The Sports We Build

What if the problem isn't football? What if it's the system we've built around it?After Nolan's local high school canceled the remainder of its varsity football season because of low participation and injuries, we started asking a bigger question: Is 11-on-11 tackle football still the right format everywhere?In this episode, we talk about declining participation in some parts of the country, eight-player football, the growth of flag football, safety, rural schools and what happens when programs have no option between doing things the way they've always been done and canceling altogether.Because maybe preserving the format isn't the goal.Maybe the goal is getting more kids playing, moving, developing and experiencing everything sports can give them.

What happens when you build something you believe kids will love, people tell you they're interested, and then almost nobody signs up?This week, Nolan shares why the Every Inning League may not happen as planned, and Morgan and Nolan talk about failure, feedback, iteration, and knowing when to pivot. That leads to a bigger conversation about something youth sports may desperately need more of: kids playing without adults constantly coaching them.They also talk about building stronger local sports partnerships, the growth of women's sports, why women's volleyball might actually be the better spectator sport, youth sports oversight, flag football, and giving kids opportunities to discover sports their parents never played.It's an episode about building, learning, changing course, and remembering who we're building all of this for.

Youth sports keeps getting more competitive, more complicated, and more professionalized at younger ages. But are those changes actually helping most kids?In this episode, Morgan and Nolan talk about communication, adult behavior, age-appropriate rules, leadership, and why youth sports systems are too often designed around exceptional athletes instead of the majority of kids who simply need opportunities to play, learn, and stay involved.They also explore Next Level Sports, intramural programs, student-athlete coaches, and what communities can do to create more accessible sports experiences.The bigger question underneath it all: What is the actual goal of youth sports, and are the decisions we're making helping us get there?

Youth sports do not run on schedules and uniforms alone. They run on volunteers piecing together systems, solving problems, managing expectations, and working late because they want kids to have a better experience.In Episode 4, Morgan shares the honest reality of stepping into leadership of a local youth sports league, including the disorganization, inefficiencies, and invisible work involved in getting a season started. Morgan and Nolan also discuss how over scheduled families can make thoughtful decisions about their children’s activities, why parents still need to be the parents, and whether we should care more about kids loving a sport than being great at it.Plus, Nolan shares an update on the Every Inning League and its five-player teams, increased at-bats, parent games, and karaoke. The conversation closes with a leadership lesson every league needs: if expectations are never clearly communicated, people cannot reasonably be held accountable to them.

What if kids aren’t losing interest in baseball because they don’t love the game, but because the way we’ve built it gives them too much waiting and not enough playing?In Episode 3, Morgan and Nolan explore how Legends Baseball is redesigning the traditional baseball experience with more reps, smaller teams, less downtime, and better support for coaches. They also wrestle with a bigger question: Can a for-profit youth sports model grow while keeping kids at the center?

What happens when the youth sports experience you want for kids does not exist? You build it yourself.In this episode, Morgan and Nolan share what they are building in their own communities, from a fun-first baseball league inspired by Banana Ball to rebuilding a volunteer-led youth sports organization from the ground up.They explore why great youth sports require more than schedules, uniforms, and registration software. They require clear values, intentional leadership, aligned coaches, and systems that make it easier for good people to get involved. Plus, they settle the New York versus Chicago pizza debate, at least for now.

Why do the same problems keep showing up in youth sports, and what would it take to build something better?In the first episode of The Sports We Build, co-hosts Morgan Schill and Nolan Recker introduce a different kind of youth sports conversation. Instead of stopping at the familiar symptoms, including parent behavior, coach burnout, poor communication, limited access, and athletes leaving sports, they begin examining the systems underneath them.Morgan and Nolan share the experiences that brought them to this work, from recreational leagues and club coaching to school sports, sports technology, parenting, and league leadership. They explore why meaningful change requires more than pointing out what is wrong. It requires people who are willing to ask better questions, share what is working, and take action in their own communities.