I have always been conflicted about youth sports tournaments. On the one hand I think it is a great chance for kids to play some more. On the other hand, they can often become far too intense and there are questions in some sports about whether kids should play so many games in such a compressed time.
Another thing is happening. Youth sports tournaments are becoming major money makers. A reader sent me this article from last year’s New York Times. One interesting note:
As the popularity of youth tournaments has intensified over the past decade, a peculiar trend has emerged: girls’ sporting events tend to attract more relatives and generate more revenue for tourism than similar events for boys. And that is drawing increased attention from economic development officials.