Navigating Youth Sports in the Digital Age

Linda Flanagan is a freelance journalist, researcher, and former cross-country and track coach. She is the author of numerous articles on youth sports and the book Take Back The Game - How Money and Mania Are Ruining Kids Sports—And Why It Matters. She is a founding board member of the NYC chapter of the Positive Coaching Alliance and her writing has appeared in The Atlantic, Runner’s World and NPR’s Mindshift. In addition to being a lifelong athlete she’s also the mother of three grown children. In our conversation today we discussed:

* The inspiration behind Take Back The Game

* The role of her father in her life as an athlete and how that shaped her perspective on sports

* The differences between fathers and mothers and their impact on daughter participation in sports

* The key changes in how youth sports have transformed with the influence of money and increasingly high stakes

* Changes in family dynamics and parental expectations; the influence of the Name Image and Likeness rules (or NIL)

* Early sports specialization and its effect on children’s physical and mental health

* How to make sports fun again

* Success stories in communities implementing positive change in youth sports

* Advice to parents who want to support their children’s athletic interests without falling into the mania

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Where to find Linda Flanagan

* Website: https://lindaflanaganauthor.com/

* X: https://x.com/lindaflanagan2

* IG: https://www.instagram.com/Lindaflanagan_author/

Where to find Adam Fishman

* FishmanAF Newsletter: www.FishmanAFNewsletter.com

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjfishman/

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startupdadpod/

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In this episode, we cover:

[1:51] Welcome

[2:15] Childhood

[3:26] Linda’s Kids

[3:57] Coaching career

[4:52] Realization that kid’s sports needed reform

[8:06] What role did Linda’s father play in her athletics?

[11:32] Differences between fathers and mother’s impacting daughters in sports

[13:07] Key changes in sports regarding money

[21:33] NIL - Name, Image and Likeness

[25:05] Early sports specialization

[29:43] Alternatives to specialization

[33:56] Organizations that have implemented positive change

[39:11] Role of tech and media on sports

[42:43] Role of coaches

[44:26] Advice for parents

[50:28] Changes for the next decade

[53:01] Where to find Linda

[54:33] Rapid fire / Lightning round

[58:22] Thank you

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Show references:

Take Back the Game, How Money and Mania are Ruining Kids Sports and Why it Matters by Linda Flanagan: https://www.amazon.com/Take-Back-Game-Ruining-Sports/dp/059332904X

ESPN Wide World of Sports: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/destinations/wide-world-of-sports/

NIL: https://iconsource.com/what-is-nil/

NFHS: https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/

Families and Sport Lab at Utah State, Travis Dorsch: https://cehs.usu.edu/families-in-sport-lab/people/faculty/travis-dorsch

Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein: https://www.amazon.com/Range-Generalists-Triumph-Specialized-World/dp/0735214484

Tiger Woods: https://tigerwoods.com/

The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt: https://www.amazon.com/Anxious-Generation-Rewiring-Childhood-Epidemic/dp/0593655036

Free Range Kids by Lenore Skenazy: https://letgrow.org/free-chapter/

Peter Gray (professor at BC): https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/schools/morrissey/departments/psychology-neuroscience/people/affiliated-and-emeritus/peter-gray.html

Jason Targoff: https://www.cambridgeyouthsoccer.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1309964&mid=1365147&newskeyid=HN1&newsid=437883&ctl=newsdetail

Pick up Sports App: https://pickupsports.co/pages/app-1

Steve Magnus: https://www.stevemagness.com/

Ferber Method: https://www.sleepfoundation.org/baby-sleep/ferber-method

WSJ article, When Junior Heads to College, Helicopter Parents Turn to Empty-Nest Coaches: https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/relationships/helicopter-parents-empty-nest-coaches-868b5600

Wizard of Oz: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032138/

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