We Spend Every Weekend Together — and I Have No Idea What Their Politics Are

I was listening to a podcast about politics and culture the other day and it ended with a powerful question: “What’s left that still brings Americans together?” 

After some back-and-forth, the hosts agreed on something simple but profound — youth sports.  Week after week, fields and gyms across the country quietly do what few institutions can anymore: bring people together, while having fun. 

I see it firsthand. Parents from every walk of life — different beliefs, jobs and zip codes — standing shoulder to shoulder on the sidelines. We cheer, we laugh, we pick up each other’s kids when they fall. I don’t know what most of these people do for a living, or how they vote — and it doesn’t matter. For a few hours, we’re just a community. 

Sure, youth sports aren’t perfect. There are moments of bad behavior, and stories that grab headlines about parents or coaches losing perspective. But despite the noise, I see something else every weekend — a quiet civility that doesn’t make the news. Most people are out there doing it right, modeling the kind of grace and connection our broader culture could learn from. 

In an era where our country feels more divided than ever — online, in politics, even in schools — youth sports might just be the last great unifier we still have. 

A Shared Language 

A 12-year-old in California, a 12-year-old in Alabama and a 12-year-old in Connecticut might have nothing else in common — except that they all know the feeling of lacing up, warming up and trying to do something hard—together. 

The rules don’t change. The emotions don’t change. Sports gives kids (and adults) a shared language of teamwork, failure, perseverance and joy. 

It’s not just about competition — it’s about connection. 

 A Place Where Everyone Contributes 

Think about it: Where else in America do you still see volunteers show up week after week with clipboards, orange slices and carpool duty — for no reason other than to be part of something bigger than themselves? 

No algorithms. No agendas. Just people coming together to help kids grow. 

At its best, youth sports models the kind of civic cooperation we keep saying we’ve lost — parents organizing, kids learning accountability, communities showing up for each other. 

We Argue About It Because We Care 

Sure — there’s drama. Overzealous parents, crazy schedules, arguments over playing time. 
But that’s because youth sports matters to people. It’s one of the few things left that cuts across class, race, and ideology. 

It’s imperfect, but so is every real community. 

A Mirror of who we are – and who we could be  

In every dugout, gym, and sideline, you see the full spectrum of America — hope, frustration, pride, ambition, kindness and resilience. 

Youth sports gives us something we’ve forgotten how to do elsewhere: 
Disagree, compete and still shake hands after the game. 

It’s a small, local, living version of the civic fabric we desperately need more of, especially today. 

Let’s Protect It 

That’s why we should treat youth sports as more than a weekend activity — it’s a public good. 

A functioning youth sports ecosystem isn’t just about developing athletes; it’s about building citizens, neighbors and communities. 

If we lose that, we don’t just lose games. We lose one of the last places that reminds us how much we actually have in common. 

At Youth Inc., we hope to be a small part of a much larger movement to help as many people as possible experience youth sports done right.