[分享] 串連足球與棒球的美國青少年運動困境

看板Baseball (棒球)作者Yjizz (Zz菊池大谷西舘zZM)時間10小時前 (2026/07/19 17:16)推噓7(7推 0噓 14→)

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The U.S. youth sports problem that connects soccer and baseball 串連足球與棒球的美國青少年運動困境 Despite challenges of cost to play, there are those who are fighting to widen the entry way for young athletes 儘管高昂的參與成本是一大挑戰，仍有人努力替年輕運動員拓寬進入運動的大門。 William C. Rhoden July 16, 2026 https://andscape.com/features/the-u-s-youth-sports-problem-that-connects-soccer-and-baseball/ https://shorturl.at/eW6nF PHILADELPHIA — Ali Curtis is the executive vice president of Major League Soccer sporting development. Kenneth Wood is the father of James Wood, an outfielder for the Washington Nationals and a two-time MLB All-Star. 費城 ── Ali Curtis 擔任美國職業足球大聯盟（Major League Soccer，MLS）競技發展執行副總裁（executive vice president of sporting development）Kenneth Wood 則是華盛頓國民隊外野手 James Wood 的父親，而 James Wood 已兩度入選 MLB 明星賽。 Curtis and Wood are involved in different sports but share the same passion: casting a wider net and removing cost as a major barrier to participation. I spoke with them earlier this week during the perfect confluence of baseball and soccer: MLB All-Star Week and the World Cup semifinals. Curtis 與 Wood 雖然投入不同的運動領域，卻懷抱相同的理念：讓更多孩子有機會參與，並消除高昂費用這道主要門檻。本週稍早，我在棒球與足球交會的最佳時機──MLB 明星週與世界盃四強賽期間，分別與兩人進行了訪談。 While basketball and football reign supreme in the United States, baseball and soccer have come to epitomize the excesses of a billion-dollar youth sports industry that excludes as many as it attracts because of the spectacular cost of participation. In their own way, for their own reasons, Curtis and Wood are trying to widen the entry to their respective sports. 儘管籃球與美式足球仍是美國最受歡迎的運動，但棒球與足球如今卻成了價值數十億美元的青少年運動產業過度商業化的縮影。由於參與費用驚人，這個體系在吸引許多孩子投入的同時，也將同樣多的人拒於門外。Curtis 與 Wood 雖然出發點不同，卻都正以各自的方式，努力擴大自己所屬運動的參與機會。 For Curtis, there is an ocean of untapped talent in this country that could make the United States a soccer mega power if gathered, identified and developed. 在 Curtis 看來，美國仍有大量尚未被發掘的足球天賦。只要能夠將這些人才找出來、辨識並加以培養，美國完全有機會成為世界足球強權。 “When it comes to addressing how we develop players in the U.S., it is a really complicated topic. It’s an issue that has been growing for decades,” Curtis said during a recent interview. “You have people that have worked in the sport for 30, 40, 50 years and you have leagues and clubs that have been around. So, the institution of youth soccer has evolved every year. With that, the topic has become very complex.” Curtis 在近日受訪時表示：「談到美國該如何培養球員，這真的是一個非常複雜的議題。這個問題已經累積、發展了數十年。」「有些人在這項運動已經投入了 30、40、甚至 50 年，也有許多聯盟與俱樂部長年存在。因此，美國的青少年足球體系每一年都在演變，而隨著制度不斷演進，這個議題也變得愈來愈複雜。」 A suburban soccer culture has developed in the United States over the past five decades. Many of the players in the United States who reach the highest level of the sport often come from middle- and upper-class economic backgrounds.** 過去五十年間，美國逐漸形成了以郊區（suburban）為核心的足球文化。許多能夠踢上最高層級賽場的美國球員，大多來自中產階級與上層階級家庭。 The talent pool in the rest of the world is far more diverse, consisting of children from poor, middle-class and wealthy backgrounds. How to diversify the United States talent pool is a solvable but complex challenge that starts with acknowledging that there is a problem. 相較之下，世界其他國家的足球人才來源更加多元，涵蓋了貧困、中產以及富裕家庭的孩子。如何讓美國的人才庫也變得更加多元，是一項可以解決、但相當複雜的挑戰；而第一步，就是必須先承認問題確實存在。 “In order to address a really complex problem, it’s really important that you have some collective alignment,” Curtis said. “One of the challenges that we have within the sport — the industry — is that there’s a lot of fragmentation and there’s a lot of division.” Curtis 表示：「如果要解決一個非常複雜的問題，最重要的是各方必須建立共同的共識。」「我們這項運動──甚至整個產業──目前面臨的一大挑戰，就是過於分散，彼此之間也存在許多分歧。」 The presence of the World Cup in the United States, the mostly solid performance of the U.S. Men’s National Team and the team’s dismal 4-1 loss to Belgium in the round of 16 have put soccer’s youth development system at the center of a debate. There are those who clamor for greater inclusion and those who embrace the status quo and don’t feel the doors need to be opened wider. 世界盃在美國舉辦、美國男子國家隊整體表現尚稱穩定，以及球隊在 16 強賽以 1 比 4 慘敗給比利時，都讓美國足球的青訓體系成為激烈討論的焦點。有人強烈主張應該擴大參與機會、提高包容性；也有人支持維持現狀，認為沒有必要再把大門開得更大。 Rather than focus on those arguments, Curtis, a three-time All-America soccer player at Duke, is fixated on solutions. The greatest challenge in his view is how to widen the pathways to soccer in this country. Curtis 曾是杜克大學（Duke）三度入選全美最佳陣容的足球員。與其把焦點放在這些爭論上，他更專注於尋找解決方案。在他看來，最大的挑戰，是如何讓更多美國孩子擁有踏入足球的管道與機會。 “Where we are today is more advanced than where we were 10 years ago or 20 years ago or 30 years ago, but we still have some of the same challenges that need to really be addressed,” he said. 他表示：「今天的我們，比起 10 年前、20 年前、30 年前都已經進步許多，但我們仍然面對一些相同的問題，而且這些問題仍然需要真正被解決。」 For all of the talk about youth soccer’s pay-to-play system, Curtis said access is a greater challenge. 雖然外界經常討論青少年足球「付費才能參與（pay-to-play）」制度，但 Curtis 認為，真正更大的挑戰其實是『能否接觸得到這項運動（access）』。 “Even if player registration fees are reduced, we still have other key challenges that we have to address in a very serious, deliberate and intentional way: where the clubs are located and where the sport is played,” he said. “Players from all communities and all neighborhoods need to have access and the ability to play soccer, which is the greatest challenge. It’s really a complicated topic. It’s easy to say pay to play is bad, but that is really just scratching the surface.” 他說：「即使球員的報名費降低了，我們仍然有其他關鍵問題必須以非常嚴肅、審慎且有計畫的方式去解決，例如俱樂部設立在哪裡，以及這項運動在哪些地方進行。」「來自各個社區、各個街區的孩子，都應該擁有接觸足球、踢足球的機會，而這才是最大的挑戰。」「這確實是一個非常複雜的議題。說『付費制度不好』很容易，但那其實只是觸及了問題的表面。」 https://andscape.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/GettyImages-2225130094.jpg

Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood played for the Olney (Md.) Boys & Girls Club growing up The reality is that participation in all youth sports is expensive. The professionalization of the youth sports industry has dramatically increased the cost of participation. 事實上，參與任何青少年運動的成本都相當高昂。隨著青少年運動產業日益職業化（ professionalization），參與這些運動所需支付的費用也大幅攀升。 Kenneth Wood found that out when his son decided that his passion was baseball. Each of James’ older sisters played basketball. His middle sister played college basketball for Northwestern. 當 Kenneth Wood 的兒子決定將棒球作為自己的熱情所在時，他便深刻體會到這一點。 James 的兩位姊姊都打籃球，其中二姊還曾代表西北大學（Northwestern）征戰大學籃球。 Kenny Wood, who played college basketball at the University of Richmond, discovered that the youth baseball system was an entirely different animal. 曾在里契蒙大學（University of Richmond）打大學籃球的 Kenny Wood 發現，青少年棒球的生態與籃球完全是兩回事。 “The baseball world was a completely different thing,” he said. “The better you get in basketball, the cheaper it becomes because you have the sponsors. My daughter played on a travel team that was Nike-sponsored. We didn ’t pay for a flight, not for uniforms, not for tournaments, none of that. But with baseball, the better you are, the more expensive it gets. From our area, it’s $5,000 to pay for travel team now. 他說：「棒球圈完全是另一個世界。」「在籃球界，你打得越好，花費反而越少，因為會有贊助商支持。我女兒待的旅行球隊（travel team）就是由 Nike 贊助，我們不用付機票、制服，也不用支付比賽費用，這些通通不用。」「但棒球正好相反，你打得越好，花費就越高。以我們這一帶來說，現在加入旅行球隊一年就要花 5,000 美元。」 “James was 11, his team was 12, and they were going to Florida. We were like, ‘He’s too young to go to Florida without us,’ and we couldn’t afford to go, so we’re not sending him to Florida to play in this tournament. It was fine. We trusted the parents, but we were just like, ‘We think it’s too early for him to do that,’ so we kind of kept him close.” 「James 當時才 11 歲，而他的球隊要前往佛羅里達州參加比賽。我們覺得：『他還太小，不能沒有我們陪同就跑去佛州。』但我們自己又負擔不起同行的費用，所以最後決定不讓他去佛州參加那場錦標賽。」「其實我們信任其他家長，只是覺得他還太小，不適合這麼早就自己遠行，因此我們選擇讓他留在家附近打球。」 James Wood was not immersed in the travel baseball circuit. He played for his local organization, the Olney Boys & Girls Club, where he had the same coach from 7 years old until he was 13. James Wood 並沒有完全投入旅行棒球（travel baseball）體系。他一直效力於家鄉的 Olney Boys & Girls Club，從 7 歲到 13 歲，都由同一位教練指導。 “He made it fun for the kids,” James Wood said of the Boys & Girls Club coach. “I think now they’re getting too serious too early. I mean, there’s no need for a 10-year-old who lives in New York and Maryland to have to go to Florida or Georgia to play. Get good local, be the best team around your area, and then go somewhere else to play. I mean, I just think it’s just gotten too far on that end.” James Wood 談到 Boys & Girls Club 的教練時表示：「他讓棒球對孩子們來說充滿樂趣。」「我覺得現在很多事情太早就變得過於嚴肅了。住在紐約州或馬里蘭州的 10 歲孩子，根本沒必要跑到佛羅里達州或喬治亞州去打球。」「先在當地把球打好，成為自己地區最好的球隊，之後再去其他地方比賽。我真的認為，現在這種做法已經走得太極端了。」 For Wood, the big move was leaving his high school team in the middle of his junior year and transferring to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. 對 James Wood 而言，人生的重要轉折，是在高中三年級（junior year）期間離開原本的高中球隊，轉學至位於佛羅里達州（Florida）布雷登頓（Bradenton）的 IMG Academy 。 **IMG Academy 歐子喬赴美就學學校 “When he went to IMG, I knew nothing about the draft or anything. We just wanted him to get a great opportunity to go play, learn and develop,” Kenneth Wood said. “It wasn’t like when he was 9, 10, 11, 12 and I’m thinking, ‘Oh, he’s going to be an MLB player.’ We just wanted him to be the best that he could be.”** Kenneth Wood 表示：「當他去了 IMG 時，我對選秀什麼都不了解。」「我們只是希望他能獲得一個很好的機會去比賽、學習、成長。」「並不是他 9、10、11、12 歲時，我就在想：『喔，他將來一定會成為一名大聯盟球員。』」「我們只是希望，他能成為能力範圍內最好的自己。」 James Wood was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the second round in 2021, but the memory of the cost associated with the journey stuck with his father. Kenneth Wood said his son’s experience at age 11 and the expense of supporting his daughter’s basketball activities — meaning they couldn’t afford softball, which she also wanted to play — made him begin thinking of ways to reduce the cost of youth sports. James Wood 在 2021 年於第二輪被聖地牙哥教士隊選中，但一路走來所承擔的龐大開銷，始終深深烙印在父親心中。 Kenneth Wood 表示，兒子 11 歲時無法前往佛州參賽的經歷，加上家中為了負擔女兒的籃球費用，導致無力再讓她參加同樣喜歡的壘球運動，讓他開始思考：是否有辦法降低青少年運動的參與成本。 Kenneth Wood joined two experienced technology executives to create KeoApp, a platform designed to simplify how youth coaches connect and schedule games. The platform is launching with baseball, softball and basketball teams in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. Kenneth Wood 與兩位資深科技產業主管共同創立了 KeoApp，這是一個協助青少年球隊教練更容易彼此聯繫、安排比賽的數位平台。