I am a sports journalist based in Baltimore, Maryland, and write for many publications including, recently, the New York Times, Sports Illustrated and BusinessWeek. Topics vary, but I have a special interest in the business of sports, sports and law and the role of adults in sports for children.
Until It Hurts took about three years to complete, from my first thoughts about a book exploring why adults are emotionally caught up in the sports lives of kids (and the consequences for young players) to completion of the manuscript. Much of that time was spent speaking with an array of youth sports "experts": children, parents, coaches, pediatricians, orthopedic surgeons, former professional athletes and, my son, Ben. When Ben was 16, he suffered a serious elbow injury pitching in a high school baseball game. It was a classic "overuse" injury that occurs when kids do too much too early in their sports lives.
I spent 2009 speaking about the book in Philadelphia, New Jersey, Seattle and at Little League Day at the Oakland Coliseum a few hours before an Athletics game. Since the book came out, I've also had a chance to write more about kids, adults and sports. See the "News and Appearances" page for links and to check out reviews and interviews.
In the three years that have passed, I have continued to report, write and speak up about the imperfect state of sports for kids. In March, 2102, my book on the commercialization of youth sports was published - "The Most Expensive Game in Town: The Rising Cost of Youth Sports and the Toll on Today's Families." In September 2012, a third book is due in bookstores - "Concussions and Our Kids: America's Leading Expert on How to Protect Young Athletes and Keep Sports Safe," written with neurosurgeon and sports concussions expert Dr. Robert Cantu.
Until It Hurts is my second book. In 1998, I wrote with ESPN baseball broadcaster Jon Miller, "Confessions of a Baseball Purist," Jon's anecdotal and analytical take on the National Pastime. I've been a contributing editor at BusinessWeek and a reporter at newspapers in Baltimore, Dallas, Philadelphia and Norfolk, Va.
I graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and from the University of Maryland School of Law. I am a member of the Maryland Bar.
In March 2010, I was honored as one of 18 Sports Ethics Fellows by the Institute for International Sport at the University of Rhode Island and the Positive Coaching Alliance at Stanford University. Sports Ethics Fellows include nationally known individuals and others who have engaged in developing sportsmanship and honorable competition on a local scale.
I enjoy teaching. I serve as a lecturer at the George Washington University, where I teach sports management and sports law.
My current sports passion is running - I've completed marathons in 19 states, on my way to running a marathon in all 50. I train with a supportive group of friends known as the Baltimore Pacemakers. My greatest pleasure is spending time with my wife, Peggy Brennecke and hanging out with our children (my toughest editors) Eli, a junior at the University of Rochester, and Ben, a graduate of GW.
