Sports fan. Ex-sports reporter. Sports dad. Research Director @AspenInstSports. Opinions and RTs are my own.
Urbana, Maryland
Joined April 2009
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If Bluesky is your thing, check me out here. bsky.app/profile/jonsolomon3…
Jon Solomon retweeted
Spoke with @NolanRogalski and @JudeWilkenfeld about going to Maryland’s football facility for player reaction to Michael Locksley’s departure and instead being met by law enforcement.
They got no player quotes, but they did get ID’d by police.
baltimoresun.com/2026/10/21/…
“This is the increasingly cynical relationship between those offering the product & those being asked to consume it. The people in charge will keep pushing fans to accept more indignities, because CFB consumers have shown a remarkable tolerance for being taken advantage of.” Yep.
Column: With the 24-team playoff, college sports power brokers are closer than ever to the final breaking point of their social contract with the fans. They're reducing a cherished heirloom to pawn shop merch, and they don't care how many people hate it. bit.ly/3VTORGD
New Project Play youth sports research is out from Portland, Oregon.
#ProjectPlay is pleased to release State of Play Portland, a new report analyzing youth sports and play for children in Portland, Oregon. Hear directly from youth, gain insights from data and check out recommendations. (1/5)
Read: projectplay.org/communities/…
Jon Solomon retweeted
U.S. Soccer is on the verge of taking over the U.S. Youth Soccer Association.
A significant, historic step toward a re-wiring of America's youth soccer system — but it comes w/ many unknowns.
News, details, explanations, etc. free to read @TheAthletic:
nytimes.com/athletic/7545747…
Outstanding reporting on a really important topic. Investigative reporting matters.
I asked the AAU if coaches who had been banned for abusing kids were allowed to coach under their organization. They wouldn't answer. I started digging.
I found an organization failing on nearly every level to protect kids from sexual abuse. Thread:
propublica.org/article/aau-y…
Jon Solomon retweeted
.@grantwahl should be here to cover it.
GREAT World Cup news -- the Library of Congress is in the process of curating @GrantWahl 's papers, for a collection alongside the likes of Jackie Robinson, Katharine Graham and Neil Sheehan time.com/article/2026/07/10/…
This is so impressive. Great example to young athletes and adults.
#USMNT striker Folarin Balogun on his immediate reaction to red card:
“I think it was just important to stay calm. I never want to react out of anger and out of emotion. There’s still lots of people we’re inspiring, little kids, boys and girls who are watching, and we have to show them the correct way to handle things, even when you think it's unjust.”
On shaking ref’s hand postgame:
“As said, you can feel like something, injustice can happen to you. It’s not an excuse to be disrespectful… I'm aware that the World Cup might be the first time a lot of American viewers are tuning in. So it's important just to show people, whether things happen to you, good or bad, just to continue to be yourself.”
I’ve thought a lot about Grant Wahl during this World Cup. What would he have written about? Nothing was off limits with Grant, whose presence is still felt, especially in Kansas City.
Eric Wahl thinks of his brother every day. He sees reminders of moments in time.
This World Cup has offered reminders not only of a moment but of a feeling.
On the missing voice in this World Cup: Grant Wahl:
kansascity.com/sports/spt-co…
Good read on what Norway does so well with its youth sports system.
Wrote about the eight rules that have made Norway a winter sports superpower.
Will they help at the World Cup? nbcnews.com/sports/soccer/ei…
“The more that firsthand reporting gets lost, the less distinguishable sports journalism becomes from the lifeless, unambitious work of automation.”
The best sports stories are really human interest stories. Automated writing has its lane, but those stories aren’t in it.
My latest (and always free) blog post (2.5 min): tomarenberg.net/blog/2026/5/…
Jon Solomon retweeted
A PARENT’S JOURNEY THROUGH YOUTH SPORTS:
Age 5: “He’s got a cannon.”
Age 6: “He’s the fastest kid out there. Coach said so.”
Age 7: “Rec ball isn’t challenging him anymore.”
Age 8: “We tried out for select. Obviously made it.”
Age 9: “$2,800 for the season. Plus uniforms. Plus tournaments. Plus hotels.”
