Youth sports have changed. Gone are the days when a child plays basketball in the winter, baseball in the spring and summer, and football in the fall. Now, if a child wants to keep up, he plays each sport approximately 10 months out of the year. While there is no doubt that this phenomenon is producing athletes that are able to achieve amazing things at younger ages, it creates significant consequences on both the players and their families.

Colleges are recognizing that the “more is better” model of youth sports puts players at an increased risk of burn out at younger ages. I was burned out on baseball by the end of my 12-year-old season in Little League. I had invested so much time and emotional energy that I was just tired of it. I continued to play for the next three or four years, but my love for the game was gone. And that was 30 years ago, when there were far fewer organized games and practices. [Read more…] about The Paradox of Youth Sports