Say the words youth sports, and Americans assume the worst. They worry about parents and coaches who are out of control, kids who compete too young and communities that are being left behind. Yet the millions of families who flood the fields every day can’t all be crazy. This summer, ESPN takes stock of the most dominant force in America childhood outside of family and school. Go ahead, kick the dirt and argue with us. Whatever it takes to start the conversation.

With this issue of The Mag, ESPN kicks off two months of storytelling about youth in sports, in print, online and on TV, including a town hall with the Aspen Institute. Go to www.espn.com/kidsinsports to see it all unfold. Follow ESPN The Magazine @ESPNMag and #KidsInSports.

In addition to the features listed below, The Mag’s Kids in Sports issue – on newsstands Friday – highlights how eight rising stars including Brandon Jennings, Maya Moore, Michael Crabtree, Jozy Altidore, and others retrace their paths to the pros in “How I played the pipeline”; “Exceptionally normal,” a feature by Wayne Drehs on the low-stress approach Missy Franklin’s parents took to raise a golden child; and “Dear Me” , where  athletes including Dwight Howard, Aaron Rodgers, Andy Murray, Abby Wambach, Gabby Douglas, Robbie Rogers and Jeff Gordon (VIDEO), write letters of advice to themselves as young athletes.

Kids in Sports Issue Features:

Travel team confidential

565 travel-ball elite athletes from 10-18 in 9 different sports interviewed by the University of Florida at travel team tournaments across the country.

Parent confidential

340 parents of regular 9-13 year old youth athletes in 15 sports, interviewed by Mag reporters at fields across the country. 

Confidential highlights:

• 73% of elite athletes say their parent have put pressure on them to be successful in games and 79% say their parents have gotten upset over how they played.
• And yet: 64% of elite athletes say they’ve NEVER thought about quitting. 
• And 79%  say they LOVE their sport and another 17% say they like it a LOT, despite the pressure.

Meanwhile….

• 53% of parents say their marriages are getting STRONGER because of youth sports.
• 84% of parents say their young athlete’s grades have gone UP because of sports participation.
• Though less than 1% of high school senior athletes reach the pros, both parents and elite athletes still have crazy dreams,
• 58% of the elite athletes say one reason they play is to become a pro.
• 69% of the 10-13 year old athletes and 41% of the 14-18 year olds believe they will be good enough to go pro.
• 32% of the parents expect their kid to eventually get a college scholarship.
• 11% expect their kid to go pro someday.

Age against the machine

The Mag’s Kevin Van Valkenburg writes about Dylan Moses, the 15-year-old LSU recruit who is retooling the way college football factories do business. 

Miracle on ice

Tom Farrey writes that rebels in hockey-obsessed Michigan who encourage kids to play a variety of sports may the the saviors of NHL’s future.

As Luck would have it

Backpage columnist Chris Jones writes that Oliver Luck knew when it was time to stop coaching his son, Indianapolis Colts QB Andrew, and just be his father. 

“People have a hard time believing I’d do it all again”

The Mag’s Tim Keown writes that Steve Hendrickson has a battered body and can’t remember yesterday. Yet he still wants his son to follow in his footsteps. It’s the conflicted nature of every football parent. Keown discusses the article he wrote detailing former NFL player Steve Hendrickson’s life in football and America’s youth football culture.

 

Media Contact: Carrie Kreiswirth [email protected]