# @iamjoonlee on YouTube

- **Type:** Video
- **Original URL:** https://youtube.com/watch?v=VjwvhSyJ9-A
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/64753029-iamjoonlee-youtube
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/d890418a4b.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-01-28T17:16:18.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Joon Lee (@iamjoonlee) — https://gondola.cc/iamjoonlee

## Caption

Thanks to Storyblocks for sponsoring this video! Download unlimited stock media at one set price with Storyblocks: https://storyblocks.com/joonlee

Youth sports used to look like The Sandlot: neighborhood fields, mismatched uniforms, kids playing because they loved the game.

Today, youth sports is a $40 billion industry built around travel teams, private coaching, showcases, rankings, and the promise—often implied, sometimes explicit—that all of this might lead to a college scholarship or something more.

In this video, I explore how American youth sports became professionalized, commercialized, and optimized—often starting as early as 7 or 8 years old—and what we might be losing along the way.

Editing and Animation: JD Davis

Subscribe for my next video: https://www.youtube.com/@iamjoonlee?sub_confirmation=1  

Follow me on social media:
Twitter: https://x.com/joonlee
IG: https://instagr.am/joon
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/joonlee
Substack: https://substack.com/@joonlee

Business/Sponsors: joonleeteam@itsgoodstory.com
Media Inquiries: workwith@joon.me

Bio: Joon Lee is an independent sports journalist reporting on YouTube. He’s written op-eds for The New York Times and The Boston Globe and worked for ESPN, Bleacher Report and The Washington Post, where he’s interviewed and photographed sports & pop culture figures like Kylian Mbappe, Shohei Ohtani, David Ortiz, Mookie Betts and Action Bronson. He previously was a contributor to SportsCenter, Around the Horn and First Take. His work has been featured on The Best American Sportswriting series and recognized as a finalist for the Dan Jenkins Medal for Excellence in Sportswriting.

## Stats

- **Views:** 286,998
- **Likes:** 5,053
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 665

## Credits

| Name | Username | Profile | Role |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| JD Davis | @iamJDDavis | https://gondola.cc/iamJDDavis | Director of Creative Content |
| JD Davis | @iamJDDavis | https://gondola.cc/iamJDDavis | Creative Director |
| JD Davis | @iamJDDavis | https://gondola.cc/iamJDDavis | Motion Designer |
| Neil Rosan | @neilandsports | https://gondola.cc/neilandsports | Motion Designer |
| ThisIsBat | @ThisIsBat | https://gondola.cc/ThisIsBat | Motion Designer |
| Joon Lee | @iamjoonlee | https://gondola.cc/iamjoonlee | Media Personality |

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