If you're like me, if you've been glued to a screen watching the Winter Olympics for the past weekend change, you don't need me to tell you what it's like watching these athletes compete.

It's their pure talent, of course, but I'm also struck by the time and dedication it took

for everyone to get to this moment.

Because for most of these events, training starts early, usually when you're a little kid.

I grew up playing ice hockey, but practices, games, everything was all super casual.

Our two older boys are on the ice now as well, but now that I'm seeing it from the other

side, things are definitely different.

The time commitment, the money, it's all a lot more than it was when I was growing up.

So I think I got interested in this topic because at work, we talk a lot more than it was when I was growing up.

So I think I got interested in this topic because at work, we talk a lot about youth sports and what a sort of, you know, big money-making industry it is and how expensive it is.

Anna North writes the Kids Today newsletter over at Vox.com.

For a lot of families, youth sports have become high stakes.

And whether it ends up being true or not, families think that sports could be even their kids' ticket to, like, maintaining a middle class life as an adult.

It's hard not to feel the pull, the pressure to shell out money for extra ice time,

private coaching, off-season practices.

And then when we don't go for all that extra stuff, it's like, am I doing something wrong?

Will our kids be left behind?

This was definitely hidden in plain sight for me.

Like, I knew in passing that travel teams had become a bigger deal

and that sports had become more serious since I was a kid.

But I just didn't really realize the extent of it.

If you take as a given that sports are supposed to be fun,

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