On May 13, 2026, Senators Chris Murphy and Cory Booker and Representative Chris Deluzio of Pennsylvania, among other co-sponsors, introduced the Let Kids Play Act, a bill aimed at private equity money in youth sports. Deluzio put the concern plainly: “This is becoming a luxury item for so many families where mom and dad's bank account determines where a kid gets to play.”
Whether or not the bill ever becomes law, it is a useful read for anyone who runs a tournament, a club or a league, because most of the practices it names are pricing and contract practices, and parents are already asking about them.
The numbers behind the bill
- 46%rise in what youth sports costs families since 2019Aspen Institute Project Play
- $1,000+average family spend on one child's sports in 2024Project Play, as cited by Good Sports
- 68%of parents of kids who have played say they have seriously considered pulling them out2026 Good Sports Cost of Play Index
- 77%of parents believe private clubs and travel teams are pricing kids out2026 Good Sports Cost of Play Index
The cost figures come from the Aspen Institute's Project Play, which also describes youth sports as a market of more than $40 billion a year. The parent figures come from the 2026 Good Sports Cost of Play Index, a Harris Poll survey of more than 500 U.S. parents commissioned by Good Sports. In the same survey, 53% of parents said they worry they will not be able to afford a sport for their child next year, and 67% said affordable school-based opportunities have declined over the past five years.
What the bill would actually do
As summarized by Youth Sports Business Report, the bill targets what it calls “vulture practices” by private equity-controlled youth sports entities. Several of them will be familiar to anyone who has run an event, and we cover the first one separately in our stay-to-play explainer:
- Stay-to-play: conditioning eligibility on using a designated travel agent, hotel or transportation company.
- Junk fees: mandatory or unavoidable charges not clearly disclosed before registration.
- Lock-in contracts: multi-year non-cancelable commitments with no early exit, exclusivity clauses, and bans on competing in non-affiliated tournaments within 150 miles.
- Roll-up consolidation: acquiring or controlling more than one entity that serves youth sports.
- Data and IP capture: claiming rights to recordings, biometric data, scouting reports or parental payment records.
Designated firms would have two years to divest. The FTC and the Justice Department's Antitrust Division would share primary federal enforcement, state attorneys general could sue on behalf of residents, and private plaintiffs, including class actions, could sue for treble damages. Strategic and family-office investors that are not structured as private equity funds fall outside the bill's definition of a covered firm.
Its chances are slim for now. Youth Sports Business Report notes that the sponsors themselves acknowledge near-term passage is unlikely under current Republican control.
Why independent operators should read it anyway
The bill is aimed at private equity-controlled entities, not at independent clubs or tournament directors. But the list above is a fair description of what frustrates parents regardless of who owns the event. That is our read, not a finding from the sources, and it is not legal advice.
If the parent figures above hold in your market, then in our view the operators who can answer a few questions simply will have an easier time filling brackets. Five worth being able to answer out loud:
- What is the all-in price per team, and is it published before checkout?
- Is a hotel block optional, and does the registration page say so?
- Are there any fees that appear only at the last step?
- What is the refund and cancellation policy, in two plain sentences?
- Who owns the roster, payment and game data you collect, and can an organization take it with them?
The logistics side of running an event well is covered in our operator's checklist for a youth tournament.
What to watch
Three things are worth tracking: whether the bill gets a hearing or moves in committee, whether states take up similar rules on their own, and whether the next Cost of Play Index shows the parent worry numbers rising or easing. We will update this piece if any of them move.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Let Kids Play Act?
A bill introduced on May 13, 2026, led by Representative Chris Deluzio and Senators Chris Murphy and Cory Booker, that would restrict private equity involvement in youth sports and target practices such as stay-to-play hotel rules, junk fees and multi-year lock-in contracts.
Has the Let Kids Play Act passed?
No. It has been introduced in both chambers, and Youth Sports Business Report notes the sponsors acknowledge near-term passage is unlikely under current Republican control.
Does the Let Kids Play Act apply to independent tournaments and clubs?
As summarized by Youth Sports Business Report, its prohibitions apply to private equity-controlled youth sports entities, and strategic and family-office investors are outside its scope. Independent operators are not the target, though the practices it names are the same ones parents question at any event.
How much have youth sports costs risen?
Costs are up 46% since 2019, according to the Aspen Institute's Project Play, and the average family spent over $1,000 on one child's sports in 2024.
