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Playing to Win
When New York Times best-selling author and journalist Michael Lewis got involved in his kids’ local softball league, it all seemed so wholesome and simple. Ten years later, his family looked back to find that they had spent thousands of dollars—not to mention hours—and traveled thousands of miles in the service of a single sport.
All over America, families are investing blood, sweat, tears, and retirement savings in their children’s sports careers, all with the ultimate goal of…what exactly? A college scholarship? A professional contract? Simply the taste of victory?
Through the lens of the highly competitive world of girls’ softball, Lewis reveals the youth sports industrial complex that has arisen to aggressively monetize after-school pastimes. The major players aren’t the ones on the field—they’re the ones stripping the pockets of unwitting parents to the tune of billions of dollars a year, creating an arms race of amateur athletics and enabling the Varsity Blues scandal. So what’s in it for the parents—or, for that matter, the kids themselves? This from-the-bleachers portrait of our national obsession with youth sports explores the consequences of high-stakes play for families, communities, and the kids in the game.
All over America, families are investing blood, sweat, tears, and retirement savings in their children’s sports careers, all with the ultimate goal of…what exactly? A college scholarship? A professional contract? Simply the taste of victory?
Through the lens of the highly competitive world of girls’ softball, Lewis reveals the youth sports industrial complex that has arisen to aggressively monetize after-school pastimes. The major players aren’t the ones on the field—they’re the ones stripping the pockets of unwitting parents to the tune of billions of dollars a year, creating an arms race of amateur athletics and enabling the Varsity Blues scandal. So what’s in it for the parents—or, for that matter, the kids themselves? This from-the-bleachers portrait of our national obsession with youth sports explores the consequences of high-stakes play for families, communities, and the kids in the game.
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First published October 15, 2020
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About the author
Michael Lewis
42 books15.2k followersMichael Monroe Lewis is an American author and financial journalist. He has also been a contributing editor to Vanity Fair since 2009, writing mostly on business, finance, and economics. He is known for his nonfiction work, particularly his coverage of financial crises and behavioral finance.
Lewis was born in New Orleans and attended Princeton University, from which he graduated with a degree in art history. After attending the London School of Economics, he began a career on Wall Street during the 1980s as a bond salesman at Salomon Brothers. The experience prompted him to write his first book, Liar's Poker (1989). Fourteen years later, Lewis wrote Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game (2003), in which he investigated the success of Billy Beane and the Oakland Athletics. His 2006 book The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game was his first to be adapted into a film, The Blind Side (2009). In 2010, he released The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine. The film adaptation of Moneyball was released in 2011, followed by The Big Short in 2015.
Lewis's books have won two Los Angeles Times Book Prizes and several have reached number one on the New York Times Bestsellers Lists, including his most recent book, Going Infinite (2023).
Lewis was born in New Orleans and attended Princeton University, from which he graduated with a degree in art history. After attending the London School of Economics, he began a career on Wall Street during the 1980s as a bond salesman at Salomon Brothers. The experience prompted him to write his first book, Liar's Poker (1989). Fourteen years later, Lewis wrote Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game (2003), in which he investigated the success of Billy Beane and the Oakland Athletics. His 2006 book The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game was his first to be adapted into a film, The Blind Side (2009). In 2010, he released The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine. The film adaptation of Moneyball was released in 2011, followed by The Big Short in 2015.
Lewis's books have won two Los Angeles Times Book Prizes and several have reached number one on the New York Times Bestsellers Lists, including his most recent book, Going Infinite (2023).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 118 reviews
July 1, 2022
Short book but very insightful. Being on a comp/traveling softball team nearly my entire childhood (8u-18u) this hit close to home. I have many, many opinions and thoughts about this subject and was shocked to learn the rising stats noted in this book. I could comment forever on this subject but mostly feel grateful for my parents specifically my Mom who spent so much of her time pouring herself into my softball career.
I had many positive outcomes, learned self discipline, how to win and lose with grace, take criticism, and most importantly the work it takes to be part of a team. There is so much more to life than competitive sports but can also be a very fulfilling, worthwhile aspect of children’s lives.
When it comes down to it, the key principal is finding balance and always put education/school before sports. Thanks for coming to my TedTalk. 🥎
I had many positive outcomes, learned self discipline, how to win and lose with grace, take criticism, and most importantly the work it takes to be part of a team. There is so much more to life than competitive sports but can also be a very fulfilling, worthwhile aspect of children’s lives.
When it comes down to it, the key principal is finding balance and always put education/school before sports. Thanks for coming to my TedTalk. 🥎
August 17, 2021
I’m a big believer in you get what you pay for in life. This was free with an audible subscription.
It’s an easy listen, I got it done in one session while at the gym.
An exposé into the newly created and deep-pocketed junior sports market. It’s probably only of interest if you’re a US resident and have young kids.
As a Brit I should’ve seen this coming when in the opening chapter he slags off darts and snooker as the only sport on TV in the early 90’s. He claims they’re not real sports. Well I nearly fell off the treadmill. Of course I don’t think many dart players have heard of a treadmill but that’s not the point.
