When getting ready to publish Game On, I sent out copies of the galley to journalists and friends whose perspective I respect. One of the observations that came back was that each chapter could have been a book on its own—the themes explored, and the characters introduced, were often that rich. It’s a comment that resonated with me, as the hardest thing about writing Game On was keeping it under 400 pages.

Which is why ya gotta love the web. It’s a discipline-free zone. On this site, you’ll find the full source notes for the book detailing the research that went into its creation. And here on this blog, I’ll follow up on some of the themes and people that were discussed, using news and other events to stimulate dialogue about what I believe is the least examined and most important topic in sports today.

The coming months are going to be an interesting time. On the horizon are the Beijing Olympics, where the U.S. will have a tough time holding on to its top spot on the medal count. How our delegation fares will offer some fine opportunities to advance our understanding of how well (or not) we’re developing young athletes in this country. Then there’s the usual slate of summer events—the Little League season, the tournaments and camps, the run-up to the high school and college football seasons--that will spark great debates about the state of youth and school sports.

Also, as I travel around the country for my E:60 and ESPN magazine assignments, and for appearances related to Game On, I’ll lay down some posts on what I’m seeing and hearing. If you have a compelling thought, tip or story to share--or feedback on material in the book--please, I want to hear from you. Shoot me an email and maybe I’ll drop it on to the blog.