They represent about five million mothers and fathers and others including many older teenagers. Programs like this get started due to the natural attraction of kids to sports. Word of mouth and publicity through the schools bring in more youngsters from all directions. This is turn gets the organizers involved in recruiting more coaches plus coordinators for equipment, recruitment, snack bars, officials, and facilities. In a continuing upward spiral, fund raising activities become important to upgrade and expand facilities while keeping the costs down for the youngsters and their families.
Youth sport is an area that fosters the personal growth of young players.
As a rule, youngsters spend a lot of time with and around nurturing adults who appear to them as leader-types and successful. The appealing features of sport are activity, competition and getting better. Both the players and their coaches strive to do well against their in-house opponents and then seek better competition elsewhere. This upward cycle leads to higher performance leagues and tournaments. The same may also be said for music and art as well as other acceptable social activities that may grab the attention of youngsters.