Age 10: “Cooperstown is basically a family vacation, right?”
Age 11: “He needs a hitting guy. And a pitching guy. And probably a mental performance coach.”
Age 12: “I’m not a crazy sports parent. The OTHER parents are crazy.”
Age 13: “We changed schools. For academics. (And also baseball.)”
Age 14: “Showcases are a requirement at this age.”
Age 15: “Ya his ranking just ticked up. We’re cooking.”
Age 16: “He just needs to get seen by the right school.”
Age 17: “The D1 schools want him to walk on. He’ll earn a spot by sophomore year.”
Age 18: “Okay, D2 is actually really competitive.”
Age 19: “He’s redshirting. Strategic.”
Age 20: “He’s focusing on school now.”
Age 21: “You know what? He’s so much happier.”
Roughly 7% of high schoolers play in college.
About 1.5% of those get drafted.
Less than half of draftees ever play one day in the big leagues.
The odds of our kids going pro are somewhere between “struck by lightning” and “find a $100 in old shorts.”
I love youth sports (all my kids play a bunch of them) just keep a good perspective my friends. ✌️
Good read about how messed up the youth sports industry has become. The reality is kids mostly play sports to have fun and be with friends, much more than winning and chasing college scholarships.
Ask kids what they want. Really listen. Then deliver that experience to them.
We talked to nearly 100 people about youth sports in New Jersey and found a predatory industry that is leaving parents broke, exhausted and wondering how the games of their childhood took over their adult lives. Our six-month investigation: nj.com/sports/2026/05/the-sh…
Lots of comments to this post about youth sports — largely understandable frustration with travel ball. We need more local, affordable and quality sports programming. Quality is key and often overlooked. Youth sports got privatized by filling a void left by depleted parks & rec.
Sandlot it ain't.
Youth sports now $40 B industry:
"Teenagers on travel teams are rolling into weekend tournaments wearing a few thousand dollars of apparel, equipment & swag. Avg family spending on baseball increased nearly 70% between 2019 and 2024."
wsj.com/business/retail/dick…
Jon Solomon retweeted
Key data point: "having fun" (48%) and "playing with friends" (47%) are the top reasons children play sports. Only 12% of current players play to earn a college scholarship/roster spot.
Thanks to @BigSkyBoiler and @Blazojor for partnering on the survey.
projectplay.org/news/aspen-i…
Jon Solomon retweeted
Travel sports carry costs in time, money and access that aren't feasible for a large share of families. School programs fill that gap. When those programs get cut or underfunded, the impact falls hardest on Black youth.
➡️projectplay.org/news/aspen-i…
Jon Solomon retweeted
Coaching and confidence are massive factors why kids quit sports. “Bad coaching” is the top complaint for current players. For former players, it's feeling “I’m not good enough” (29%) and “Bad coaching” (21%).
➡️projectplay.org/news/aspen-i…
Jon Solomon retweeted
NEW RESEARCH: The @AspenInstitute surveyed almost 4,000 youth who currently play organized sports, previously played and have never played.
1 key finding: Parent behavior is a strong predictor of children continuing sports or dropping out.
➡️projectplay.org/news/aspen-i…
Jon Solomon retweeted
Children largely play soccer for social reasons and joy. Yet the U.S. youth soccer model too often treats young athletes as vehicles for revenue generation rather than children seeking fun and personal growth.
➡️ State of Soccer NYC/NJ report: projectplay.org/communities/…
Jon Solomon retweeted
“What if the legacy of this World Cup is that we shift the soccer culture from all this pressure to play?” says @JonSolomon35.
➡️ @StephenBorelli explores if the World Cup can bring the fun back to American youth soccer: usatoday.com/story/sports/so…
In most countries around the world, soccer is a very accessible sport to play. You need a ball, some patch of grass or dirt, and makeshift goals.
That’s not the case in America’s highly commercialized youth soccer system. We studied barriers & opportunities in NYC/North Jersey.
NEW REPORT: The @AspenInstitute has analyzed the youth soccer ecosystem in NYC and North Jersey. Hear from local youth, gain insights from data and check out recommendations to get more kids playing the beautiful game.
Read report⚽: projectplay.org/communities/…