目前平台率先服務華盛頓哥倫比亞特區都會區（Washington, D.C., metropolitan area）的棒球、壘球與籃球隊伍。 “For years, coaches have relied on scattered Facebook groups, text messages, emails and word of mouth to find opponents, arrange scrimmages and learn about tournaments,” Kenneth Wood said. “We offer a way for teams to connect with each other and organize scrimmages or games where there are no fees. Old school, just two teams connecting to play. This is our way of providing an opportunity to make competition more affordable. Kenneth Wood 表示：「多年來，教練們一直依靠零散的 Facebook 社團、簡訊、電子郵件以及口耳相傳，來尋找對手、安排練習賽，以及取得各項賽事資訊。」「我們提供一個平台，讓球隊彼此直接聯繫，自行安排練習賽或正式比賽，而且完全不收取任何費用。」「就是很傳統的方式──兩支球隊直接約好就開打。我們希望透過這種方式，讓比賽變得更負擔得起。」 “This is something I’ve had a passion for because we went through it. We couldn’t afford to send our son to Florida and our daughters to all this stuff when they were at that age. You just can’t do it, so there has to be a better way for kids just to play.” 「這是我一直很有熱情投入的事情，因為我們親身經歷過。」「孩子們那個年紀時，我們沒有能力送兒子去佛羅里達州，也負擔不起讓女兒們參加所有那些活動。」「一般家庭真的做不到，所以一定要找到更好的方式，讓孩子們單純地享受運動。」 Curtis and Kenneth Wood are pushing back in their own way against the extraordinary expense of youth sports and its impact on access and inclusion. For Kenneth Wood, the mission is to give more youth who look like his son the opportunity to be like James. Curtis 與 Kenneth Wood 都正以各自的方式，對抗青少年運動日益高昂的成本，以及它對參與機會與包容性造成的不公平影響。對 Kenneth Wood 而言，他的使命就是讓更多像自己兒子一樣的年輕人，都能擁有和 James 相同的發展機會。 For Curtis, the World Cup will pay dividends in the ongoing effort to expand soccer’s reach in the United States. The United States’ World Cup performance, which ended with a dismal elimination, may have opened eyes to the need to cast a wider net. Curtis 則認為，世界盃將會為美國推廣足球帶來長遠的正面效益。雖然美國隊最後以令人失望的方式遭到淘汰，但這樣的結果，也可能讓更多人意識到：美國足球必須擴大人才來源，接觸更多不同背景的孩子。 “I think the cultural impact that it will have will be amazing,” Curtis said. “You’re talking about soccer and it being a real unifier and people being exposed to the game. I think culturally that will really have a significant impact in ways that we aren’t even thinking about right now.” Curtis 表示：「我認為，它所帶來的文化影響將會非常驚人。」「足球是一項真正能夠凝聚人心的運動，它會讓更多人接觸並認識這項運動。」「我相信，它在文化層面的影響將會非常深遠，而且很多影響，是我們現在甚至還無法想像的。」 --William C. Rhoden is a columnist for Andscape and the author of Forty Million Dollar Slaves: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Black Athlete. He directs the Rhoden Fellows, a training program for aspiring journalists from HBCUs. William C. Rhoden 是 Andscape 的專欄作家，也是《Forty Million Dollar Slaves: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Black Athlete》一書的作者。他同時主持 Rhoden Fellows 計畫，這是一項專為來自美國歷史性黑人學院與大學（Historically Black Colleges and Universities，HBCUs）、有志從事新聞工作的學生所設立的培訓計畫。 ※ANDSCAPE Andscape 是一個由黑人（Black）主導的媒體平台（media platform），致力於創作、呈現並推廣展現黑人身分（Black identity）多元面貌的各種故事。在華特迪士尼公司（The Walt Disney Co.）的資源、影響力與全球觸及範圍支持下， Andscape 旗下涵蓋編輯部門（editorial division）、圖書出版部門（book publishing arm）、影視部門（film and television division）以及音樂出版部門（ music publishing group）。這些單位共同肩負相同使命：展現黑人文化（Black culture）與黑人生活經驗（the experience of Blackness）的深度與多樣性。 Andscape 成立於 2022 年，是對 The Undefeated 原有平台進行重新構想（ reimagination）、擴展（expansion）與多元化（diversification）後所誕生的新品牌。 -- ※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc), 來自: 49.217.241.163 (臺灣) ※ 文章網址: https://www.ptt.cc/bbs/Baseball/M.1784452567.A.E6E.html

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