It’s an easy listen, I got it done in one session while at the gym.
An exposé into the newly created and deep-pocketed junior sports market. It’s probably only of interest if you’re a US resident and have young kids.
As a Brit I should’ve seen this coming when in the opening chapter he slags off darts and snooker as the only sport on TV in the early 90’s. He claims they’re not real sports. Well I nearly fell off the treadmill. Of course I don’t think many dart players have heard of a treadmill but that’s not the point.
November 4, 2020
Lived this on the opposite coast, My 2 daughters bookend his; my oldest is a year older than his and my youngest is a year younger. So much is true. I'm out now as the youngest is a senior but I lived this life from 2007 to 2020. The distances on the east coast make it a little easier, Morgantown, Harrisburg, Trenton, Saugerties, Plainville, Warrensburg, Laconia... Abit easier being a coach as you are more involved, only with 13 - 14 daughters instead of just one. We did it a little different as we had a core group of 9 from the same town that moved from U10 to U18, won the MA state championship and some of those girls went on to play D3 in college. He does embellish some of the stereotypes, not all male coaches are bad, many understand the differences between baseball and softball, men and women's different approaches to playing, practicing being teammates... Also, there are many, many women coaches on the east coast. I really enjoyed this and it's all true. Recommended, especially for all parents, listen to this before your kids are 5-6 and you will be better prepared for the choices ahead.
May 20, 2021
Short book on the troublesome rise of uber competitive youth sports, which have been created to make money for savvy entrepreneurs—NOT to improve youth athletic participation. The winners are the people running the prestigious sports clubs, and the losers are the youth, particularly less afluent youth who can't afford the $10,000 a year fees. Also big losers are their parents.
This book was interesting in exposing the problems of youth competitive sports. However, it started slowly for me as it was more reflective memoir of his own family participating in sports. Also, it seemed to be not very self aware, as the author argues "wow, these sports parents are crazy" without fully realizing that he is one of those crazy sports parents. Instead, the book deflects blame by arguing "The system has been set up to totally corrupt them."
And yes, the system is kind of set up to bring out the worst in parents. But in the end ... the parents are the ones being crazy and they can stop. Just stop. Don't pay the $10,000/year. Don't put the pressure on the kids. Don't get anxious about whether they win or not. It's ok. Don't be that parent.
This book was interesting in exposing the problems of youth competitive sports. However, it started slowly for me as it was more reflective memoir of his own family participating in sports. Also, it seemed to be not very self aware, as the author argues "wow, these sports parents are crazy" without fully realizing that he is one of those crazy sports parents. Instead, the book deflects blame by arguing "The system has been set up to totally corrupt them."
And yes, the system is kind of set up to bring out the worst in parents. But in the end ... the parents are the ones being crazy and they can stop. Just stop. Don't pay the $10,000/year. Don't put the pressure on the kids. Don't get anxious about whether they win or not. It's ok. Don't be that parent.
November 29, 2020
I became a Michael Lewis fan after reading his terrific book "Moneyball," about the use of data to drive success within the Oakland A's, and this short Audible original reinforced my support of Lewis as an author and storyteller.
An Audible Original, it's not really a full length book per se, but in a short package it presents a compelling narrative of the rise of competitive youth sports in America. Told from Lewis's own perspective as the father of two daughters who played on competitive girls' softball teams in northern California, Lewis examines the lengths to which parents will go, particularly with their expenditures of exorbitant amounts of money and time, to try to secure college scholarships for their kids through participation in all-star teams that travel across the United States for tournaments.
Candid and unflinching in his assessment of this youth sports subculture, Lewis will have you scratching your head, as he and ultimately many of his fellow softball parents ultimately did, in wonder as to whether it is all worth it.
An Audible Original, it's not really a full length book per se, but in a short package it presents a compelling narrative of the rise of competitive youth sports in America. Told from Lewis's own perspective as the father of two daughters who played on competitive girls' softball teams in northern California, Lewis examines the lengths to which parents will go, particularly with their expenditures of exorbitant amounts of money and time, to try to secure college scholarships for their kids through participation in all-star teams that travel across the United States for tournaments.
Candid and unflinching in his assessment of this youth sports subculture, Lewis will have you scratching your head, as he and ultimately many of his fellow softball parents ultimately did, in wonder as to whether it is all worth it.
June 16, 2024
Libro corto sobre la inmensa industria del deporte infantil en Estados Unidos, que ha convertido a los miembros de los equipos buenos en una casta aparte a la hora de entrar en la universidad (basta con que los apruebe el entrenador, en lugar del comité de admisiones), y que requiere de unos esfuerzos bastante brutales en las familias (los equipos buenos viajan unas 30 veces al año en avión para competir en otras ciudades. Las familias tienen que hacer frente a gastos anuales del orden de 25.000 USD para tener a su hijo/a en un equipo bueno de fútbol, béisbol o vóleibol).
