Scaling Youth Soccer Development: Strategic Insights into Texas Youth Soccer Markets

Christopher L. Vasquez ()
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Christopher L. Vasquez: University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, TX, USA

RAIS Conference Proceedings 2022-2025 from Research Association for Interdisciplinary Studies

Abstract: The U.S. youth sports economy is estimated at $40 billion in annual family spending. Based on U.S. Census population estimates, Texas accounts for approximately 9% of that spending, equal to roughly $3.7 billion share of the youth sports market. Within this market, youth soccer in Texas is rapidly growing, evidenced by the MLS NEXT program’s footprint with nine homegrown clubs across the state, the Dallas Cup’s $40 million annual economic impact, and recent facility investments and partnerships such as Garland’s $70 million soccer complex. U.S. soccer families can expect to spend anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000 per child annually, making youth soccer a marker of cultural capital among middle and upper middle-class households. This case study compares the soccer ecosystems of Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio, mapping regionally distinct and adaptive development models.

Keywords: Youth Sports Economy; Soccer Development; Texas Sport Industry; Texas Economic Impact (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 12 pages
Date: 2025-11
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Published in Proceedings of the 42nd International RAIS Conference on Social Sciences and Humanities, November 20-21, 2025, pages 165-167

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