Next Level Sports Marketing

Jason Martin entered the University of South Carolina’s sport and entertainment management program hoping to become the next Jerry Maguire, the mythical superagent. Instead, like most people trying to break into the sports industry, he is looking at years of low-paying, unglamorous jobs like selling ads, tickets and hot dogs.

That, of course, assumes he can find a job. In January, he started a four-month unpaid internship at the Family Circle Cup, a women’s tennis tournament, helping sponsors place their ads. He hoped his internship would lead to a salaried job.

Not this year. Because of the recession, Martin, who graduated this month with thousands of other sports management majors across the country, is continuing his job search at home in Virginia. If no full-time work turns up by September, he will enroll in a master’s degree program.

“Graduate school is definitely Plan B,” said Martin, 21, who is working this summer as a swimming coach. “My original intention was to get a job, but with the economy, there’s so many people who just graduated who can’t even get a cup of coffee with a prospective employer.”

For decades, the sports industry has been largely impervious to the economic cycle. Through booms and busts, leagues and tournaments expanded, stadiums were built and attendance and television viewership set records. Revenue from suite sales, naming rights and television contracts boomed.

But Martin and other graduates are finding that the industry’s growth is slowing, if not reversing. Students are receiving fewer job offers this spring or are accepting internships instead of salaried positions. Many of those internships are unpaid. The worry, their professors say, is that austerity may become the norm, forcing students to scale down or abandon their ESPN-fueled dreams.

“I used to teach that sport was recession-proof, but this recession proved me wrong,” said Gary Sailes, who runs the undergraduate program in sports marketing and management at Indiana. “I tell students that this is a good time to stay in school.”

The number of jobs related to spectator sports has risen steadily during the last few decades. According to figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 138,700 people work in the spectator sports industry, 9.8 percent more than in 2002.

There is no accurate tally of how many jobs have been lost in the last year or so, but the anecdotal evidence is grim. The N.F.L. has cut nearly 200 jobs. The N.B.A. has eliminated 10 percent of its staff, and the United States Olympic Committee laid off more than 50 workers.

The L.P.G.A. dropped several tournaments, and Honda ended its Formula One sponsorship. The Jets will furlough some employees for two weeks, and the Cleveland Browns, the Denver Broncos and the Washington Redskins have cut jobs.

Many other teams and tournaments, stung by declines in attendance and sponsorship dollars, have stopped hiring. ESPN will not fill 200 vacant jobs. The Arena Football League canceled its season.

This is bad news for the 300 or so universities that offer sport management degrees. Every year, they churn out thousands of graduates who, even in good times, are willing to work for low pay in return for the chance to work around athletes and arenas. The teams, leagues and others in the sports industry have taken advantage of their willingness to make financial sacrifices, and may continue to do so.

“Sport management is one of the sexy industries, and it’s very hard to discourage students from joining the industry,” said Mark McDonald, the director of internships at the University of Massachusetts’s sport management program. “I feel for the students who haven’t done the preparation.”

Going to college to prepare for a job in sports is relatively new. Years ago, many jobs were filled through word of mouth or serendipitously. Marty Appel, the Yankees’ assistant public-relations director in the early 1970s, wrote to the team in 1967 asking for a summer job. He was lucky; someone was needed to answer Mickey Mantle’s mail.

“It was very much like a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants operation,” said Appel, who estimated there were only 40 people working in the team’s front office then.

By the late 1970s, Appel interviewed graduates of some of the first sport management programs who, he said, were better prepared to handle the growing list of demands on ball clubs.

Walter O’Malley, who owned the Dodgers in Brooklyn and Los Angeles and who foresaw the need for better-trained employees, helped persuade Ohio University to start the first degree-granting sport management program in 1966.

The number of programs jumped fourfold in the 1980s as the industry grew along with ESPN and Title IX, according to Jacquelyn Cuneen, who teaches sport management at Bowling Green. Dozens of universities, looking to increase enrollment, rebranded their physical education departments.

Sport management programs have also been broadened to teach fitness, tourism, recreation and hospitality, prompting critics to claim that many programs do not provide students with the skills to succeed at anything other than the lowest-level jobs.

More worrisome is the realization that even at rigorous programs, students are getting about half as many job offers this year compared with other years, according to Dallas Branch, who teaches sport management at West Virginia. Yeoman’s work is demanded of graduates even from the most prestigious universities like Columbia, which started a master’s level program for midcareer students in 2006.