El autor narra su propia experiencia de 10 años con su hija pequeña, que compitió en equipos buenos desde los 8 hasta los 18, momento en que fue aceptada en una universidad, becada, gracias a sus habilidades atléticas en el softball, que es una variante del béisbol.
El recorrido es interesante y los datos que nos va dando por el camino son muy instructivos. No llega al nivel de otras maravillas del autor, como The Big Short y Liar's Poker, pero se deja.
El autor narra su propia experiencia de 10 años con su hija pequeña, que compitió en equipos buenos desde los 8 hasta los 18, momento en que fue aceptada en una universidad, becada, gracias a sus habilidades atléticas en el softball, que es una variante del béisbol.
El recorrido es interesante y los datos que nos va dando por el camino son muy instructivos. No llega al nivel de otras maravillas del autor, como The Big Short y Liar's Poker, pero se deja.
March 10, 2025
Every parent with a kid who is or is about to become part of a youth sports team, should read this book. Know what you are getting into...
Some of the takeaways:
- If you want to maximize the chances of your kid getting an athletic scholarship, make sure they take up crew in high school (fewer number of candidates per scholarship available). Per Lewis, chances are about 50/50 (as of the time of writing).
- Athletic scholarships to elite institutions still require showing the coaches and admissions people that they won't flunk out academically, so make sure that they keep their grades up in high school.
- Parents spend hundreds of thousands of dollars (coaching, travel, fees, etc.) chasing tens of thousands of dollars on scholarships. Investing the same amount of money on a 529 college savings account would have much better returns.
- Despite being the actual source of funding and the engine keeping the the youth sports complex alive, parents are viewed as nothing more than glorified personal assistants.
- College coaches are also observing parents while scouting talent.
Some of the takeaways:
- If you want to maximize the chances of your kid getting an athletic scholarship, make sure they take up crew in high school (fewer number of candidates per scholarship available). Per Lewis, chances are about 50/50 (as of the time of writing).
- Athletic scholarships to elite institutions still require showing the coaches and admissions people that they won't flunk out academically, so make sure that they keep their grades up in high school.
- Parents spend hundreds of thousands of dollars (coaching, travel, fees, etc.) chasing tens of thousands of dollars on scholarships. Investing the same amount of money on a 529 college savings account would have much better returns.
- Despite being the actual source of funding and the engine keeping the the youth sports complex alive, parents are viewed as nothing more than glorified personal assistants.
- College coaches are also observing parents while scouting talent.
December 30, 2024
Not going out on a limb by saying almost every parent today would recommend this book, whether you’re mother to a burgeoning Pedro Martinez or dad to a kid who “aged out” of soccer at 8 years old.
This is concise, data backed, and highly relevant. Also, Lewis has the added perspective of being a baseball playing dad of a few hot-shot softball daughters. He sees the over-sportifying debate from all sides. Well done.
This is concise, data backed, and highly relevant. Also, Lewis has the added perspective of being a baseball playing dad of a few hot-shot softball daughters. He sees the over-sportifying debate from all sides. Well done.
April 23, 2022
Interesting data and perspectives on the youth sports industrial complex. There is a beautiful, poetic part Lewis writes about the main reason he wanted his daughters to be involved in sports, which was to learn about people and the way character is revealed through sports. I wondered if this was a foreshadowing, or a touch of irony, in that Lewis might not have expected what sports would reveal about his own character. He touches upon this early in the book but at the end, we're not left with much of his own ideas and feelings about sports, only a lot of data that baffled him. I would have liked a little more of Lewis in this. A compact, memorable read, with some unexplored avenues.
November 3, 2020
Intressant och välskrivet reportage om ungdomssport, lärde mig nya saker. Underhållande.
September 3, 2021
Will always enjoy media talking about how screwed up the American education system is.. especially when it ends with delusion
January 9, 2022
A great short listen - worth the Audible subscription!
Have enjoyed Lewis' other books (Moneyball and The Big Short) so expected good things from this bite-size audiobook. Did not disappoint - a brutally honest eye-witness account of the kids' sports-industry in the USA.
Appreciate the author's aim was to give an account rather than a commentary, but felt the book lacked a conclusion. There was much to horrify about the way American families sacrifice so much for child sports, but little by way of constructive suggestions for what needs to change. Won't spoil your enjoyment of book, but is what holds me back from giving a 5 star review.
Have enjoyed Lewis' other books (Moneyball and The Big Short) so expected good things from this bite-size audiobook. Did not disappoint - a brutally honest eye-witness account of the kids' sports-industry in the USA.
Appreciate the author's aim was to give an account rather than a commentary, but felt the book lacked a conclusion. There was much to horrify about the way American families sacrifice so much for child sports, but little by way of constructive suggestions for what needs to change. Won't spoil your enjoyment of book, but is what holds me back from giving a 5 star review.
November 3, 2020
Bruh, who would’ve guessed that the industry of amateur student athletes is worth in billions...
