Take Back the Game: How Money and Mania Are Ruining Kids' Sports--and Why It Matters

This book, masterfully written by Linda Flanagan, is a MUST read for parents and coaches alike. It is a deep dive into the world of youth sports by someone who lived it from different perspectives as a parent of an athlete, a coach of young athletes and a life long athlete and lover of sports herself. It is deeply informative, educational and a fascinating read. As a mother of three sons, I found myself nodding as I read and even exclaimed out loud on several occasions as the author eloquently balanced the research and data with personal stories and interviews that mimicked and resonated soundly with many of our own experiences with youth sports. I only wish I knew then what I know now! Ms. Flanagan deftly shares statistics mixed with insight, humor and solutions to the growing concerns in youth sports while shining a much needed light on the bigger picture of who is affected and how. This book will be shared with my grown sons next so that they may be better educated and prepared for the next generation of athletes. A great read AND an important read!

“Take Back the Fame” by @lindaflanagan_author is an excellent & insightful read about the world of youth sports.I highly recommend this book to all parents that have kids playing youth sports or plan on having their kids take part in youth sports; coaches, especially volunteer coaches should definitely read this as well. As a prior volunteer coach, I could have definitely used this book to change the way I handled situations that would have resulted in a better benefit for kids.I will not lie; at one point I was guilty of being that parent consumed with anxiety or feeling surrounding the development of my kids in their activities - not just sports. My path & faith have tremendously helped curb a lot & this 📕 opened up my mind to more perspectives I can consider & observe if I have not already observed them.Kids should be having fun when taking part in the activities us parents have them in and should not develop unnecessary stress or anxieties. In addition, in my opinion youth activities have replaced a lot of family time & gatherings that used to occur when I was growing up; I contribute to that trend today & am constantly working on how we can bring those family moments & gatherings back. It is not easy though because of the environment created & that we live in, but having awareness is a building block & I truly appreciate the insight from this 📖 that could help my family in the future.Started on June 30, 2023 & finished on August 2, 2023 - 33 days.

Someone had to say it and she says it so well! It's not that sports are bad, but our culture has thrown them way out of balance. To have your kids compete means to sacrifice your finances, time as a family, time for worship, time to pursue other hobbies....And the pressure to "specialize" your kids at the age of 7 is tremendous. If you think that statement is hyperbole just sign your kid up for Little League, get your credit card ready, and let the pressure begin. Don't you dare let your kids try another sport... If you decide to come back to your original sport, your kid will already be behind and there's no catching up.Not to mention how class plays a roll in this monster and if you don't have the means to pay for private coaching and summer camps there's no way your kid can be a part of the sports world... And these are the kids who could benefit from sports the most!This book and discussion was very much needed. Thank you for writing this book!

As a parent of four kids who all have played competitive sports, this book really hit home with me. My father played in college, and my wife and I both played three sports in high school. Even though I grew up in a sports-oriented family, it is almost unfathomable to grasp how much things have changed in the past few decades.Linda's storytelling along with her research makes this not only an interesting book, but an important one for any parent who has yet to enter the travel/club experience. From discussing the impact to local communities, lower income families, and most importantly, the kids themselves, Take Back the Game reminds us that the fascination with sports and athletics needs to be re-evaluated.In recent conversations with other parents, I've shared that I want to be a part of making things better after having contributed to the alarming trends myself. Reading this book gives me hope that there are many influential people who want to make sports fun and healthy again.I will gladly recommend this book and talk about it with everyone who is willing to listen.

Definitely thought provoking and challenging

In this highly readable, informative and utterly engaging book, Flanagan reflects with great insight and humor on her experiences not only as an athlete and a parent but also as a coach. And what comes through loud and clear is how deeply she cares about the well-being of the young runners she has coached--and how troubled she is by the way big money and prestige-grubbing parents have robbed youth sports of so much of their joy and benefit. This book will really make you question your motives in spending every weekend carting your kids to travel soccer tournaments in distant counties, and give you the strength and courage to just say "No!" to the arms race of competitive youth sports. In the process, you might just reclaim your sanity, not to mention the pleasures of unstructured family time.

I wish I’d read this book when my kids were young. Travel sports wrecked my family for six long years. My sons mental health suffered, our inter-family relationships suffered and our bank account certainly took a hit. This book so concisely uncovers ALL the dirty secrets behind the monetization of youth sports and why we MUST take back the game. Perfect title. This should be required reading for new parents. An eye opening read for someone who barely lived through the experience.