Support our non-partisan non-profit newsroom 💜 Donate now

Fewer kids are playing tackle football. Could flag be the future for the NFL?

Jan 12, 2024
The risk of brain injury weighs on participation. Sports writer Dave Sheinin says there’s logic in an eventual move to a safer game.
With youth participation in tackle football dropping, flag football presents a new opportunity.
Patrick Smith/Getty Images

The multibillion-dollar youth sports industry is leaving lots of kids on the sidelines

Aug 23, 2022
In "Take Back the Game," Linda Flanagan looks at how the growing youth sports industry has become a recipe for haves and have-nots.
According to author Linda Flanagan, parents are the main spenders in the youth sports industry. "It goes into travel, to equipment, to team memberships," said Flanagan. "There's an entire world out there that is offering sports options to parents, and they're paying up."
Sarah Reed/Getty Images for FIFA

The football that little kids play might soon look different

Feb 6, 2017
Your kids might not be playing the game the safest way.
Youth participation in football has been declining for at least a decade.
Paul L Dineen/Flickr