Dionne Koller, a Professor of Law at the University of Baltimore, explores the intersection of law, policy, and politics within American youth sports. She reveals startling statistics about youth dropout rates due to financial and emotional pressures. Koller discusses the privatization of sports and its impact on accessibility, urging a reevaluation of how children's rights are treated in this context. By advocating for a shift towards collaboration and enjoyment rather than competition, she emphasizes the need for systemic reform to better support young athletes.
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insights INSIGHT
No Standard Youth Sport Definition
U.S. lacks a standard youth sport definition, complicating data and policy clarity.
Koller's definition focuses on competitive, performance-oriented youth sports under 18 years old.
insights INSIGHT
Law Sees Youth Sport as Good
Law assumes youth sport is an unqualified good, limiting regulation and liability.
This assumption creates a safety and protection gap for children in youth sports.
insights INSIGHT
Law Acts Like Sports Fan
Law treats sports with a romanticized, fan-like attitude, resisting regulation.
Courts glorify sports' benefits, often ignoring children's vulnerabilities in youth sports.
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More Than Play, How Law, Policy and Politics Shape American Youth Sport
More Than Play, How Law, Policy and Politics Shape American Youth Sport
How Law, Policy and Politics Shape American Youth Sport
Dionne Koller
Dionne Koller's "More Than Play" examines the legal and policy frameworks surrounding youth sports in the United States. The book reveals how these frameworks often prioritize the interests of adults and institutions over the well-being of young athletes. Koller argues that the current system, which emphasizes competition and winning, can be detrimental to children's development. She proposes alternative models that prioritize collaboration, physical literacy, and enjoyment. The book challenges the prevailing assumptions about youth sports and advocates for a more child-centered approach. It's a critical analysis of the current state of youth sports and a call for reform.
Tens of millions of children in the United States participate in youth sport, a pastime widely believed to be part of a good childhood. Yet most children who enter youth sport are driven to quit by the time they enter adolescence, and many more are sidelined by its high financial burdens. Until now, there has been little legal scholarly attention paid to youth sport or its reform. In More Than Play: How Law, Policy, and Politics Shape American Youth Sport (University of California Press, 2025) Dr. Dionne Koller sets the stage for a different approach by illuminating the law and policy assumptions supporting a model that puts children's bodies to work in an activity that generates significant surplus value. In doing so, she identifies the wide array of beneficiaries who have a stake in a system that is much more than just play—and the political choices that protect these parties' interests at children's expense.
This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda’s interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts.
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