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Take Back the Game: Restoring Joy in Youth Sports With Linda Flanagan

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:10:50 — 64.9MB)

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Take Back the Game: Restoring Joy in Youth Sports With Linda Flanagan

Take Back the Game: Restoring Joy in Youth Sports. What if the very thing you thought would set your child up for success is actually causing more harm than good? Today, we’re diving into the world of youth sports with Linda Flanagan, a journalist, coach, and author of Take Back the Game. Linda unpacks how the youth sports industry plays on parents’ fears, pushing competition and pressure at the expense of what sports are truly about—character, connection, and joy.

We’ll explore the seismic shift from kid-driven fun to adult-driven pressure, the emotional highs and lows parents feel on the sidelines, and how societal expectations have transformed sports into a high-stakes rat race. But it’s not all doom and gloom—Linda shares how we can reclaim the magic of sports, give kids agency in their journey, and model a balanced, happy adulthood.

Get ready to rethink everything you know about youth sports. Let’s jump in! 

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WHAT'S TRENDING IN YOUTH SPORTS?
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We Believe In The Power Of Sports

Injuries in young athletes have soared. Costs to compete have skyrocketed. Kids are quitting in record numbers. But we believe strongly in youth sports, and the many ways it improves our childrens’ lives.

We are here to help parents regain balance and sanity, and to help restore the joy, accomplishment, and core values derived from sports.

Begin your journey today.

 

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According to a survey conducted over 30 years by two coaches and athletic administrators about what young athletes want to hear most from their parents after a sporting event, it turns out it is: “I love to watch you play.”

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