When we launched the SportsLetter blog a few weeks ago, we noted that youth sport has become a social phenomenon of considerable magnitude. In the United States, by some estimates, 80% of all children play organized sports before the age of 18. Youth sports, for better or worse, also has the ability to attract large numbers of spectators.
The recently completed World Junior Hockey Championship, featuring players ages 17 to 19, drew 453,282 spectators in Ottawa over an 11-day period. The television audience for the semi-final between Russia and eventual champion Canada drew twice as many television viewers as the Hockey Night in Canada broadcast of the Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Ottawa Senators NHL game.
Good Hoosiers everywhere seem to know a good thing when they see it. The total combined attendance for the 2008 boys and girls Indiana state high school basketball tournaments was over 600,000.
And FIFA's Under 17 boys soccer world championships have had total attendance crowds in excess of 500,000 in 2005 and 400,000 in 2007. This year's U-17 World Cup tournament will be hosted by 2007 U-17 World Cup winners Nigeria. It will be interesting to see if the opportunity to watch the reigning world champions in action will be enough to get fans into the stadiums.
No word on whether Dr. Clement Okon is part of the organizing committee. Let’s hope not.
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