The Kansas City Star, Tribune News Service via Getty Images In my more than 40 years as executive director of the American Junior Golf Association, I’ve seen the youth sports landscape change drastically. Today, I believe we face one of the biggest challenges I’ve seen in my career: the growing commercialization of youth sports. As a recent Wall Street Journal article highlights, private-equity firms and other investors are pouring money into youth sports, raising an important question for junior golf: What happens when financial-return expectations meet a junior golf pathway built around helping young people reach their potential? We don’t have to look far to see how this can play out. Stephen Hamblin Youth hockey offers one of the clearest warnings. As private equity-backed operators have consolidated rinks, tournaments and training facilities, costs have risen and families increasingly face fees for everything from ice time to streaming games. With limited alternatives, families often have little choice but to pay. Youth baseball h...