Revolution in the Bleachers: How Parents Can Take Back Family in a World Gone Crazy Over Youth Sports

I got this book after being involved in AYSO soccer last fall with my two daughters. While I volunteered and attended games I felt something was amiss in the time commitment expected for this sport by the parents. After reading this book I discovered that the time commitment I experienced was nothing compared to that of club soccer. The author noted that with the rise of organized soccer there has been a increase in obesity in children, which I found surprising. After reading this book I have noticed that nearly all children's sports have become competitive. For instance, when I was a kid (about 35 years ago) I took swim lessons and my practice was integrated into the lesson. Now the swim lessons are focused on technique and the children swim, one at a time, and receive feedback from the instructor. What this means is that they get virtually no practice time because they are clinging to the side of the pool waiting for their turn to swim 15 feet for the teacher. What I realized is that if you want to practice you join the swim team. The time commitment for swim team is even worse than soccer. What I don't understand is why parents capitulate to these extreme schedules. According to the author, a motivating factor is the dream of a soccer scholarship and the misguided belief that beginning a sport when a child is young ensures that they will be better at the sport than those who don't. Overall I thought that this was a valuable book and made me feel better about not getting swept away in the child sport frenzy.