In a system that's far better at identifying the best payers than finding the best players, the pipeline of talent gets choked out by costly tournament and team fees.
Youngsters leave a football field in 2015 after playing at halftime at a game between the Buffalo Bills and the Carolina Panthers.
AP Photo/Bill Wippert
A recent study that showed that 110 of 111 brains of deceased NFL players had a serious brain disease raised concerns once again about concussions. But there's a lot we still need to know.
Michelle Vansickle, center, of Flowery Branch, Ga., during a youth football safety clinic March 18, 2014, in Alpharetta, Ga.
AP Photo/Jason Getz
A study of the brains of 111 NFL players after their deaths showed that 110 had degenerative brain disease. Here are some expert analyses of what can be done to stop brain injury from sports.
Members of the grounds crew spray the field before the Opening Day game between the Washington Nationals and the Miami Marlins.
AP Photo/Alex Brandon
The national pastime is more than just a sport. In this roundup, we feature stories about baseball's relationship to race, politics, the media and health.
Soccer player on artificial turf.
From www.shutterstock.com
Artificial turf has become popular for kids' sports as well as for professional players. The little black crumbs that help support the blades of fake grass may not be so harmless.
A mother from suburban Atlanta attending an educational session about concussions with Falcons fullback Patrick DiMarco in 2014.
Jason Getz/AP
As many as half a million concussions in youth go unreported each year. Finding a way to measure whether a hit has occurred on the field is an important way to address these injuries.
See the world from another angle.
Cherry-Merry/www.shutterstock.com
Child sport success relies on having a positive parental influence.
The Cannon Street All-Stars watch from the stands at the 1955 Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
1955 Cannon Street All-Stars/Facebook
Charleston's Cannon Street YMCA All-Stars thought they'd have a chance to compete for a spot in the coveted Little League World Series. But South Carolina's Little League director had other ideas.
Integrity in sport should start from the bottom up.
Shutterstock/Paolo Bona
Skateboarders are being driven from Melbourne's Lincoln Square after community complaints. But skaters are citizens too, and with obesity on the rise, their activities should be encouraged.
When pro football players like Chris Borland quit, it should send a strong message to parents. But there are a host of issues, besides health, to consider.
Mo'ne Davis riveted the nation last summer with her dominating performance in the Little League World Series.
USA Today Sports/Reuters
Youth sports are viewed as a rite of passage in a child’s development. If the clichés that permeate sports broadcasts and locker room speeches are to be believed, sports participation teaches children…