Inside Youth Sports

Over the last two decades, the youth sports market has quietly risen from a cottage industry to one with a valuation of nearly $40 billion. While the industry thrives on the aspirations of children - and their parents - towards college scholarships, it is well-known that reaching that level is rare. Organized sports benefit individuals and society in a myriad of ways, yet youth athletes and their parents often struggle with the financial, physical, and personal costs provided by well-meaning yet misguided influencers in the space.  Playing for Greatness is an in-depth dive into youth sports, the playing experience, and the science behind the muscles, mechanics, and minds of developing kids. Featuring alternating narratives between Buel D. Rodgers - an international leader in the field of muscle biology - and his daughter, Meilani - an elite youth athlete who competed at the national level in soccer and track - this instructive and insightful guide explores the physiology and psychology of child and adolescent athletes, how youth athletes manage the emotional burden and individual challenges of competition as well as the people, places and market surrounding play. Complex biological processes like puberty, the biology of gender, muscle and exercise physiology as well as rehabilitation myths and mythologies are carefully and tactfully detailed for a broad lay audience. Detailed interviews with legendary coaches Anson Dorrance and Geno Auriemma, the winningest soccer and basketball coaches in NCAA history, offer further strategies for parents and players alike. For every parent, coach and athlete looking for a more scientific understanding of growing bodies, injuries, the far-reaching benefits of sport and its impact on our psyches, coaching philosophies, and how to navigate the often-complicated interpersonal world of youth sports, Playing for Greatness is an invaluable guide.