While attending classes there, Sean Mysel is working this summer as a stadium manager for the Sussex Skyhawks, a minor league baseball team in New Jersey. But he has spent about $25,000 on tuition and $75,000 on living expenses to attend Columbia, which he hopes will help him reach his goal of running a major league ballpark.

“I know the job market is difficult for a while, but I don’t feel I have to hit the panic button,” said Mysel, 31. “At a minimum, it will take 10 or 15 years.”

Graduate students, though, are in a better position than undergraduates because they often have several years of work experience. Kati Karottki, who graduated last weekend from Massachusetts with a bachelor’s degree in sport management, did well in college and worked as a research analyst at a company that measures sponsorships.

But as her senior year began, she planned to single out several companies as potential employers. Then Lehman Brothers collapsed in September.

“I really had to redo everything,” she said.

She reached out to alumni and had half a dozen interviews. But over and over, she heard the same thing: there are other candidates with master’s degrees with more experience who are willing to work for little. This week, she is traveling to Bristol, Conn., to interview at ESPN for an analyst’s job focused on audience research. She is not getting ahead of herself.

“They have so many applicants and people to choose from, just getting to an in-person interview, that’s a big achievement,” she said. “My classmates have resigned themselves to doing another internship or taking time off to travel.”

Adrenaline Marketing is moving into the action sports arena with its newest client Alli, The Alliance of Action Sports. Alli is a global business that encompasses national and international action sports tours and events, multimedia production, and a consumer-facing lifestyle brand.

Alli has partnered with Adrenaline Marketing for strategic planning and activation initiatives for the Dew Tour, a series of action sports events featuring skateboarding, BMX, FMX, snowboarding and free-skiing in eight cities from June to February.

The popularity of action sports has grown exponentially over the last ten years, and action sports events like the Dew Tour pack traditional sports venues. According to America Sports Data (2007), in the U.S. alone there are 11.6 million skateboarders, 6.88 million snowboarders and 3 million BMX participants.

“With our expertise in working with the youth market, sports properties, product launches and event planning and management, we are a perfect fit for Alli,” says Diane Wentworth, Managing Partner of Adrenaline Marketing.

About the Alliance of Action Sports: Alli is owned by NBC Sports and MTV Networks and represents a network of athletes, fans, brands and properties. Its mission is to facilitate the momentous growth of action sports, through competition and lifestyle, for a new generation of fans and athletes. The Alli properties are home to more than 550,000 spectators each year and broadcasts more than 150 hours of original content in 100 countries and 280 million homes worldwide.

About the Dew Tour: The Dew Tour, the premier season-long series in action sports, consists of five major, multi-sport events, featuring skateboarding (park and vert), BMX (park, vert, and dirt), and FMX. Dew Tour is the most watched and attended action sports property in the world with over 250,000 spectators, 41 million total viewers and reaches over 100 countries worldwide. The events extend across the country, have a cumulative points system, and a $3.5 million competitive purse. It crowns year-end champions including past Dew Cup winners Ryan Sheckler, Shaun White, Bucky Lasek, Jamie Bestwick, and Nate Adams.

Here’s a fun twist on Danica Patrick’s sexy persona: TV coverage of the Indianapolis 500 just opened with a fun spot for her sponsor, Boost Mobile, right before the introduction of the drivers. In the “Unwronged” spot, Patrick pulls into the pit lane, where her crew is ready – in high heels and mini skirts.

‘Danica brings a high level of fun, energy and edge which aligns perfectly with Boost Mobile’s ‘Unwronged’ campaign,’ said Neil Lindsay, chief marketing officer, Boost Mobile. ‘There is still a lot of wrong out there and now Boost has joined forces with Danica Patrick to draw greater attention to these wrongs among a broader base of U.S. consumers.’

‘These commercials are definitely going to get people talking,’ said Danica Patrick. ‘Boost Mobile does a great job coming up with marketing campaigns that really push the limit, but still get across a great message. Everyone is looking for a value these days and that is exactly what you get with the Boost $50 Monthly Unlimited Plan and the Motorola Clutch.’

The two spots will begin airing on May 24 during the Indianapolis 500 on ABC and will feature the Motorola Clutch’ i465, Boost Mobile’s first QWERTY phone. Coupled with the Boost Mobile $50 Monthly Unlimited cell phone plan, the innovative Clutch i465 combines the power of Walkie-Talkie and the convenience of a QWERTY keyboard allowing consumers to take advantage of the full functionality of the phone.