April 9, 2024
I thought this was going to be another useful book in my growing canon of “how to be a normal parent when everyone else is insane” books, but it wasn’t exactly what I was expecting. This is a criticism of the uber-competitive, inaccessibly-expensive youth industrial sports complex told from the perspective of someone who engaged fully in it and benefited. I thought it was a little weird to be arguing against it while also praising what it did for his daughter who ultimately was recruited to play college softball. I also couldn’t get past the fact that this whole book was about time spent on sports that could have been used attending birthday parties, being on vacation with the family, seeing friends, but then shortly after the book’s publication, the same daughter died at the age of 19 in a car crash. I wonder if Michael Lewis were to write an addendum, if he would endorse making the same decisions and have the same priorities.
November 4, 2020
I picked this up from Audible’s premium content and learned quite a bit about Michael Lewis that I found interesting. I did not realize he is married to former MTV News personality, Tabitha Soren.
Here are some notes I took from the book.
The Berkeley area initially used the Scandinavian method of sports (where everything was equal).
This apparently made parents and players even more competitive (American) for that drive to win at all costs…
Apparently, Lewis used to ride on Air Force One for something (during Obama times).
One time Lewis was too busy to even hang out with the President after a plane ride because he had to get to a little girl softball game.
Just as a warning, there are a few f-bombs in the book (direct quotes for an over intense softball coach).
He mentions a USU economist professor for a study done in 2017 about youth sports spending (I think it’s Travis Dorsch).
It is very hard to get a scholarship to a college in softball, especially since most are partial anyway. It is not worth spending so much money in youth sports in order to potentially get part of college paid for (the payout does not make sense).
Football is primarily the only sport where the high school level still matters. All other sports are more important at the elite club level.
Overall, it seems the ‘moral’ of the story is that people pay too much for youth sports and the payoff is not worth it (I think). However, the opposite seems true for him. He paid a ton for this elite softball league, the daughter got smart and learned that softball isn’t a life choice, but it helped her get into an Ivy League school where otherwise she wouldn’t have gotten into. So, the ‘moral’ of this story seems mixed (though, I believe his intention was to show that paying too much for youth sports is not worth it…). So because of that, I am not rating this book that high.
Audiobook narrator Michael Lewis rating: 4 stars
Michael Lewis narrates his own book and does a good job.
Here are some notes I took from the book.
The Berkeley area initially used the Scandinavian method of sports (where everything was equal).
This apparently made parents and players even more competitive (American) for that drive to win at all costs…
Apparently, Lewis used to ride on Air Force One for something (during Obama times).
One time Lewis was too busy to even hang out with the President after a plane ride because he had to get to a little girl softball game.
Just as a warning, there are a few f-bombs in the book (direct quotes for an over intense softball coach).
He mentions a USU economist professor for a study done in 2017 about youth sports spending (I think it’s Travis Dorsch).
It is very hard to get a scholarship to a college in softball, especially since most are partial anyway. It is not worth spending so much money in youth sports in order to potentially get part of college paid for (the payout does not make sense).
Football is primarily the only sport where the high school level still matters. All other sports are more important at the elite club level.
Overall, it seems the ‘moral’ of the story is that people pay too much for youth sports and the payoff is not worth it (I think). However, the opposite seems true for him. He paid a ton for this elite softball league, the daughter got smart and learned that softball isn’t a life choice, but it helped her get into an Ivy League school where otherwise she wouldn’t have gotten into. So, the ‘moral’ of this story seems mixed (though, I believe his intention was to show that paying too much for youth sports is not worth it…). So because of that, I am not rating this book that high.
Audiobook narrator Michael Lewis rating: 4 stars
Michael Lewis narrates his own book and does a good job.
January 2, 2022
Getting a great head start on my annual reading challenge by finishing a book on the first day of the new year :) (technically, the second, as it's past midnight). In honesty, I started the first hour of the book in 2021 but... counts for 2022.
I had picked this since Audible had recommended it to me and it seemed short so wasn't a huge time sink if it wasn't good. As I dug a bit into the author Michael Lewis, I realized this was the man behind The Blind Side, Moneyball, and The Big Short. The latter two of this list are among my favorite films of all time, so I was fully convinced because I felt that even though I hadn't read any of Lewis's works directly, I was pretty sure I would like his story telling style.
The book details Lewis's personal experience with sending his two daughters off to play organized sports, and what he learned about himself and the state of it in the United States. To be honest, I quite enjoyed the book because it truly opened the world of organized youth sports to me. Growing up, my parents had enrolled me in swimming lessons or tennis lessons but nothing that remotely resembled any form of organized sports. And being that I'm quite far from having kids of my own, I had no idea the amount of money(!) and time(!) that parents had to contribute to start their childrens' sports careers. Tens of thousands of dollars. Driving 13 hours to ONE sports game. Damn.
As a sports fan, it was definitely an interesting read that didn't extend too long - the audiobook is only 2.5 hours total. Despite the short length however, it felt that at times the organization behind his book wasn't entirely clear. Sometimes I wasn't sure where he was going or why he was going on a small tangent and if it'd be relevant to the overall story.
Final Review: 4/5. I think it's an enlightening short read for anyone who is interested in investing time and money to start their childrens' sports careers, but is a bit disorganized in my opinion on overall theme.
