INTRODUCTION: A RACE TO THE BOTTOM
In which Tom embarks on a wild journey through the landscape of the least examined—and most important—institution in American sports.
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| Age 1 |
BONUS BABIES |
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Los Angeles, Calif. Where we find the world’s largest sperm bank selling the seed of college athletes and consider the value of genes in the making of jocks.
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| Age 2 |
FREAK OF NURTURE |
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Paonia, Colo. Where the parents of a toddler wrestle with the legacy of Earl Woods: How young is too young when introducing a kid to a sport?
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| Age 3 |
FIRST CUT |
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New Britain, Conn. Where the priorities of school sports contribute to the obesity crisis, and one father tries to give his preschooler an early edge on scarce roster spots.
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| Age 4 |
LES RED, WHITE, AND BLUE |
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Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines, France. Where a visit to the world’s top soccer academy helps explains why the U.S., with more kids in uniforms than any nation, isn’t producing great players.
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| Age 5 |
BLING, BOMBS, AND THE BIBLE |
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New York, N.Y. Where the origins of youth sports in America, and the line between winning and winning at all costs, gets explored through the experiences of corporate titan Jack Welch.
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| Age 6 |
FOLLOW THE MONEY |
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Concord, Mass. Where the scent of the college scholarship fills the dank air of a rustic hockey rink, shaping the behavior of parents with daughters in ponytails.
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| Age 7 |
FOLLOW THE MONEY, TOO |
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Concord, Mass. Where a hidden truth emerges: NCAA athletic opportunities often go to kids from families with the means to compete in the youth sports’ arms race.
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| Age 8 |
MANIFEST DESTINY |
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Memphis, Tenn. Where second-graders fight for national championships like roosters, AAU chieftains rake in the cash, and America’s most-played game takes a dive.
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| Age 9 |
MOSCOW ON THE MIND |
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Washington, D.C. Where the oversight of amateur sports was assigned at the height of the Cold War and the U.S. Olympic Committee began to fail in its mission to “improve the nation through sports.”
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| Age 10 |
THE AUSSIE RULES |
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Canberra, Australia. Where a former penal colony learns to identify and develop athletes better than any other nation, with the aid of an innovative American sports scientist.
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| Age 11 |
THE GREATEST CITY IN AMERICA |
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Baltimore, Md. Where the rise of publicly funded pro stadiums parallels the fall of community sports and one athlete’s annual salary is greater than the entire budget for city recreation.
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| Age 12 |
A SPECTACLE OF INNOCENCE |
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Williamsport, Pa. Where a team from Hawaii restores U.S. superiority at the Little League World Series under a media spotlight that changes the game—and the lives of its child stars.
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| Age 13 |
THE MAN |
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Bryan, Tex. Where the country’s most promising sixth-grade basketball player attempts to navigate the thicket of profiteers and provocateurs who stand between him and his NBA dream.
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| Age 14 |
GAME ON |
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Miami, Fla. Where a sex crime and grand jury indictment force a community bent on Friday Night Lights glory to ask itself: What’s the point of youth and high school sports, anyway?
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EPILOGUE: NEXT
Palo Alto, Calif. Where the author finds hope for the future of these games we love and a new model for thinking about them: youth sport as a human right. |
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
FURTHER READING
APPENDICES |
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WHY BOYS AND GIRLS PLAY SPORTS
THE ODDS OF PLAYING COLLEGE SPORTS
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ABBREVIATED SOURCE NOTES
FULL SOURCE NOTES ONLINE
INDEX |
