Author: Jim Grove

From early specialization to costly programs to hyper-competition, this documentary tells its story through the voices of people directly involved: parents, coaches, and teachers.

Highlighting the scale of the decline in children’s mobility, researcher Negin Riazi points to a study conducted in England that showed a staggering drop in the number of children ages seven to eight who walked to school independently, from 80 percent in 1971 to just nine percent in 1990. According to Riazi, this scale of … Continued

Risky play is a hot topic in parenting these days. Are you “overprotecting” your children? Or are you “putting them at risk” by allowing them to climb the monkey bars at the park? Researchers are telling us that risky play is necessary for healthy child development. It’s essential for developing confidence and the ability to … Continued

There is a lot of money in kids’ sports. In Canada alone, recent research suggests that youth sport has become an industry worth $8.7 billion per year. Unfortunately, amid this flow of dollars, and the sometimes astronomical cost for parents, many kids from lower-income homes are getting left on the sidelines. Enter Tim Adams with … Continued

Your child gets ready to jump from the monkey bars and you get ready for a trip to the hospital. Is this a reasonable reaction? Unless there’s a pit of poisonous serpents or a bed of nails below, probably not. As Dr. Mariana Brussoni of the University of British Columbia points out, statistics show that … Continued

This past spring, revelations around the college admissions scandal in the U.S. drew attention to the efforts parents will make to ensure their children do not “fail.” While the elaborate system of bribery and corruption mostly concerned families of above-average means, it still led to broader discussion in the media around parents over-protecting and over-managing … Continued

Research indicates that gross motor skills are a major predictor of a child’s school readiness. In essence they reflect “brain skills,” yet many parents and caregivers overlook their importance. When infants and toddlers move their arms, legs, and other large body parts with large muscle groups, they are developing their gross motor skills. However, studies … Continued

With the Toronto Raptors’ deep run in the NBA playoffs, and now a franchise-first NBA championship, everyone in Canada is talking basketball. And as often happens when the “home” team finds success, kids everywhere want to start playing and emulating their heroes. Jr. NBA Youth Basketball is now making it easier than ever to get … Continued

We live in a world overflowing with technology. Cars talk to us, phones entertain us, houses are “smart,” and wristwatches monitor our vitals. Are we living in Brave New World or 1984? Whichever we imagine, one thing is certain: our attachment to technology strains our connection with nature. Staying connected to the natural world is … Continued

Did you know that by age 14, girls are dropping out of sport at twice the rate of boys? Did you know that when matched for age and maturation, they are three to six times more likely than boys to sustain non-impact ACL injuries? And did you know that the main reason most girls play … Continued