The children of the 1970s and early 80s were the last generation of Americans to grow up without organized youth sports.

“This should be a must-read for any parent raising an athletic child. Or heck, for any parent, period. Sports are meant to be fun... this is a great example of how full grown adults can ruin it for everyone.”

We have a nationwide coaching crisis. Good coaches are an endangered species. It’s too difficult to find qualified coaches or parents who are willing to step forward and coach a team. There’s simply too much personal and professional risk to make it worth it for them.

Imagine a society in which 93 percent of children grow up playing organized sports. Where costs are low, the economic barriers to entry few, travel teams aren’t formed until the teenage years — and where adults don’t start sorting the weak from the strong until children have grown into their bodies and interests.