Stars president Jeff Cogen understands the common dilemma confronting his team’s best corporate customers.

They want to keep their company’s season tickets yet face an economic tsunami that’s brought increased public and government scrutiny, potential layoffs and uncertainty about the future.

Cogen relies on the promotional instincts that led him to give away a car at each game while trying to revitalize Detroit Red Wings attendance in the 1980s. He might offer the company a deal on seats if it will move its location slightly. Or he’ll add money for food and drink. Or even toss in tickets for an employee outing. Now more than ever, it’s about offering value.

Cogen and the Stars aren’t alone. In ways big and small, the recession has underscored the importance of corporate America to Dallas’ professional sports. The Cowboys, Rangers, Mavericks and Stars have scrambled to retain and reward their best customers – businesses that purchase suites and high-dollar tickets and, in good times, renew at season’s end.

One sign of the times is actually the lack of a sign. No corporate logo will grace the new $1.1 billion Cowboys stadium when it opens this summer despite predictions that a naming rights deal would exceed $20 million a year.

While Dallas has weathered the economic downturn better than other cities, its four major pro teams have been forced to be inventive.

While the average fan remains important, so do businesses, said Andrew Silverman, the Rangers’ executive vice president for sales.

“We can’t survive without the corporate client,” Silverman said. “Any sports team – the Mavericks, the Cowboys, the Rangers, the Stars, all of us – we need that corporate dollar. Obviously, it’s hugely important.”

The National Basketball Association could just be headed toward a dream Finals matchup between its two most marketable stars, one that will result in massive buzz, bigger TV ratings — and a nightmare for two of its biggest sponsors, Adidas and Gatorade.

The problem for NBA’s official merchandise and uniform supplier, Adidas, and its official sports beverage, Pepsi’s Gatorade, is that Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant and Cleveland Cavaliers stalwart LeBron James are the two most prominent endorsers of their archrivals, Nike and Coca-Cola’s Glaceau, neither of which paid nearly as much to the NBA for the privilege of sponsoring the league and its playoffs.

In their giddiness, neither Glaceau nor Nike has bothered to wait for the matchup to materialize to trumpet their stars — and activate some brand messaging. Mr. James’ Cavaliers still need to vanquish the Orlando Magic (led by Adidas endorser Dwight Howard), and Mr. Bryant’s Lakers, which barely beat the injury-riddled Houston Rockets in the second round, still need to take out the Denver Nuggets. But that hasn’t stopped Glaceau’s Vitaminwater from airing a spot with the two stars’ partisans bickering over which player is superior and inviting viewers to follow the “Great Debate” on Facebook. Not to be outdone, Nike’s latest ad features Muppet-like likenesses of the two, with Mr. Bryant’s puppet irritating Mr. James’ by constantly invoking his three championship rings. (Mr. James has yet to win an NBA title.)

Magnified by the media
If both players manage to lead their teams to the NBA Finals, as expected, those efforts will likely be magnified exponentially by a media narrative that’s likely to obsess over all things Kobe and LeBron.

“It’s all people are going to be talking about,” said Ben Sturner, CEO of the Leverage Agency, a sports-marketing firm. “You’re going to ask people afterwards who’s the official sponsor [in those categories], and they’re not going to say Gatorade or Adidas.”

A Gatorade spokeswoman said the company is not worried about Vitaminwater, which is not a marketing partner of the NBA, stealing its costly sponsorship’s thunder, even though it’s counting on the Finals as a springboard for its upcoming campaign for the crucial summer season. “We’re not concerned with what our competitors are doing,” she said.

Adidas, which has been bleeding market share in basketball to Nike and its Brand Jordan division, likewise downplayed the potential Nike boomlet, saying that the buzz from the Finals will benefit it as the league’s official outfitter. “Star players and talented teams raise consumer interest, spark TV ratings and stimulate the jersey business, all of which is great for us.”

Mr. Sturner, however, said he knows better. “I guarantee you,” he said, “that Adidas is rooting for Orlando.”

Players or leagues?
The issue touches on an age-old debate among sports marketers as to whether to sponsor players or leagues. League and event deals offer guaranteed exposure and less of the risk of injury or embarrassment that can come from sponsoring an individual. But the right player deal generally offers exponentially more upside.

