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Mohrbooks Literary Agency
Sebastian Ritscher |
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TAKE BACK THE GAME
How Money and Mania are Ruining Kid's Sports - and Why it Matters
This is a close look at how big money and high stakes have transformed youth sports, turning once healthy, fun activities for kids into all-consuming endeavors - putting stress on children and families alike.
Athletics are training grounds for character, friendship, and connection; at their best, sports insulate kids from hardship and prepare them for adult life. But youth sports have changed so dramatically over the last 25 years that they no longer deliver the healthy outcomes everyone wants. Instead, unbeknownst to most parents, kids who play competitive organized sports are more likely to burn out or suffer from overuse injuries than to develop their characters or build healthy habits.
What happened to kids' sports? And how can we make them fun again?
In TAKE BACK THE GAME, coach and journalist Linda Flanagan reveals how the youth sports industry capitalizes on parents' worry about their kids' futures, selling the idea that more competitive play is essential in the feeding frenzy over access to colleges and universities. Drawing on her experience as a coach and a parent, along with research and expert analysis, Flanagan delves into a national obsession that has:
- Compelled kids to specialize year-round in one sport.
- Increased the risk of both physical injury and mental health problems.
- Encouraged egregious behavior by coaches and parents.
- Reduced access to sports for low-income families.
A provocative and timely entrant into a conversation thousands of parents are having on the sidelines, TAKE BACK THE GAME uncovers how youth sports became a serious business, the consequences of raising the stakes for kids and parents alike - and the changes we need now.
Linda Flanagan is a freelance journalist, researcher, and former cross-country and track coach. A founding board member of the NYC chapter of the Positive Coaching Alliance and 2020-21 Advisory Group member for the Aspen Institute's Reimagining Sports initiative, her writing on sports has appeared in The Atlantic, Runner's World, and NPR's education site Mind/Shift, where she is a regular contributor. Previously Flanagan was a national security analyst at the National Security Program, Harvard University. A mother of three and lifelong athlete, Flanagan lives with her family in New Jersey.
What happened to kids' sports? And how can we make them fun again?
In TAKE BACK THE GAME, coach and journalist Linda Flanagan reveals how the youth sports industry capitalizes on parents' worry about their kids' futures, selling the idea that more competitive play is essential in the feeding frenzy over access to colleges and universities. Drawing on her experience as a coach and a parent, along with research and expert analysis, Flanagan delves into a national obsession that has:
- Compelled kids to specialize year-round in one sport.
- Increased the risk of both physical injury and mental health problems.
- Encouraged egregious behavior by coaches and parents.
- Reduced access to sports for low-income families.
A provocative and timely entrant into a conversation thousands of parents are having on the sidelines, TAKE BACK THE GAME uncovers how youth sports became a serious business, the consequences of raising the stakes for kids and parents alike - and the changes we need now.
Linda Flanagan is a freelance journalist, researcher, and former cross-country and track coach. A founding board member of the NYC chapter of the Positive Coaching Alliance and 2020-21 Advisory Group member for the Aspen Institute's Reimagining Sports initiative, her writing on sports has appeared in The Atlantic, Runner's World, and NPR's education site Mind/Shift, where she is a regular contributor. Previously Flanagan was a national security analyst at the National Security Program, Harvard University. A mother of three and lifelong athlete, Flanagan lives with her family in New Jersey.
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Book
Published 2022-08-23 by Portfolio |