Are Youth Sports Quietly Replacing Church in American Life?

Sports analyst Danny Cannell has recently raised an interesting point regarding youth sports, especially about the timing of games on Sundays. He proposes that these events should ideally start no earlier than 9 a.m., or, perhaps, not take place on Sundays at all.

Cannell, who has two young daughters with potential volleyball talent, aired his frustrations via a video on X, saying, “What am I doing at 7:30 in the morning?” before continuing to express his thoughts on the matter.

During a discussion with host Jason Whitlock, Cannell stated, “We need to save youth sports. We need to save parents from youth sports, because I’m at a volleyball tournament and it’s 7:40 on a Sunday.” He further called for regulations to prevent youth sports from beginning before 9 a.m. on weekends.

He didn’t stop there. “How about banning sports on Sundays altogether? Let’s enforce those laws,” he suggested.

Anthony Walker chimed in, sharing his agreement with Cannell’s viewpoint. He reflected on how sports have increasingly encroached upon family life. Citing scripture from Acts 2, he emphasized the importance of community and fellowship, suggesting that familial and church commitments should take precedence over sports.

“We’re trying to make time for family and worship, and it’s difficult,” he noted, suggesting that this should be a collective attitude moving forward.

TJ Moe also expressed his thoughts, mentioning the ethos that once existed in America up until around 1960, when the Blue Laws upheld the sanctity of the Lord’s Day, heavily discouraging non-essential shopping or activities.

Moe continued, underscoring that Sundays have shifted from being a day of worship to being dominated by NFL games. “This is alarming and deeply troubling,” he added.