I had picked this since Audible had recommended it to me and it seemed short so wasn't a huge time sink if it wasn't good. As I dug a bit into the author Michael Lewis, I realized this was the man behind The Blind Side, Moneyball, and The Big Short. The latter two of this list are among my favorite films of all time, so I was fully convinced because I felt that even though I hadn't read any of Lewis's works directly, I was pretty sure I would like his story telling style.
The book details Lewis's personal experience with sending his two daughters off to play organized sports, and what he learned about himself and the state of it in the United States. To be honest, I quite enjoyed the book because it truly opened the world of organized youth sports to me. Growing up, my parents had enrolled me in swimming lessons or tennis lessons but nothing that remotely resembled any form of organized sports. And being that I'm quite far from having kids of my own, I had no idea the amount of money(!) and time(!) that parents had to contribute to start their childrens' sports careers. Tens of thousands of dollars. Driving 13 hours to ONE sports game. Damn.
As a sports fan, it was definitely an interesting read that didn't extend too long - the audiobook is only 2.5 hours total. Despite the short length however, it felt that at times the organization behind his book wasn't entirely clear. Sometimes I wasn't sure where he was going or why he was going on a small tangent and if it'd be relevant to the overall story.
Final Review: 4/5. I think it's an enlightening short read for anyone who is interested in investing time and money to start their childrens' sports careers, but is a bit disorganized in my opinion on overall theme.
January 14, 2024
Listening to this book allowed me to understand more about the development of elite youth sports players, particularly the world of girls softball. The stress, anxiety, and costs of participating in girls softball is equally borne by the players and their parents. The female athletes who choose to follow the path that may, or may not, lead to college offers, pay the price of, among other things, not having the typical high school experience such as dances, parties, hanging out at the mall (do girls even do that anymore?). What is typical for an elite player in girls softball is travel, travel, and travel. Travel includes local travel; maybe just a 3 0r 4 hour drive to play in a "nearby" tournament; or a weekend at a tournament two states away; or travel to one of the numerous regional and national tournaments, showcases, and camps that are essential for the girls involved if they have hopes beyond their school playing careers.
Softball is, for all intents and purposes, a yearlong sport. The miles put on car odometers can be staggering, as can the costs of being involved in the sport: thousands and thousands of dollars. What that gets you is fast food meals, middling hotels/motels, airline miles for frequent flyer members, long days in the out of doors, which may include storm delays, winds gusting up to 50 miles an hour, sore muscles, aching joints, and waking up wondering which city you are in today.
But 0n the plus side of the column is that most of the girls put up with all these things because they love the sport, and some reach the pinnacle of playing in college. And some can continue beyond college by coaching at the high school or college level.
The author, Michael Lewis, narrated this book. He did a great job explaining his and his daughter's journey from her beginning days as an 8-year-old who was just tagging along with her older sister
to becoming a player on the college team of her dreams.
Softball is, for all intents and purposes, a yearlong sport. The miles put on car odometers can be staggering, as can the costs of being involved in the sport: thousands and thousands of dollars. What that gets you is fast food meals, middling hotels/motels, airline miles for frequent flyer members, long days in the out of doors, which may include storm delays, winds gusting up to 50 miles an hour, sore muscles, aching joints, and waking up wondering which city you are in today.
But 0n the plus side of the column is that most of the girls put up with all these things because they love the sport, and some reach the pinnacle of playing in college. And some can continue beyond college by coaching at the high school or college level.
The author, Michael Lewis, narrated this book. He did a great job explaining his and his daughter's journey from her beginning days as an 8-year-old who was just tagging along with her older sister
to becoming a player on the college team of her dreams.
January 1, 2022
a fun and engaging narrative that helps put the admission scandal of Felicity Huffman etc in context and illuminated some interesting points:
- football is the only youth sport that doesn't have travel leagues and is affiliated with schools, so more accessible to kids from poorer families and provide a pathway for college scholarships. perhaps because it's the only sport that actually makes money for colleges, so having access to full base of talent is important. unfortunately it's also the one sport that leaves people most crippled and brain damaged
- the thriving of business of girl sports were in large part result of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 that outlawed gender discrimination in athletic programs. college must give equal number of sports scholarship to men and women
- Rich people benefit from the youth sports industrial complex in many ways:
- the travel sports team's enormous financial and parental time support barrier of entry keeps out a big chunk of potential competition. the type of sport also matters hugely - picking fancy sports like fencing, lacrosse is winning from the start with much higher odds of landing college scholarships
- most of the middle class parents who can afford the travel sport team cost don't understand the value of elite colleges (they simply follow the coach's aspiration for their kids to go to the schools best at the sport rather than academically) leaving the rich parents who do with even less competition
however the author left a big question unanswered: why do colleges (esp. the ones not known for sports) continue to give athletes outsized advantage when it doesn't benefit them financially?
