Time Magazine’s Cover Story: Youth Sports is Big Business
If you haven’t seen it, Time magazine’s cover story, for which I was interviewed, offers a scathing indictment of what I call the “youth sports industrial complex” and how what used to be about fun is now a $15 billion business. Every parent of a young athlete should read the article, reflect on their own […]
Read MoreTeach Your Child Athlete Healthy Perspectives
These days, children seem to be given every opportunity by their parents to experience success in sports and every other performance activity (e.g., school, the performing arts). Many young athletes receive extra help from personal fitness trainers, private coaching, and training camps. They are given the opportunity to develop every possible sports skill necessary to […]
Read Moredrjimtaylor.com 4.0 is live!
I’m excited to announce the launch of the latest version of drjimtaylor.com (now 4.0). The redesigned web site has been upgraded in several ways: More visually appealing. More up-to-date design. Fewer pages. Better organized. Simpler and more clear navigation. Easier access to the information you want. Find the products and services I have to offer […]
Read More26% of Parents Believe Their Children Will Become Pro Athletes
I was recently interviewed by the Toronto Sun about a remarkable statistic: 26% of parents believe their children will be professional athletes. Remarkable because, as the article notes, the chances are actually infinitesimal.
Read MoreWhen Should Your Young Athlete Specialize?
This question torments every parent who wants to support their children’s efforts as they pursue their own personal greatness in a sport. It is also one of the most frequently asked questions I get from parents of young athletes. This question isn’t just one of professional interest to me. Rather, it’s personal for two reasons. […]
Read MoreAre Coaches the Real Bullies in School?
A truly eye-opening and painful article in The Atlantic describing how many coaches are the real bullies in school and, by extension, youth sports. Moreover, this abusive behavior is applauded by many parents who see this treatment as character building. These parents have seen too many so-called inspirational movies (such as the recent film Whiplash about […]
Read MoreAnother Sign that Youth Sports are Out of Control
If you want another sign that youth sports (and the parents and coaches that are behind it) have gone completely off the rails, read this truly unsettling article. No doubt that many aspects of youth sports are no longer about children, but rather about deluded and selfish parents and the ‘youth sport industrial complex’ in which children […]
Read MoreThe High Cost of Youth Sports (and the Poor ROI!)
An eye-opening article in The New York Times about the high cost of youth sports these days. The biggest news of the article is the poor financial return on investment (e.g., college scholarship, professional or Olympic career) that comes from pouring $$$ into your children’s athletic experiences. Plus, the self-serving and corrupt “youth sport industrial […]
Read MoreSliding Down That Slippery Slope Toward Ski Racing
Back in 2011, I wrote an article titled “Mama, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Ski Racers, in which I described my internal conflict about whether I wanted my two daughters (then ages 5 and 3, now 9 and 7) to become ski racers. Well, now as four-year veterans of the Sugar Bowl […]
Read MoreHow to Be a Great Sports Parent
I was recently interviewed by Today’s Parent for an article titled “How to Raise the Next Sidney Crosby” (it’s a Canadian magazine). It’s a good read for sports parents with some great perspectives from elite athletes, parents, coaches, and, yes, yours truly.
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