CHANDLER, Ariz. — On Saturday mornings in Chandler, a group of kids shows up at a field with no equipment bags, no club fees and no coaches drilling fundamentals; they play kickball.
It’s a deliberate contrast to a youth sports landscape that many families say has become increasingly expensive, intense and exhausting. It’s a culture that came into sharp focus last month when a massive brawl erupted at a Valley youth football tournament.
On Jan. 18, a fight involving roughly 100 players and spectators broke out at Arizona Athletic Grounds in Mesa during a youth tournament, prompting a response from approximately 70 officers across four law enforcement agencies. All remaining games were cancelled. No arrests were made, but the incident reignited debate about the pressure-cooker environment surrounding competitive kids’ sports…