- football is the only youth sport that doesn't have travel leagues and is affiliated with schools, so more accessible to kids from poorer families and provide a pathway for college scholarships. perhaps because it's the only sport that actually makes money for colleges, so having access to full base of talent is important. unfortunately it's also the one sport that leaves people most crippled and brain damaged
- the thriving of business of girl sports were in large part result of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 that outlawed gender discrimination in athletic programs. college must give equal number of sports scholarship to men and women
- Rich people benefit from the youth sports industrial complex in many ways:
- the travel sports team's enormous financial and parental time support barrier of entry keeps out a big chunk of potential competition. the type of sport also matters hugely - picking fancy sports like fencing, lacrosse is winning from the start with much higher odds of landing college scholarships
- most of the middle class parents who can afford the travel sport team cost don't understand the value of elite colleges (they simply follow the coach's aspiration for their kids to go to the schools best at the sport rather than academically) leaving the rich parents who do with even less competition
however the author left a big question unanswered: why do colleges (esp. the ones not known for sports) continue to give athletes outsized advantage when it doesn't benefit them financially?
December 1, 2024
Interesting short book/long essay about the business of high school sports, told by Michael Lewis with direct personal experience of being father to a girl who did very competitive traveling softball and then was recruited to play in college.
Essentially: 1) sports (with the exception of football, which is largely run by high schools directly) are basically the one loophole left for otherwise-non-special white kids to get into college more easily -- absent exceptional achievement in something, spending lots of money on youth athletics combined with a decent academic record can get many people into preferred recruitment at good colleges (although ironically those known more for academics vs athletic powerhouses themselves!) 2) the cost of participating at a high level in these sports far exceeds the expected scholarship returns, and basically this is a filter to keep middle class kids out and reduce competition for upper class children (especially in sports like fencing, lacrosse, crew, etc.) 3) football is unique in being run by high schools rather than private organizations, and thus is much more democratic in access, although it's also far more dangerous to players, and more competitive for an otherwise normal upper class athlete vs. more restricted sports 4) private equity has taken over the youth athletics market 5) girls disproportionately benefit due to a crazy reading of Title IX 6) sports mostly lose money for parents and for schools but do provide a way to backdoor access to institutions.
The solution to all of this is probably to break the university accreditation complex and the university degree vs. work-sample test hiring scam.
Essentially: 1) sports (with the exception of football, which is largely run by high schools directly) are basically the one loophole left for otherwise-non-special white kids to get into college more easily -- absent exceptional achievement in something, spending lots of money on youth athletics combined with a decent academic record can get many people into preferred recruitment at good colleges (although ironically those known more for academics vs athletic powerhouses themselves!) 2) the cost of participating at a high level in these sports far exceeds the expected scholarship returns, and basically this is a filter to keep middle class kids out and reduce competition for upper class children (especially in sports like fencing, lacrosse, crew, etc.) 3) football is unique in being run by high schools rather than private organizations, and thus is much more democratic in access, although it's also far more dangerous to players, and more competitive for an otherwise normal upper class athlete vs. more restricted sports 4) private equity has taken over the youth athletics market 5) girls disproportionately benefit due to a crazy reading of Title IX 6) sports mostly lose money for parents and for schools but do provide a way to backdoor access to institutions.
The solution to all of this is probably to break the university accreditation complex and the university degree vs. work-sample test hiring scam.
June 30, 2025
Like most of Michael Lewis’s books, Playing to Win manages to make a seemingly niche topic—youth sports—utterly captivating. Once again, Lewis proves that he can turn almost anything into a compelling story by zooming in on overlooked systems and exposing the forces that shape them.
In the spirit of Moneyball and The Blind Side, this audiobook focuses on the economic and cultural machinery behind competitive youth sports in the U.S., particularly in less-publicized sports like softball. What begins as a personal story—Lewis coaching his daughter’s team—quickly becomes a sharp critique of a sprawling, under-regulated industry fueled by ambition, anxiety, and money.
Lewis unpacks how changes in policy, combined with parental hopes for scholarships or future success, have turned travel teams and weekend tournaments into a multi-billion-dollar business. And he does it with his usual clarity, irony, and storytelling flair.
If you're a fan of Michael Lewis’s investigative style and you’re curious about how something as innocent as kids’ sports became so intense—and so profitable—this is a fascinating listen. It left me thinking not just about softball, but about the systems we build around childhood itself.
In the spirit of Moneyball and The Blind Side, this audiobook focuses on the economic and cultural machinery behind competitive youth sports in the U.S., particularly in less-publicized sports like softball. What begins as a personal story—Lewis coaching his daughter’s team—quickly becomes a sharp critique of a sprawling, under-regulated industry fueled by ambition, anxiety, and money.
Lewis unpacks how changes in policy, combined with parental hopes for scholarships or future success, have turned travel teams and weekend tournaments into a multi-billion-dollar business. And he does it with his usual clarity, irony, and storytelling flair.
If you're a fan of Michael Lewis’s investigative style and you’re curious about how something as innocent as kids’ sports became so intense—and so profitable—this is a fascinating listen. It left me thinking not just about softball, but about the systems we build around childhood itself.
