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Melissa Jacobs

@melissajacobs.bsky.social

Subscribe (Free or $) to my youth sports newsletter, Good Game. https://goodgamekid.substack.com Check out my NFL work on The Guardian. Stay for my hot takes on Brock Purdy.

1,255 Followers  |  322 Following  |  173 Posts  |  Joined: 21.08.2023
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Posts by Melissa Jacobs (@melissajacobs.bsky.social)

Who thought this was a good idea to share with the world?

05.08.2025 23:32 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

According to this Supreme Court, President Biden's Department of Education was exceeding its power by trying to forgive peoples' student loans.

President Trump, on the other hand, has the power to just completely dismantle the entire Education Department.

14.07.2025 19:35 β€” πŸ‘ 4769    πŸ” 2058    πŸ’¬ 114    πŸ“Œ 140
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Canadian Youth Sports Clubs Reconsidering Travel to Trump's America Trump's policies led to one volleyball club eschewing U.S. travel this year. Will others follow suit?

Sadly, the Buy Canadian movement has extended to Canadian youth sports where some clubs are boycotting Trump's America.

Story in my youth sports newsletter, Good Game...

goodgamekid.substack.com/p/canadian-y...

14.07.2025 19:02 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Canadian Youth Sports Clubs Reconsidering Travel to Trump's America Trump's policies led to one volleyball club eschewing U.S. travel this year. Will others follow suit?

One Canadian volleyball club call just announced it would forgo travel to the U.S. this year. Other clubs are thinking the same.

goodgamekid.substack.com/p/canadian-y...

11.07.2025 17:43 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Good Game | Melissa Jacobs | Substack Helping parents navigate the ills of youth sports. Click to read Good Game, by Melissa Jacobs, a Substack publication.

Navigating a behemoth like youth sports takes a village. Come subscribe and be part of mine!

goodgamekid.substack.com

19.06.2025 21:39 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

🀣🀣

11.06.2025 22:11 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

When I referee, the amount of times I hear youth players say quietly: "Shut up Dad" or "Shut up Mom" when they yell things form the sidelines is almost every time the parent yells.

The players absolutely hate it, don't do it.

11.06.2025 17:55 β€” πŸ‘ 15    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Good for you, not easy for every kid to do.

11.06.2025 22:10 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Bravo. Your daughter is very lucky.

11.06.2025 17:08 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Love this. Sounds like he was the perfect sports dad.

11.06.2025 16:44 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Stop with the Sideline Coaching Already The long-term damage is real.

A young athlete anxiously glancing at their parent in the stands. Lost confidence and joy.

These are just a few of the ramifications of sideline coaching.

goodgamekid.substack.com/p/stop-with-...

11.06.2025 16:25 β€” πŸ‘ 10    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 4
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Can We Please Humanize Youth Sports Tryouts? Another unnecessarily professionalized slice of youth sports. Sigh.

Latest Good Game on the cruelty of youth sports tryouts...and how to fix them

goodgamekid.substack.com/p/can-we-ple...

07.05.2025 16:09 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Ok, football decision. How lame.

05.05.2025 21:42 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0
β€œWhat is wrong with NFL owners, are they STUPID? Deion Sanders was a great college football player, and was even greater in the NFL. He’s also a very good coach, streetwise and smart! Therefore, Shedeur, his quarterback son, has PHENOMENAL GENES, and is all set for Greatness. He should be β€œpicked” IMMEDIATELY by a team that wants to WIN. Good luck Shedeur, and say hello to your wonderful father!”

β€œWhat is wrong with NFL owners, are they STUPID? Deion Sanders was a great college football player, and was even greater in the NFL. He’s also a very good coach, streetwise and smart! Therefore, Shedeur, his quarterback son, has PHENOMENAL GENES, and is all set for Greatness. He should be β€œpicked” IMMEDIATELY by a team that wants to WIN. Good luck Shedeur, and say hello to your wonderful father!”

Trump is now meddling in the NFL draft

25.04.2025 21:04 β€” πŸ‘ 1810    πŸ” 271    πŸ’¬ 602    πŸ“Œ 227

Richard Sherman just doesn’t look right repping the Seahawks.

25.04.2025 23:20 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Enjoying all the Travis Hunter deep dives today.

24.04.2025 19:42 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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The best of emails. #SFB15 🌊🌊

18.04.2025 16:43 β€” πŸ‘ 26    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 4    πŸ“Œ 0
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Good Game | Melissa Jacobs | Substack Helping parents navigate the ills of youth sports. Click to read Good Game, by Melissa Jacobs, a Substack publication.

Haven't promoted Good Game in a while so here I am asking you to check out Good Game and subscribe. πŸ™

Lots of good youth sports convos to be had.

goodgamekid.substack.com

17.04.2025 17:26 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Thanks so much for reading and sharing!

15.04.2025 21:36 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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My Kid, the Athlete and What Else ? A warning.

Kids and parents are increasingly defined by youth sports. What happens when they burn out? Or don't grow?

goodgamekid.substack.com/p/my-kid-the...

15.04.2025 16:20 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1

Insanity!

15.04.2025 03:55 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

She looks like the strongest one out there!

14.04.2025 16:29 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

The ridiculousness of youth sports can be summed up by the fact that we pay gate fees on top of tournament fees without wincing.

Who else is guilty?

14.04.2025 16:26 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Yeah. This is a subscription-cancellation worthy piece and headline.

08.04.2025 12:24 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Survey Says: Stunning Number of Parents Believe Their Kid Might Go Pro Takeaways from Project Play Summit 2025 and the new sports parenting survey.

The fact that 11.4% of parents believe their kid has the ability to go pro underscores so many issues in youth sports.

I wrote on this and more from last week's @aspeninstitute.bsky.social Project Play Summit.

04.04.2025 19:13 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1

Per the just released State of Play Sport Parenting survey, parents spend an average of 3:23 daily on youth sports. Be it laundry, communication, team parent duties, etc.

24.03.2025 20:29 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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The Perils of Club-Hopping in Youth Sports Why jumping ship isn't always the answer even when it seems obvious.

Club-hopping is super common in youth sports. I wrote on the few reasons to leave and the numerous reasons to stay.

goodgamekid.substack.com/p/the-perils...

20.03.2025 16:46 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

That's so sad. Too common. Wish there was a way to remove the kid and just let the dad take swings and try to relive his youth.

18.03.2025 20:49 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

OMG, how did I not list @fitz-ff.bsky.social as no. 1. Totally fail by me. 😳

17.03.2025 17:50 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

My 3 favorite Patrick/Pats.

1) Patrick Willis
2) Pat Benatar
3) Patrick Dempsey

Who are yours?

17.03.2025 17:23 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0