406. Let Kids Play: Fixing Youth Sports with Linda Flanagan Why have youth sports become a pressure cooker of competition, money, and burnout instead of fun, growth, and play? Journalist and author Linda Flanagan joins us to break down: -The three biggest reasons kids' sports have changed for the worse—and what we can do about it.-How parents can rethink their role on the sidelines, engage with coaches, and set healthy boundaries.-Why specializing in one sport too early can actually hurt long-term athletic success.-The hidden consequences of linking kids' self-worth to their performance. About Linda:  LINDA FLANAGAN is a freelance journalist, a former cross-country and track coach, and the author of Take Back the Game: How Money and Mania Are Ruining Kids’ Sports—and Why It Matters. A graduate of Lehigh University, Flanagan holds master’s degrees from Oxford University and the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy and was an analyst for the National Security Program at Harvard University. She is a founding board member of the New York City chapter of the Positive Coaching Alliance, a contributor to Project Play at the Aspen Institute, and a regular writer for NPR’s education site MindShift. Her columns on sports have appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, and Runner’s World, and she is currently co-producing a documentary series on mental health in collegiate women athletes. A mother of three and a lifelong athlete, Flanagan lives in Summit with her fabulous husband, Bob, and a small menagerie of pets. She is still floating over Malcolm Gladwell’s recent claim that Take Back the Game was one of his favorite books last year. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices