Posted on July 23, 2026

By Dr. Keith G. Adams, Ed.D., CMAA

President & Founder, CKA SAVE Project

I recently read William Rhoden's excellent commentary discussing the growing challenges facing youth soccer and baseball. His article focuses on an issue that deserves national attention—the extraordinary financial barriers that prevent many talented young athletes from participating in sports. Parents are spending thousands of dollars on travel teams, tournaments, showcases, and specialized training, while leaders across baseball and soccer search for ways to make these sports more accessible.

He's right.

Access matters.

Opportunity matters.

But as I finished reading the article, I couldn't help but notice something that has become increasingly common throughout youth sports.

Almost no one is talking about education.

We spend countless hours discussing recruiting rankings, elite clubs, showcase events, national tournaments, and college exposure. We debate pay-to-play systems, travel schedules, and talent identification. Yet we rarely ask one of the most important questions of all:

How are these young athletes progressing academically while pursuing these athletic opportunities?

That question has guided my work for more than thirty years. 

As a teacher, coach, athletic director, administrator, researcher, and educational leader, I've worked with thousands of students who dreamed of competing at the highest levels. Some reached those dreams. Many did not.

What separated those who found long-term success wasn't simply talent.

It was preparation.

The Missing Piece in Youth Sports

Whether we're talking about soccer, baseball, basketball, football, volleyball, or any other sport, today's families are asked to make enormous investments.

• Travel expenses.
• Club fees.
• Private instruction.
• Strength training.
• Equipment.
• Recruiting services.
• Highlight videos.
• Social media branding.

These investments are often made with one goal in mind:

Getting recruited.

But recruiting represents only one moment in a young person's life.

Education determines everything that comes afterward.

Every practice, tournament, and showcase should be accompanied by intentional conversations about academic progress, executive functioning, leadership development, career readiness, and long-term planning. Unfortunately, those conversations often receive far less attention than batting averages, goal totals, or recruiting rankings.

That's a problem.

Student-Athletes Face Pro-Level Challenges Without Pro-Level Support

Today's student-athletes are expected to balance rigorous academic schedules while navigating travel, competition, social media, branding, NIL conversations, recruiting, mental wellness, and family expectations.

Those aren't youth-level responsibilities.

Those are professional-level expectations.

Yet many families are left to manage them alone.

That's why I believe Educational Management represents the future of student success.

Educational Management is far more than tutoring or academic advising.

It is the intentional coordination of every decision that impacts a student's academic, athletic, professional, and personal development.

Instead of asking families to navigate complex educational systems by themselves, Educational Management provides an experienced partner who helps align every decision with a student's long-term goals.

What the CKA SAVE Project Does Differently

Since founding the CKA SAVE Project in 2009, our mission has never been centered solely on helping students earn scholarships.

Our mission is to help students maximize every opportunity they receive.

We accomplish that through comprehensive Educational Management services that include:

• Academic Skills Assessments to identify strengths, challenges, and growth opportunities.
• Educational consulting for students, families, schools, and athletic organizations.
• Academic monitoring and accountability systems.
• Leadership development rooted in our Structure, Discipline, and Support (SDS) Framework.
• Career readiness programming that closes the Resume Gap before graduation.
• Professional mentoring and executive coaching.
• Research opportunities and internships through our CKA Virtual Internship Program.
• School and athletic department consulting that helps organizations build systems supporting the whole student.
• Grants, workshops, curriculum, and professional development that strengthen educational outcomes.

Our philosophy is simple:

Athletic success and academic excellence should never compete with one another.

They should reinforce one another.

We Need to Expand the Conversation

I applaud the growing national discussion about making youth sports more affordable and accessible.

We absolutely need more opportunities for children from every community to participate.

But as we widen the front door into sports, we also have a responsibility to strengthen what happens after young people walk through it.

Access without educational support isn't enough.

Participation without preparation isn't enough.

Exposure without development isn't enough.

Every young athlete deserves someone asking:

How are your grades?

What are your career goals?

Are you developing leadership skills?

Who is helping you prepare for life after sports?

Those questions deserve as much attention as recruiting rankings and tournament schedules.

Beyond the Scholarship

At the CKA SAVE Project, we believe the scholarship isn't the finish line.

It's the starting line.

Whether a student earns a Division I scholarship, plays Division III athletics, joins a local club team, or never competes beyond high school, our responsibility remains the same:

Prepare them for the next forty years—not just the next four.

That's why we'll continue advocating for Educational Management as an essential part of youth development.

Because the future of youth sports isn't simply about creating better athletes.

It's about creating better students, stronger leaders, and more prepared professionals.

One Goal: Balance. One Result: Success.