When Youth Sports Became Big Business

Are travel sports, elite teams and expensive training actually helping our kids succeed—or are parents being sold a version of youth sports they don’t need? In this episode of **Rise to More**, recorded at Grand Casino Arena, home of the Minnesota Wild, Jasna Burza sits down with **Mike Snee, Vice President of Foundation and Community Relations for the Minnesota Wild and creator of Skate It Forward**, for an important conversation about youth sports, youth hockey and the growing commercialization of kids’ athletics. Mike shares what makes Minnesota hockey different, why community-based sports are worth protecting, and what happens when fear of missing out convinces parents that their kids need elite teams, year-round training and expensive travel programs just to keep up. We also talk about **Skate It Forward**, the Minnesota Wild’s initiative to strengthen community hockey and help make the sport accessible to more kids. **In this conversation, we talk about:** When youth sports became big business Travel sports, elite teams and the pressure parents feel to keep up Whether kids really need elite training to succeed The risks of specializing too young Why Minnesota’s community hockey model is different The rising cost of youth sports and who gets left behind Why local, community-owned ice rinks matter Making hockey accessible to more families through Skate It Forward What sports teach kids beyond winning The role of fun, failure, resilience and simply playing What parents should remember when deciding how much is enough The future of community hockey in Minnesota Mike also shares one of the simplest lessons hockey teaches children: **everyone falls. You learn how to get back up.** This conversation is for parents of young athletes, hockey families, coaches and anyone wondering whether youth sports have become too expensive, too competitive and too focused on getting to the “next level.” **ABOUT MIKE SNEE** Mike Snee is Vice President of Foundation and Community Relations for the Minnesota Wild and creator of Skate It Forward, an initiative of the Minnesota Wild Foundation focused on preserving, strengthening and celebrating community hockey throughout Minnesota. Rise to More with Jasna Burza explores the people, ideas and conversations shaping how we live, lead and make an impact. Jasna sits down with leaders, founders, athletes, executives and changemakers to uncover the lessons behind meaningful success.Subscribe for conversations about leadership, personal growth, business, community, purpose and what we can learn from people doing extraordinary work. To hire Jasna as life and business advisor, go to www.jasnaburza.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jasnaburza.substack.com