The Final Alone Time, AI High Schools & Girls Soccer

1. Emma Hayes on Why Girls Are Quitting Sports

USWNT coach Emma Hayes has been sounding the alarm about the number of girls walking away from sports. Her argument: we’ve made youth athletics too serious, too specialized, and too adult-driven. Those of us in youth development have been saying the same thing for years. It’s a good reminder that the goal isn’t just to raise great athletes, but it’s also to raise kids who still love to play. (Here’s a recent Instagram clip.)​

2. The Crash (Netflix)

This documentary is almost as unbelievable as Abducted in Plain Sight. Beyond the wild story, it’s a sobering look at the world our teenagers are navigating with alcohol, social pressure, identity, and the ever-present pull of social media. Worth watching, especially if you have older kids.

3. The First AI High School​

A New York Times reporter visited Seckinger High School here in Georgia, billed as America’s first “AI-themed” high school. The surprising takeaway? The AI was mostly marketing. Students said the real difference came from engaged teachers and a strong school culture. Still, every school is wrestling with how AI fits into education, and it’s a fascinating glimpse of what’s coming.

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“Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.”
— Dr. Seuss (from The Lorax)

“Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you’ll look back and realize they were the big things.”
— Robert Brault

Alone Time

Tomorrow we leave for a quick trip to New York City with just our oldest son. Two days. Just him and my wife and me.

The last bit of alone time before he heads out into the world.

Sheesh. I almost cried writing that.

In a big family, the challenge usually isn’t love. It’s making sure every kid feels specifically seen, valued for their gifts, their quirks, their weirdness.

One way we’ve tried to do that is something we simply call “alone time.”

Since they were little, we’ve protected it. Sometimes it was nothing more than ten minutes wrestling on the bed, a walk to the park, or lying on the trampoline together. Small moments where one child had our full attention.

But we also built in a few bigger traditions.

When each kid turned ten, we took a short trip with just the birthday kid. Both parents, no siblings. Nothing extravagant. Just a day or two built entirely around them. To this day, every one of them still names that trip as a favorite memory.

And tomorrow, we add one more tradition: A final alone time as a kid. The summer after high school graduation, before college or work or whatever comes next.

Eight weeks until he leaves home. But for two days, it’s just us and our oldest.

And if I’m honest, this last one might be more for us than for him.

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Thanks for reading, dads.

Let’s make this time count!