# DEEP DIVE: Linda Flanagan on Taking Back Kids' Sports

An episode of [What Fresh Hell: Parenting, Relationships, and Making Life Better, with Two Funny Moms](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1170073178), 24 Aug 2026, 34 min.

Audio: https://pdst.fm/e/tracking.swap.fm/track/JhoQDAATtO1l0y8tdKNa/mgln.ai/e/52/traffic.megaphone.fm/ADL3622598132.mp3?updated=1744904763

This "Deep Dive" series revisits a few of our past episodes on back-to-school challenges such as the morning rush, school projects which require lots of parental oversight, and how to help our kids navigate intensifying academic pressure. Linda Flanagan is a journalist, researcher, and a former cross-country and track coach. She's also a founding board member of the Positive Coaching Alliance and an Advisory Group member for the Aspen Institute’s Reimagining Sports initiative. Flanagan's book is TAKE BACK THE GAME: How Money and Mania Are Ruining Kids' Sports--and Why It Matters. Linda tells Amy and Margaret what forces conspired to make the youth sports landscape the way it is today. In this episode, Linda, Amy, and Margaret discuss: • How the purpose of kids' sports has changed since we were playing ourselves \[7:00\] • Why we assume sports build character, and whether that's true \[14:30\] • How recruitment for college sports affects both kids' and parents' perspectives \[22:15\] Here's where you can find Linda: • Buy Linda's book • @lindaflanagan2 on Twitter • Mindshift Podcast on NPR • Read Linda's article in The Atlantic: "The Downsides of Having an Athlete in the Family" • Our previous episode on kids' sports: "Youth Sports: If You Must" What Fresh Hell is co-hosted by Amy Wilson and Margaret Ables. We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://www.whatfreshhellpodcast.com/p/promo-codes/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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