Take Back the Game: How Money and Mania Are Ruining Kids' Sports—and Why It Matters by Linda Flanagan is a nonfiction book (published in 2022) that examines the youth sports industry in the United States.

Flanagan, a journalist and former coach, explores how children’s sports—once a source of fun, teamwork, and healthy activity—have been transformed into a high-pressure, commercialized system driven by money, competition, and adult ambition.

Key Themes & Insights:

• Commercialization of Kids’ Sports – Families spend billions annually on youth sports programs, private coaching, tournaments, and travel leagues, often making participation inaccessible for many children.

• Parental Pressure & Burnout – Parents sometimes push kids toward elite-level performance, leading to stress, injuries, and kids quitting sports altogether.

• Inequality in Access – Affluent families can afford year-round programs, while lower-income kids are excluded, deepening social divides.

• Mental Health & Well-being – The emphasis on winning and college scholarships erodes the joy of play, damaging children’s confidence and love for sports.

• Solutions & Alternatives – Flanagan advocates for reforming youth sports by restoring balance, encouraging unstructured play, supporting community-based programs, and focusing on fun and lifelong fitness rather than professional-style training.

👉 Overall, the book is both a critique of the current state of youth athletics and a call to action for parents, coaches, and communities to reclaim sports as a positive, inclusive, and developmentally healthy part of childhood.

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