Rick Abbott has over 25 years working for the most iconic brands in sports like ESPN, NBC, and Formula 1 and is a former CEO of Cooperstown All-Star Village with Unrivaled Sports. A certified stick and ball guy Rick tells us why he's bullish on softball and the impact of major networks like ESPN on youth sports. We also talk about the Savannah Bananas youth approach, the needs for major brands to reinvest in grassroot sports, and the gives his thoughts on the recently popular "Norway Model".

0:00 - Intro

3:38 - Why Rick is Bullish on Softball

13:34 - How ESPN can Make Softball a Valuable Property

14:32 - ESPN and LLWS Relationship

16:40 - Streamers Future in Youth Sports

21:16 - The Concerns Around Youth Gambling

24:16 - The Softball Facility Conundrum

25:50 - Banana Ball or Little League Ball?

37:34 - The Mental Toll on Youth Baseball Players

40:47 - How NIL is Transforming High School Recruiting

44:10 - Do Youth Sports Parents Get a Bad Rap?

47:47 - Can the Norway Model Work in the U.S.?

53:23 - The Importance of Major Brand Sponsorships

Get your tickets to our Youth Sports Business Conference in Philadelphia from April 14th-15th: https://events.buyingsandlot.com/summit-2026

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