Extra Time: Changing the Game with John O'Sullivan

The evolution of youth soccer into the club model, and the founding of clubs such as Players Development Academy (PDA) had a positive impact on the continued growth of the sport in America. But it also accelerated the concept of "pay to play" which has made the game inaccessible to many communities, while simultaneously giving more opportunity to those that can afford participation. However, with increased cost and increased competition, burnout is occurring in volume with kids dropping out of the sports in huge numbers throughout their teenage years. John O'Sullivan wrote Changing the Game after seeing the challenges youth sports faced in this country. The book highlights the ways youth sports, soccer included, has gotten away from us in America. It also provides strategies to help us recapture its essence, giving the sport back to our children in the process. He founded the Changing the Game Project to facilitate speaking engagements and other events to spread the ideas associa...