Until It Hurts

Over the last seventy-five years, adults have staged a hostile takeover of kids' sports. For generations of children the effects have been devastating. The quest to turn children into tomorrow's superstars often has led adults to push them beyond physical and emotional limits, sometimes with tragic consequences. In Until It Hurts, journalist, coach, and parent Mark Hyman explores how youth sports reached this problematic state. He gives heartbreaking examples of children and their families, including his own, pushing beyond healthy limits in headlong pursuit of sports glory, athletic scholarships, or even professional careers. His investigation takes him from the Little League World Series in Pennsylvania to a prestigious Chicago soccer club, from adolescent golf and tennis superstars in Atlanta to California volleyball players. He speaks with dozens of children, parents, coaches, psychologists, surgeons, and former big-leaguers.