Nike has almost always backed players and tended to come out ahead doing so. It tends to be the marketer most associated with the Olympics, despite not shelling out for a top-level sponsorship with the International Olympic Committee, although it does cut deals with individual countries’ sports federations to ensure athletes don its wares in many events. (Likewise, Nike pays to be a “marketing partner” of the NBA in order to allow its athletes to wear their Adidas-branded pro jerseys in commercials.)

Occasionally the strategy does backfire: The most touted athletes at the 2008 Beijing Olympics — swimmer Michael Phelps and sprinter Usain Bolt — were not Nike endorsers, and the company suffered a major headache when its lead football endorser, Michael Vick, went to prison for running a dog-fighting ring.

Adidas and Gatorade have tried to have it both ways, as each marketer backed the Boston Celtics’ Kevin Garnett, a star of last year’s championship, who missed this year’s playoffs with an injury. And Adidas has its major endorsement deal with Orlando’s Mr. Howard, who represents the largest obstacle to a LeBron-Kobe Nikefest in the Finals.

Exosphere, also known as Extreme Sports Marketing, Inc., (Pink Sheets:EXSA), a sports marketing and holding company focused on one of the fasting growing sports today, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) — today announced that its MMA Advertising Network, www.MMAAdNet.com, has signed up with several of the most respected Internet affiliate marketing programs, and has begun running various ads throughout its ad network.

Affiliate Marketing is one of the best ways to monetize web traffic and limit the risk of the “publisher” (MMAAdnet Affiliates). MMAAdnet is deploying these ads in a niche market with creative ads built to appeal to our core audience. Currently ads are running and sales have been made through these affiliate marketing programs.

The company signed up for Affiliate status on several sites and then selected merchants, products and services that fit the demographic our Affiliates or Publishers reach. The visitors of the sites will then click the ad and be taken to a much larger and more trusted e-tailer to make his or her purchase. MMAAdnet as the referring site is paid on the initial sale and in some cases the company earns a percentage of future sales.

Extreme Sports Marketing CEO Jason Genet said, “In light of the current economic climate, we felt it would be a smart move to build out our own affiliate marketing campaigns to develop revenue for our publishers and the athletes involved. Our job is to help maximize the earnings of our affiliates and this is one of the proven methods of earning money online.

“MMAAdnet will be building specific ad campaigns featuring top name MMA Athletes and fulfillment from some of the best e-commerce partners around today. We are also building ‘Virtual Malls’ that feature top MMA brands in one common shopping experience.”

www.MMAAdnet.com is one of the largest Mixed Martial Arts advertising networks on the net today. Its sites include MMA eZines, MMA blogs, MMA MySpace layouts, and MMA fighter sites. MMAAdnet generated more than 4.4 million impressions in the month of April 2009.

Grant Fenton is excited about the top speakers at this week’s Economic Summit in Steamboat Springs.

Fenton helped organize the summit, called “Thriving in Tough Economic Times,” scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday at the Steamboat Grand Resort Hotel. Fenton is chairman of the group putting on the summit, the Steamboat Springs Economic Development Council. He said he was particularly looking forward to a presentation from Daniel Levine.

Levine is billed on his Web site as an international trends expert. His speech will focus on turning economic challenges into profitable opportunities, Fenton said.

“I think it’s safe to say he’s just an incredibly high-caliber speaker, and we don’t get that opportunity very often here in Steamboat,” Fenton said.

Levine’s Web site states that the session is “packed with brilliant examples of where culture and consumer-oriented business are headed, this essential presentation shows you how to take advantage of the new reality in ways that your competitors have yet to even imagine.”

Representatives from Levine’s company, the Avant-Guide Institute, did not return a call seeking comment Monday. His site offers credentials:

? MasterCard chose him to be the spokesman of a TV campaign.

? Deutsche Telekom AG hired Levine as a trends marketing consultant to help them understand what’s happening in the world of restaurants, nightlife and retail.

? HBO and NBC turned to Levine when they needed a trends expert to produce international segments for prime-time lifestyle shows.

Other speakers at the summit include economist Carl Steidtmann; Susan Kirkpatrick, executive director of the Colorado Department of Local Affairs; Sprig Toys CEO Craig Storey; and former Denver Bronco Karl Mecklenburg.

Breakout sessions Thursday will offer information about building Web sites, social networking and how businesses have succeeded amid the recession.

