Until the age of 14, Christine (Maher) Hawkinson was most often found with her nose in a book, listening to music or writing at her bedroom window. She learned to play the game of basketball when Title IX gave her the chance to play the sport she had watched her father coach.

When she married a coach, she sharpened her knowledge of the game and saw the behind-the-scenes dynamics between players and coaches, and coaches and parents.

She thought she was well-prepared to be a sports parent.

But youth sports changed dramatically in the early 2000s. Parents began coaching from the bench as well as the sideline. Kids played earlier and more often. And youth sports injuries increased in frequency and severity.

Everything Hawkinson valued about youth sports was challenged.

When her daughter tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) at the age of 14—the same age Hawkinson started playing—she had more questions than answers.

As her daughter went through surgery and months of rehab, Hawkinson earned a master’s degree in family and consumer journalism. Her thesis “Let Them Play Safe: A Qualitative Analysis of Coaches’ and Athletic Directors’ Stance on Injury Prevention,” provided her with yet another lens to put on youth sports.

Her writer’s curiosity led her to become an amateur sports sociologist guided by academic studies and five decades of personal experience.

Now she sits at another bedroom window writing about the lessons she’s learned about sports, writing, and life.