January 29, 2022
NOT JUST FOR SPORTS PEOPLE. This is a very interesting short program which really resonates with me as a recovering “Baseball Dad”. Michael really nails the whole scene of youth sports, the good, the bad and the ugly. The transition many kids / families go through, from casual rec league sports activities to hyper competitive big business, is an ever increasing one. It is unfortunate, but yet not surprising, that this has resulted in many kids being disadvantaged in the college admission process. The fact that so many kids / families end up focusing on the big name programs in sports where there is no professional future instead of leveraging the opportunity afforded to get into a good academic school with possibly some tuition assistance, is indicative of a bigger decline in American capabilities / competitiveness. When I picked this up from audible I hadn’t remembered the horrible tragedy the Lewis family had been through shortly after this story was published. I love Michael Lewis’ books and feel I have really gotten to know him from afar after all these years. I wish the Lewis family much peace and healing as they continue to live their best life possible.
December 8, 2022
Playing to Win has a wonderful arc. It begins with the notion of who would want to get involved in children’s sport and ends with such notion. By the end, Lewis contends the despite the ridiculousness of children sport in America there is an innate joy that some children get from playing it.
Lewis begins the book with some clear, classy and witty writing. For one, he refers to the alleged night that he told his wife that he did not watched sports on arc as “The night of the big lie”. Moreover, he begins his development of the motif of playing against Republicans m.
Within the story, Lewis conducts some apt analysis on how a confluence of factors have lead to the uptake of children sport. In particular, he notes Title X and the decreased acceptance rates of universities.
The book does feel like it could be longer and be devolved even more. Perhaps, this is just a stipulation of the audible contract. Nonetheless, the shorter duration of the book curtails the impact of it.
Lewis begins the book with some clear, classy and witty writing. For one, he refers to the alleged night that he told his wife that he did not watched sports on arc as “The night of the big lie”. Moreover, he begins his development of the motif of playing against Republicans m.
Within the story, Lewis conducts some apt analysis on how a confluence of factors have lead to the uptake of children sport. In particular, he notes Title X and the decreased acceptance rates of universities.
The book does feel like it could be longer and be devolved even more. Perhaps, this is just a stipulation of the audible contract. Nonetheless, the shorter duration of the book curtails the impact of it.
September 3, 2025
There’s a good book hiding in Playing to Win, but this isn’t it. The idea—exploring how youth sports became a massive business tied to the college machine—has real teeth. But instead of digging into that, Lewis spends most of the book bragging about his kids and wandering through side characters that add nothing to the main point.
What could have been an inside look at the economics of travel teams, the billions flowing through tournaments, and the ugly link to college admissions ends up feeling self-indulgent and scattered. If half the kid talk was cut and replaced with data on how this system actually works, it could have been fascinating.
Instead, the whole thing comes off rushed, like it was written to satisfy an Audible/Amazon contract rather than a serious project. The few moments where he actually touches the business side of youth sports are great—you just have to wade through a lot of filler to get there.
What could have been an inside look at the economics of travel teams, the billions flowing through tournaments, and the ugly link to college admissions ends up feeling self-indulgent and scattered. If half the kid talk was cut and replaced with data on how this system actually works, it could have been fascinating.
Instead, the whole thing comes off rushed, like it was written to satisfy an Audible/Amazon contract rather than a serious project. The few moments where he actually touches the business side of youth sports are great—you just have to wade through a lot of filler to get there.
January 20, 2022
A good reminder of the craziness and time sucking nature of children's sports in 21st Century America. Michael Lewis does a great job of telling his families story alongside data that details the distraction sports can be to a family. Some good data in the book for parents that think the time and money spent is a good investment for their child's collegiate athletic career. Chances are your kids will not play in college and even if they do, or even play beyond that, the success may prove to be anticlimactic.
Our kids are on the AAU teams and all that jazz. However, are travel is fairly local. I think we have a proper balance, but deliberate decisions have to be made to balance out other priorities such as church, academics, music and social time (letting kids be kids).
At 2 hours this audiobook is the perfect length for the topic.
Our kids are on the AAU teams and all that jazz. However, are travel is fairly local. I think we have a proper balance, but deliberate decisions have to be made to balance out other priorities such as church, academics, music and social time (letting kids be kids).
At 2 hours this audiobook is the perfect length for the topic.
April 21, 2024
I recently finished reading "Playing to Win" by Michael Lewis, and I must say, it was a fairly average experience for me. As someone who enjoys sports and business narratives, I had high hopes for this book, given Lewis's reputation as a talented storyteller. However, while the book had its moments of insight and intrigue, it didn't quite live up to my expectations.
One aspect I appreciated was Lewis's ability to weave together stories from different sports and industries to illustrate his points about the importance of strategy and competition. From basketball to military tactics to corporate boardrooms, he draws parallels that shed light on the universal principles of winning. It's fascinating to see how strategies employed in one arena can be applied to another.
That being said, I found the pacing to be a bit uneven at times. Some chapters felt rushed, while others seemed to drag on, delving into minutiae that didn't always hold my interest. Additionally, while the anecdotes were entertaining, I didn't feel like they always coalesced into a cohesive argument or thesis.
