A shift from the sandlot to the travel team for youth sports

February 23, 2026 - 20:39

A new study highlights a significant generational shift in how children play, finding that informal neighborhood games have been largely replaced by organized, competitive sports. Researchers suggest that youths born in the 1990s spent a far greater portion of their recreational time in formal leagues and travel teams compared to those born in earlier decades.

This move away from spontaneous play like pickup basketball or kickball is driven by a growing belief among parents that structured sports are crucial for a child's development and future success. The emphasis is now on skill-building, coaching, and competition from a very young age. While these programs offer benefits like coaching and physical activity, experts express concern over the loss of unstructured playtime.

Child development specialists note that informal play fosters critical life skills often absent in organized settings. On the sandlot, children learn to negotiate rules, resolve conflicts, manage their own teams, and simply play for the joy of it without adult intervention or pressure to win. The decline of these free-play environments may limit opportunities for children to develop creativity, social independence, and intrinsic motivation. The study underscores a broader cultural transformation in childhood, where scheduled, goal-oriented activities are increasingly prioritized over old-fashioned, self-directed play.