July 17, 2023: The Keystone Little League 9-11 year old baseball team takes a victory lap around the field after winning the Pennsylvania Section 3 championship. Keystone defeated Berwick 6-2 in seven innings to win the section title and advance to the state tournament. (Photo by Paul Weaver/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
The Aspen Institute's Project Play initiative recently released its National State of Play 2023 report. In its eighth edition, the report identified the latest trends in attendance, health, coaching and playing costs. Thanks to data provided by the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, what many have observed regarding youth baseball participation has also been confirmed. Core baseball participation for children ages 6 to 12 declined 20.1% over four years (2019-2022). Core baseball participation among teens ages 13 to 17 has seen a 16.1% decline over the same period.
Rising prices for essential goods are forcing families to make difficult decisions, especially when it comes to their children's participation in youth sports. Although there is greater awareness of the power of sport, economic barriers still hinder access and opportunity in underserved communities. By partnering with USA Baseball, Major League Baseball has laid the foundation for future developments with low- to no-cost initiatives under its MLB Develops umbrella such as the DREAM Series, the Hank Aaron Invitational, the Breakthrough Series, the MLB Youth Academies and Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities Prosperity Laid (RBI) program with NikeNKE as the presenting sponsor. However, more needs to be done and philanthropic support must come from people who understand how sport can be a driver for change in society.
Voices of reason and advocates for underserved communities are desperately needed in youth sports. Don't be surprised if one of these voices comes from the Showcase world, which embodies the pay-to-play model. Last September, Perfect Game announced that Dennis Gilbert would become the organization's second commissioner. Under the new leadership team of Rob Ponger and Rick Thurman, who took over Perfect Game in August 2022, Gilbert is a perfect blend of passion and philanthropy.
With origins dating back to 1995, Perfect Game is the world's largest youth baseball and softball scouting service. It boasts an impressive group of alumni, some of whom are achieving impossible dreams as major league ballplayers. Some have even reached unprecedented heights as Cy Young and Most Valuable Player Award winners.
Success breeds contempt, as Perfect Game always seems to be at the center of the storm when it comes to criticism of the pay-to-play model and its return on investment. Perfect Game is not a golden ticket to college scholarships or a future in Major League Baseball. It's an expensive endeavor that provides exposure to showcases, tournaments, coaches and scouts with mentoring opportunities led by former major league ballplayers. According to Sports Business Journal's Erik Spanberg, youth sports is a $30 billion industry, and Perfect Game is far from the only organization thriving in the pay-for-play model.
Gilbert's love affair with baseball spans seven decades. He went from catching fly balls hit by Ted Williams as a minor league player for the Boston Red Sox to a successful career developing life insurance and providing asset protection for high net worth individuals. In 1980, Gilbert became an agent and represented an impressive list of all-stars, some of whom were inducted into the Hall of Fame. In 1984, he co-founded the Beverly Hills Sports Council with Perfect Game chairman Rick Thurman. He sold his shares in 1999 and moved to the Chicago White Sox in November 2000 as special assistant to chairman Jerry Reinsdorf.
Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf (right) behind home plate at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago, Illinois.Photo credit: Used with permission of the Chicago White Sox
A trusted confidant, Gilbert's philanthropic spirit is felt throughout baseball. In 1989, he wrote the first personal check to support John Young's vision of creating the RBI program in Los Angeles to increase African American participation in youth baseball. Young was the first African-American scouting director in 1981 when he was hired by the Detroit Tigers. Gilbert was instrumental in the construction of a baseball field at Southwest College that bears his name and is used by the RBI program. His generosity has touched the lives of many people who have fallen on hard times, as evidenced by Gilbert's work with the Baseball Assistance Team (BAT) and as co-founder of the Professional Scouts Foundation.
As Gilbert begins his new leadership role in youth sports, he is familiarizing himself with Perfect Game's business model: events, showcases, digital media, statistics, technology, merchandising and content platforms. His enthusiasm shines through when it comes to discussing philanthropic opportunities. Perfect Game works with a group in Arkansas called Beyond Sports Lab to provide lessons and resources to disadvantaged youth. They purchase a softball league with the goal of opening new doors in the sports business for female athletes. Scholarship opportunities are provided by Perfect Game and the generosity of its alumni network.
Like the study presented in the National State of Play 2023 report, Gilbert is a proponent of working with the U.S. government to identify best practices for funding youth sports. Funding could come in the form of corporate sponsorships, grants, lottery money and even taxes from sports betting. “We would like to involve the government and I would like to involve as many people as possible in supporting youth sports,” Gilbert said.
Gilbert wants the government to rise above selfishness and political rancor. Youth sports need financial support, and that starts with the creators on Capitol Hill. “They talk about too many things that are important to them instead of what is important to the public. If they focused more on sports, I think there would be less crime and fewer problems in this country,” Gilbert said.
As someone who has spent his life around baseball, Gilbert was blown away by what he saw at the 2023 World Wood Bat Association (WWBA) World Championship in Jupiter, Florida last October. Alongside thousands of parents and athletes who milled through the Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium complex for nearly a week, Gilbert watched as teamwork and collegiality laid the foundation for a wonderful youth sports experience. He summed up his observations in six words: “No politics, no nonsense, just baseball!”
Perfect Game will always have its critics when it comes to the pay-for-play model in youth sports, but Dennis Gilbert hopes to silence some with his philanthropic spirit. Gilbert has great ambitions to one day see Perfect Game in every state in the country while creating an inclusive environment fueled by the love of baseball. As Major League Baseball looks for new ways to break down economic barriers in underserved communities, don't be surprised if Gilbert and Perfect Game become valued collaborators in their pursuit of access and opportunity.
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Wayne G. McDonnell, Jr., MBA has worked in education, media, coaching and finance for two decades. He earned the rank of Clinical Professor of Sport Management and served as an academic chair at New York University's Tisch Institute for Global Sport. A former financial analyst and accountant at Madison Square Garden, McDonnell is a baseball contributor for Forbes Sports Money and the YES Network. He has also written for other sports business magazines, authored textbook chapters, and presented research at industry conferences.
McDonnell is a sought-after commentator on topics related to the game of baseball. He has appeared regularly on MLB Network television programs. Bloomberg; ABC; NBC; FOX; CNN; SportsNet New York and the YES Network. He is a frequent guest on radio programs across the country and is quoted in several magazines.
McDonnell is currently a teaching assistant professor of athletic administration at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Previously, he was an adjunct full professor at St. John's University and taught a synchronous online course on the economics of sport in the Collins College of Professional Studies' Department of Sport Management. In his free time, McDonnell lends his expertise to Courage, a nonprofit organization that helps young athletes and adults redefine success in youth sports. He represents the company as Vice President of Content and Curriculum at panel discussions, conferences and events.
A winner of academic awards for teaching excellence and outstanding service, McDonnell has distinguished himself by establishing successful ventures in a complex academic environment while maintaining a strong commitment to creating exceptional experiences for students. Over the course of his 17-year career at New York University, McDonnell has been instrumental in implementing academic policies and developing curriculum through innovative athletic courses for undergraduate, graduate, high school, and continuing education students. McDonnell played a critical role in growing a highly regarded sports management program while maintaining a strong connection to the industry through guest lectures, networking, internships, development, experiential learning and strategic collaboration.
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