Youth Sports Linda Flanagan

Linda Flanagan says youth sports are out of control.And she should know.Flanagan is a former youth athlete, cross country coach, mother of a young athletes, and the author of Take Back the Game: How Money and Mania are Ruining Kids' Sports - and Why It Matters.“If your goal is to cultivate a well-adjusted, responsible child who contributes to the family, then limiting T-ball, youth soccer & it’s ilk may be wisest," she says in her book. "Western parenting customs that put the child at the center - usually with the goal of engendering happiness among the young – also fragment families and erode self-sufficiency.”That's quite a different point of view than the traditional "sports teaches kids teamwork and builds character" POV. But while sports can teach teamwork and build character, so do other activities, such as working together as a family. And youth sports in the 21st century often include significant downsides, including massive investments of time and money, over-emphasis on children's achievements, and risk of over-use injuries.In this episode, Jen, Janet, & Linda discuss:How youth sports have changed since you were a childThe high price of youth sportsHow over-emphasis on sport hurts kids, families, and communitiesPractical guidelines for integrating sports and family timeSetting boundariesHealthy sports parentingLinks we mentioned (or should have) in this episode:Take Back the Game: How Money and Mania are Ruining Youth Sports - and Why It Matters, by Linda Flanaganlindaflanaganauthor.com -- Linda's websiteCoaches Speak About Youth Sports -- ON BOYS episodeSports & Masculinity -- ON BOYS episodeHealthy Sports Parenting -- ON BOYS episodeHunt Gather Parent with Michaeleen Ducleff -- ON BOYS episodeNeed help with your boys?Subscribe to Jen’s newsletter, Building Boys BulletinJoin Janet Allison’s real-time, monthly group coaching program, Decoding Your Boy Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy