CHICAGO — Youth sports play a significant role in the lives of many families, including that of Karli Casamento. Her son Jax, aged 15, is an avid golfer and participates in three baseball teams, while her youngest son Colt, 7, enjoys playing baseball and basketball. For the Casamento family, keeping up with the equipment needs for these activities can become quite costly. Thus, Karli and her husband Michael, both in their late 40s, are keenly observing the impact of tariffs on their expanding youth sports expenses.
Karli, who is a second-grade teacher in the suburbs of Philadelphia, notes, “All of their equipment I’m sure comes from China. As they grow, they require new gear, so this is a definite concern.” Families like the Casamentos are particularly apprehensive about the potential repercussions of President Donald Trump’s tariffs — which include a 10% baseline and up to 30% for Chinese goods — on youth sports finances.
Several prominent companies, including Nike, Adidas, Under Armour, and Puma, have collectively requested an exemption for footwear from tariffs via a letter addressed to Trump in April. The letter warned that tariffs could lead to substantial price hikes at retail checkpoints, affecting families significantly.
Despite these concerns, companies like Amer Sports, which owns Wilson Sporting Goods and Louisville Slugger, have downplayed immediate tariff impacts in their financial reports. However, Andrew Page, the CFO, mentioned that pricing strategies may be adjusted to offset heightened import tariffs. Dick’s Sporting Goods, meanwhile, upheld its earnings forecast for 2025, with CEO Lauren Hobart indicating that they plan to manage the situation without reducing product variety.
“We consistently evaluate our pricing, even down to specific items and SKUs,” Hobart explained. “Our advanced pricing capabilities allow us to make swift, informed decisions based on consumer demand and business profitability.”
The U.S. heavily depends on imported sports equipment, being the top importer since 2010, accounting for 31% of global imports in 2022. Meanwhile, China remains the largest exporter of sporting goods, constituting 43% of exports. Countries such as Vietnam and Taiwan have also expanded their exportation of sports gear to the U.S. over recent years, with significant increases reported in golf, badminton, and tennis equipment.
Next month, potential tariff rates of 46% for Vietnam and 32% for Taiwan could be implemented after a recent 90-day delay. A substantial portion of gear for sports like hockey and baseball is imported, including skates, gloves, and bats.
Travis Dorsch, who leads the Families in Sport Lab at Utah State University, highlights the reliance on international equipment: “A lot of the gear used in youth sports is sourced from overseas, so prolonged or significant tariff impacts will certainly affect youth sports.”
For the Casamentos, supporting the Philadelphia Phillies is not just a pastime but also how Jax and Colt developed an interest in baseball. Karli sees sports as both a social and health benefit for her children, although it comes at a notable cost. Jax’s baseball gear alone can be overwhelmingly expensive, with a $400 bat, a $300 glove, and $700 catcher’s equipment. Additionally, participating in travel teams introduces more fees.
“We’ve contemplated with Jax, ‘Being in ninth grade, is playing tournament ball essential for you? You may not end up like Mike Schmidt,'” Karli reflected, “because it’s upwards of $5,000 a year, now for both sons involved in sports.” The impact of tariffs may not be felt equally across various families.
Such financial strains could be particularly burdensome for middle- and lower-income households, potentially reversing recent positive trends in youth sports participation. A rise of 6% in regular youth participation in team sports was observed in 2023, the highest since 2015, alongside a surge in girl participants, per studies by the Sports & Fitness Industry Association and the Aspen Institute.
Todd Smith, president and CEO of the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, expresses concern: “We risk undermining this momentum because families already struggling with escalating sports costs may find these tariffs as the determining factor to step away.”
Smith recently visited manufacturing units in China and was impressed by their advanced operations. He notes that the emergence of similar facilities overnight in the U.S. is unlikely.
Before Trump’s second term, low-income families already experienced difficulty affording youth sports. The Aspen Institute reports show a slight decrease in sports participation among children from low-income backgrounds, while wealthier families saw a modest increase.
Tom Farrey from the Aspen Institute’s Sports & Society Program underscores the broad health benefits of youth sports participation: “Engaging kids in sports can foster a virtuous cycle, encouraging healthy, active lifestyles and minimizing issues like obesity.”
As they support Jax’s involvement in multiple teams and additional training such as hitting lessons, the Casamentos transformed a baseball tournament into a family vacation. Michael Casamento, an elementary school physical education teacher, also sees the implications for less privileged students.
Karli adds, “The financial burdens due to tariffs make it particularly challenging for lower-income families to afford sports participation.”