“In talking to a lot of speakers who are coming and sort of the attitude and all the panels and everybody else, I think everybody’s just excited to talk about something positive and to be in a positive environment,” Fenton said.

Schulte Sports announced the official launch of SchulteAuctions.com. This premier sports and entertainment internet auction platform will provide collectors the opportunity to buy and sell great signed / unsigned sports and pop culture memorabilia.

“Our intent is to provide all-level collectors unique and one-of-a-kind memorabilia to create memories for a lifetime.” said Ray Schulte, President / CEO Schulte Sports, Inc.

Featuring more than 125 on-line auction items from such sports icons as; Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Cal Ripken Jr., Don Mattingly, Joe Montana, Tiger Woods, Lawrence Taylor, Joe Flacco, Alex Ovechkin, to name a few. The inaugural auction will conclude, May 31, 2009 at 9 pm.

Schulte Auctions will feature The Vincent Greco Collection and The Brian Roberts Game-Used Collection in July. Consignments are now being accepted and/or Schulte Auctions will consider purchasing your collection.

Schulte Sports, Inc. is a full-service sports marketing agency specializing in sports marketing representation, event management and is a leading producer of authentic hand-signed collectibles in the country.

When it comes to marketing, the playoff run has been good to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Pens’ marketing has turned the team into one of the fastest growing brands in sports.

The team’s young guns like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have helped translate marketing themes like energy, drive and youth into the Pen’s image.

In fact, the Pens seem to be more popular now than when hall of famer Mario Lemieux was on the ice.

That’s according to television ratings, ticket and merchandise sales.

The success of the team in recent years, especially in the playoffs helps the Pens’ popularity of course.

Also, Forbes Magazine found the Penguins have grown some 88 percent in the last three years.

The Pens are at the top of the list in terms of growth.

The Edmonton Oilers are second with 71 percent growth recently.

And when it comes to where the Pens rank sports-wide, they are third, just behind the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals and baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays.

A paycheck can only go so far, and youth recreational leagues are seeing it firsthand.

Several leagues have lost players to the economy, while a few have more players than before. But all are dealing with lack of sponsorships as local businesses cling tighter to their dollars, causing leagues to hold more fundraisers, to lower registration fees and to continue using equipment they would rather replace.

Andrea Fells, president of Ridge Youth Soccer Club based in Northeast Polk County, said her sponsorship coordinator contacted more than 100 businesses in the fall for sponsorships and didn’t get a single reply back.

Polk County Leisure Services Director Don Wilson is not surprised.

“I just think it’s human nature,” he said. “Even with gas prices back down, people are watching their dollars.”

Recreation leagues are not money-making ventures. They are run by unpaid volunteers. Most leagues are lucky to make ends meet with the cost of uniforms, equipment and officials. League registration fees range from $15 to $165, depending on the sport and child’s age.

Those who ask and those who give are feeling the pinch.

“Some of it you can’t do,” said Tim Rice, owner of Wards Air Conditioning and president of the Lakeland F.C. soccer league. “I was a silver sponsor last year, and I’ll be a bronze sponsor this year.”

He said the league has been lucky to have enough sponsorships in the past, but things are clearly changing.

“I think we’re going to have to take it to the streets and be really active knocking on doors this year,” he said.

Rice and most league presidents understand the circumstances.

“We’ve got people losing jobs right and left,” Rice said.

Mulberry Dixie Youth Baseball and Softball president John Morrissey said his league wanted to raise registration prices from $40 to $65 but decided against it.

“We aren’t making a dime on registration this year,” he said.

His league added three teams this year, and lost three team sponsors. So they put their Web address on the back of some jerseys where sponsors would normally appear and relied on a fundraiser to make up the difference. The league’s Hit-A-Thon, where players gathered pledges for the number of hits they had in 25 at-bats, made enough to bridge the gap.

Bartow Youth Soccer saw its registration drop from 475 to 450 in the fall, while North Lakeland Youth Soccer fell from 420 players to 335.

The Bartow Yellow Jackets youth football program had fewer participants even though President Phil Hadden dropped the registration fee from $65 to $25.

Hadden has raised the fee to $30 for the upcoming fall. Cheerleaders in his program can register for free but have to pay for their own uniforms.

“I wanted to help the parents as much as I could,” Hadden said. “I still had some who couldn’t afford to pay.”

Even clubs like Girls Inc. and the Campfire girls are feeling the pinch.

