller community programs.
Youth sports should be about easy access for all children instead of finding new ways to extract money from parents.
I haven't seen anyone talk about this, so I just wanted to bring this to everyone's attention, especially all the parents who follow me.
These Wall Street firms are colonizing everything in sight, but private equity doesn't run our country. Soccer moms do! And the fight for youth sports is an important one. Pricing millions of children out of sports is not in our nation's best interests.