50 Years in the Bleachers

Five decades. Three generations. One family's sports story.

As a Title IX pioneer, Christine Hawkinson helped blaze the girls' sports trail her daughters followed 20 years later. Having been a coach's daughter and a coach's wife, she thought she was well prepared to be a sports parent. But in the early 2000s, everything she knew and valued about sports was challenged by an invitation for her daughter to join a pay-to-play team.

Escalating expectations for playing and her daughter's ACL tear led to more questions about the youth sports system that has since grown more complex, more expensive, and disheartening for many children.

50 Years in the Bleachers is rooted in the story of how a group of girls, driven solely by their own interest in the game, paved the way for next generations. And how an introvert gained confidence and life skills by being on the team.

Hawkinson's journey is a rekindling of the benefits of sport, the meaning of team, and the responsibility of those who shape children's experiences. It's an inspiring message for anyone who respects why kids play, and who strives to be thoughtful about where and when they do.