Thirty million kids play in youth league sports in this country.

When 30 million people do any one thing, that one thing soon becomes big business. In the past 15 years, there has been an explosion of club teams, private coaching, strength and conditioning gyms, sport-specific camps, and any other pay-to-play endeavor to capture this market. Winter indoor leagues for warm weather sports. Off-season leagues. Year-round this, year-round that.

It is all designed to help kids become high school stars and -- the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow -- help them get college scholarships.

Thirty million kids play, but for a healthy slice of that number, it becomes work.

This is the story of one of them.

For years, the father told his kid's story as a cautionary tale about youth sports burnout.

The kid was a natural. The minute she picked up a field hockey stick, she loved the game, and it loved her back. She ran the field with colts' legs and ponytail flying.

Read on... 

Mark Di Ionno

Star-Ledger

April 28, 2009