Furthermore, I couldn't shake the feeling that much of the information presented in the book was already familiar to me. As someone who follows sports and business news regularly, I didn't encounter many groundbreaking insights or revelations. While Lewis's perspective is certainly valuable, especially for those new to the subjects he covers, I didn't feel like I gained a deeper understanding of strategy or competition from reading this book.
Overall, "Playing to Win" is a decent read, but it didn't leave a lasting impression on me. It's worth picking up if you're a fan of Michael Lewis or interested in the intersection of sports and business, but don't expect to be blown away.
One aspect I appreciated was Lewis's ability to weave together stories from different sports and industries to illustrate his points about the importance of strategy and competition. From basketball to military tactics to corporate boardrooms, he draws parallels that shed light on the universal principles of winning. It's fascinating to see how strategies employed in one arena can be applied to another.
That being said, I found the pacing to be a bit uneven at times. Some chapters felt rushed, while others seemed to drag on, delving into minutiae that didn't always hold my interest. Additionally, while the anecdotes were entertaining, I didn't feel like they always coalesced into a cohesive argument or thesis.
Furthermore, I couldn't shake the feeling that much of the information presented in the book was already familiar to me. As someone who follows sports and business news regularly, I didn't encounter many groundbreaking insights or revelations. While Lewis's perspective is certainly valuable, especially for those new to the subjects he covers, I didn't feel like I gained a deeper understanding of strategy or competition from reading this book.
Overall, "Playing to Win" is a decent read, but it didn't leave a lasting impression on me. It's worth picking up if you're a fan of Michael Lewis or interested in the intersection of sports and business, but don't expect to be blown away.
October 11, 2023
Not sure this counts as a book for my Goodreads goals, but man was this worth a listen. Michael Lewis is always bringing in the fresh insights into why we do what we do, and this is no exception. He breaks down the absolute madness that is competitive youth sports in a way that both humanizes its participants and also confirms the madness. I have fresh insights on my own journey into competitive sports with my kids. Too often we plunge head first into this world without our sights on the long-term goals of our kids. Most kids will grow up to work all week and just play the game occasionally for fun, so lets start focusing on all of the positive aspects of playing a competitive sports and not just on winning.
October 31, 2020
The youth sports industrial complex is WAY out of control. Some families drop hundreds of thousands of dollars for tens of thousands in college scholarship money and then the athlete-scholar misses a lot of their classes to play sports. Michael Lewis tells the story of his daughters and competitive fast pitch softball. Really good read. He talks a bit about the "University Blues" scandal where parents made their children into athletes so that the road to admission was short-cutted by dollars. Take your kids to the park and have fun. The tension of the constant travel and all those costs and missed slumber parties cannot really be worth it.
May 30, 2024
Really fascinating, even shocking at turns.
I've gone to and played in all sorts of youth sports in my life, and I've long thought travel teams and the like had gotten quite ridiculous, but never quite realized just how gross everything had gotten. This was an enlightening listen and I learned a ton. I would not be encouraging any of my kids or family friends to be doing youth sports after this -- not for the kids' sake, not for the parents' sake, and certainly not for the cost involved and the low perceived upside of scholarships and college ball. What a mess.
Quick easy listen, just around two hours so it's practically a podcast, only available on Audible.
I've gone to and played in all sorts of youth sports in my life, and I've long thought travel teams and the like had gotten quite ridiculous, but never quite realized just how gross everything had gotten. This was an enlightening listen and I learned a ton. I would not be encouraging any of my kids or family friends to be doing youth sports after this -- not for the kids' sake, not for the parents' sake, and certainly not for the cost involved and the low perceived upside of scholarships and college ball. What a mess.
Quick easy listen, just around two hours so it's practically a podcast, only available on Audible.
March 5, 2021
Another free Audible original, another great read from Michael Lewis.
As a parent that fully expects his kids to be involved in sports at some level, this is really eye opening. You hear about this stuff, and thinks its crazy, and expense, and consumes your life, but then you also think about the relationship formed while doing that, the end goal, and the memories you make along the way. Is it worth it? Who knows.
Strong recommend for any former travel sports parent and any new parent that expects to have kids in sports.
As a parent that fully expects his kids to be involved in sports at some level, this is really eye opening. You hear about this stuff, and thinks its crazy, and expense, and consumes your life, but then you also think about the relationship formed while doing that, the end goal, and the memories you make along the way. Is it worth it? Who knows.
Strong recommend for any former travel sports parent and any new parent that expects to have kids in sports.
September 8, 2021
This started to play automatically on audible after finishing another title and it was such a wonderful surprise dissection of the (for profit) youth sports “complex”. I think it’s fair and shows many problems and some benefits with the way youth sports have evolved. I would have probably enjoyed some additional speculation about why the country ad a whole has thrown so much money and time this way, but he keeps much of that personal. This is the most personal I can recall Lewis being - at least about his adult life, and I like him even more now.
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