“Jogo Bonito” as Brazillian professional footballer Pélé said in 1977. Soccer. A beautiful game.
The sport that brings nations together in a celebration of all that is good.
But what is hiding underneath the brilliant, unmarked porcelain veneer of capable coaches, perfect passes, and terrific teamwork?
If soccer is 'just a game' why are so many involved "not playing around"?
With us today is Caitlin Howden, she has been kicking away at the shins of soccer to reveal the nasty truths of extreme training, hyper-competitiveness and problem parents.
She recently released her acclaimed paper - “The Social Dynamics of Players and Coaches in Hyper-competitive U-12 Soccer Leagues in Northern Ontario”, and it has unmasked the ugly side of the beautiful game.
The ImitaTED Radio Hour investigates the biggest and smallest questions of our time with the extemporaneous help of the greatest thinkers of the 21st century.