Crazy Days of Summer

Do you remember that old saying "Summertime and the living is easy?" You know it's old because parents today will testify it's anything but easy. This rings even more true if your children are involved in sports. Just about every sport at every age level is increasing the commitment demands to feed the frenzy of a culture gone crazy over youth sports. More and more you can hear the grumbling in the stands from parents who feel overwhelmed by the off-season camps, more practices, expensive elite clubs and multi-day tournament travels that can deplete the funds and fun from family life. If you ever asked the question "Is this nuts?", you're not alone.
This weekend we talk with journalist Regan McMahon, who not only asked the question but,she also wrote an article on the subject for the San Francisco Chronicle. Due to the overwhelming response, she dug deeper, talked to athletes, parents, coaches, psychologists and orthopedic specialists to find out how we got here, where we're going and what we can do to make things better for kids and families. The result is her new book, REVOLUTION IN THE BLEACHERS:How Parents Can Take Back Family Life in a World Gone Crazy Over Youth Sports.
In the interest of full disclosure, while Caroline and other families across the country were enjoying family picnics and other summer celebrations, myself and a few thousand or so parents cheered our daughters on at the Junior Olympic Volleyball Championship at Minneapolis, Minnesota. Despite spending hours of listening to hundreds of whistles and being hit in the head a few times by a stray ball, I am extremely proud of their achievements on and off the court.