Participation Trophies & The “Life Lesson” Fallacy

America's favorite youth sports debate was back in the news last week, as a trio of North Carolina legislators introduced a bill that would effectively prohibit youth sports organizations from handing out participation awards to the children who compete in their programs (original story here). One of the co-authors of the bill explained his justification…

Sports, for Sport’s Sake

This article originally appeared on the 2-4-1 Sports website on December 20, 2021. Re-printed with permission. As someone who’s made his living for the past 20 years in the sports industry, I’m often asked what my fondest sports memories are from when I was a child.  While I find it easy to answer this question,…

The “Failure” of Recreational Sports

If you and your kids are involved in youth sports in America, and if you've been paying ANY attention at all, you're likely well aware of the common talking points about the worrisome state of things... "70% of kids drop out of sports before they reach age 13.""Sports specialization is causing overuse injuries at increasingly…

Post COVID Reality Check – Parks and Rec / Community Rec

What We’ve Learned The past 15+ months in the US and Canada have been a wild, wild ride.  But with vaccination rates increasing and infection rates decreasing, families have started returning to participation in organized sports in force.  Much speculation was offered early on in the pandemic (including plenty from yours truly), on where the…

The Resources We Need Now

Replay of Project Play Webinar from September 12, 2020.

4 Keys to Empowering SBYD, In-Town, and Park & Rec Sports Programs

As the pandemic summer of 2020 draws to a close and we begin to navigate into fall and an unfamiliar and uncertain new school year, there is renewed focus on the topic of youth sports and our collective “Return to Play” in the United States. The first 6 months of the pandemic have proven to…

Now is the Time to Rebuild Youth Sports

Just over 4 weeks ago, the NBA abruptly suspended its season after one of it's more prominent players tested positive for the novel coronavirus.  With that one dramatic action, COVID-19 seemed to take over our collective North American consciousness.  All pillars of American life followed suit in the days that followed...all major sports leagues suspended…