“It’s not a drop in participation, but definitely the summer programs and trip-based programs where fees are a little bit higher, people are picking more carefully where they want to go,” said Holly Lane, executive director of Campfire USA Sunshine Council. “Where previously they might have done multiple things, they pick one.”

A similar program, Lakeland Girls Inc., is hurting.

“We’re seeing more requests for scholarship assistance, but not a decrease in enrollment,” said Chief Executive Officer Kay Fields. “We’re seeing a decrease in our level of contributions, but that’s understandable. A lot of businesses are trying to keep their heads above water.”

TRAVELERS WELCOME

Three of Polk’s biggest youth-competition contributors, the Florida Youth Soccer Association, Independent Softball Association and Youth Basketball of America, have been affected differently.

Florida Youth Soccer, which is moving its headquarters to Polk County from Orlando this year, has seen its participation rise, Executive Director Ed Thiebe said. A record 105,000 children participated across the state last year, he said.

“It’s another validation that the value, perhaps, of a youth sport from a family perspective is being preserved and supported during these tough times,” he said.

The FYSA also saw increases in two of its biggest programs – the Olympic Development Program and State Cup. Both require either teams or individuals to pay to play. In fact, Thiebe said the Olympic program registration fee jumped from $45 to $65.

Other programs didn’t fare so well.

Youth Basketball of America was hit the hardest. The program typically brings more than 300 teams to Polk County for its national championships in June and July. But last year, rising gas prices cut that number down by 40 teams when it was time to register in April and May.

“Gas hit us at the wrong time,” founder Don Reudlinger said. “Sixty percent of our boys are minority kids, and they were hit the hardest.”

Reudlinger said the nationals bring an economic impact of $11 million, but last year it was $8.4 million.

The ISA also had fewer teams from out of state come to Florida to play last summer. But ISA national director Don Stratton said team participation is up.

Florida Half Century, a senior softball organization for men, holds tournaments in Polk throughout the year. They report a 10 percent increase in participation. Secretary Duane Jones says it might be because hotels are becoming more aggressive in attracting customers.

Polk County Tourism and Sports Marketing, the agency tasked with bringing more tourists to the county through sporting events, said Polk saw tourism collections and economic impact figures rise in 2007-08.

However, the numbers are down so far for 2008-09.

“But sports are doing well,” said director Mark Jackson. “Arguably the sports side of tourism has stabilized our overall tourism economy. Without sports events, we would be in real tough shape.”

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

In a sagging economy, league presidents are finding more parents are asking for financial assistance. Some leagues are more freely promoting their involvement in the youth assistance program, which is run through the county. Parents who can provide necessary paperwork can register for league play at half the price.

The program started 11 years ago with $20,000 annually, but was increased to $40,000 six years ago.

“In the last three years, we’ve hit the roof,” said Polk County Leisure Services program superintendent Derek Harpe. “With the economy the way it is, it’s used a lot. We’re going to ask for an increase when things get better.”

Wilson said he’s noticed league participation is down a little. And according to e-mails he’s getting from other parks and recreation departments across the state, many are seeing less revenue.

According to Wilson, the struggling economy is bound to affect his department, which maintains county parks and recreation facilities used by 27 independent leagues and countless individuals with 93 employees and a budget of about $17 million budget. Of that, about $5.3 million comes from general property taxes, another $8.8 from a special property tax for parks and about $3 million from sales taxes.

“There are shortfalls in all revenue sources,” adding that he’s preparing for cuts.

FAMILY PRIORITIES

But Wilson said he believes in the value of recreational sports. He saw it years ago, when all the hurricanes hit Polk.

“They (families) need that outlet to get out and get away from the home they may be losing next month,” Wilson said. “Maybe walking around that track three times allows them to think of how to put their home in better financial posture.”

Perhaps it’s good that parents are watching their dollars more and spending more time at the fields and gyms rather than other places.

Lake Wales Little League President Jim Maggard, who has been with the league of 600 players for 15 years, says families are making the best of a difficult situation.

“It’s bringing families closer together,” he said. “Rather than the mom drop the kid off, they are staying. I can see more parents at practice. Before they used to drive off somewhere (during practice). I see double the parents in the stands than I have last year. I see more families at the park on Saturdays and Sundays.

“I think when we do come out of this, the family will be tighter. Maybe if it helps family values, it will help people in the long run.”