Weekly News Roundup: The Biggest Headlines in the World of Youth Sports
Anwar Stetson
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MLB Institutes Amateur Scouting Dead Period
Major League Baseball is establishing winter windows where teams cannot scout or collect information on youth and college prospects, according to ESPN.
The new rules are called the Amateur Recovery Period Policy and are designed to prevent overuse and injuries. HS juniors and seniors cannot be scouted from Oct. 15 to Jan. 15, and college players cannot be scouted from Nov. 15 to Jan. 15.
Prohibited activities include in-person scouting and obtaining third-hand video. Unsolicited data must be immediately reported to the league office upon receipt.
Teams are still allowed to meet with prospects at their homes. The rules do not apply to player agents.
Utah Repurposes Olympics Venue For Youth Sports
The Western Sports Park, a 55-acre sports campus with six full-size soccer pitches, two arenas with seating and 120K square feet of multi-use indoor space, recently had its grand opening in Farmington, Utah.
The venue was formerly known as the Legacy Events Center. It was used to hold the Olympic Rodeo Cultural Event when Salt Lake City hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics.
The project cost $70M and was publicly funded. The venue had been multi-purpose in recent years, but the growing youth sports demand led to the revitalization plan.
Utah is the nation’s fastest-growing state and a hotbed of youth sports activity.
IMG Academy Launches Wrestling Program
In 2026, IMG Academy will start a wrestling program, the 11th sport offered at the Florida powerhouse.
Enock Francois, most recently an assistant coach at North Carolina, will be the program’s director. Francois was a three-time All-American and national finalist at Cal Baptist and a member of the U.S. Greco Roman National Team.
Francois also has ties to the Florida youth wrestling scene and a doctorate in educational leadership.
IMG plans to run wrestling camps in the spring and summer before the boarding program begins to start the 2026-27 academic year.
Ohio University Launches Program For Youth Sports Athletic Trainers
Ohio University and OhioHealth have partnered to launch the nation’s first accredited athletic training residency specializing in pediatrics.
Designed for early-career licensed athletic trainers, the 12-month program will teach clinical practice and graduate-level coursework. It will prepare ATs to work in middle and high schools and with youth athletes.
A 2021 study found 12M athletes ages 5-22 suffer a sports-related injury annually, leading to 20M lost days of school and $33B in injury-related medical costs.
