On weekends and holidays, when many Chinese teenagers learn things like painting and piano, kids at the same age in the United States like playing sports.
According toTime for Kids, more US teenagers have joined many sports clubs in recent years. Families spend over 10 percent of their money on their children's sports careers（事业）. The youth sports economy（经济）in the US has grown by 55 percent since 2010, according toWinter Green Research.
Ales Stearns is an eighth-grader at Mercy High School in Connecticut. The 16-year-old boy has been playing baseball since kindergarten（幼儿园）. He plays it every day. He toldTEENSthat his family spends over $ 1, 200 on his equipment（装备）and $ 300 on training each year.
Tristan Silveira, 16, from Los Gatos in California, also plays baseball. He plays for the All Star Academy, a club that has fostered(培养) many Major League Baseball players. Silveira pays around $ 50 for every private lesson he takes. His family has supported him a lot. "My mom drives me to every practice, every game, " he said.
Playing sports can bring many benefits. Teenagers can take part in competitions. The top players in these competitions usually get full athletic scholarships (奖学金) for college.
However, there arenegativethings about playing sports. Studies show that early learning sport increases the risk of injury and depression (抑郁). Rising costs are a big burden （负担）for poor families, reportedTime for Kids.
