
Todd Ley exposes a high-pressure world where talent is everything, but protection is rare; where overzealous parents, manipulative coaches, hungry sponsors and indifferent associations can push young athletes to their breaking point. It's not just a story about tennis, it's about what happens when a child's identity is consumed by a dream that may not be their own and the long road back to self-worth after the cheering stops. Presented at the 2025 Byron Writers Festival Speakers Todd Ley Former world's top Junior tennis player Author of SMASHED: Prodigies, parents and parasites Anna Featherstone Author; non-fiction advisor to the Alliance Independent Authors, publishing consultant for the Australian Society of Authors