MORE THAN PLAY | A Busboys and Poets Books Presentation
Date and Time
May 4, 2025 5:00 pm
Location
14th & V
2021 14th St NW, Washington, District of Columbia, 20009
May 4, 2025 5:00 pm
14th & V
Join us to learn how law, policy, and politics shape American youth sport
Youth sport, it is widely proclaimed, is part of an ideal childhood, and nearly everyone—from the federal government to parents—encourages children to take part. Driven by the promise of better physical and mental health, better educational outcomes, and a better society, tens of millions of kids across the USA participate in this form of organized play. Yet, most children who enter youth sport quit by the time they reach adolescence, often due to injury or abuse, and many more are sidelined by its high financial burdens.
In More Than Play, Koller, Dionne Koller, a leading sports law scholar and policy advisor, delves into why youth sport has become all-consuming, costly, and, in too many cases, detrimental to boys and girls. As a former child athlete and a parent who enthusiastically enrolled her children in sport, Koller stresses: “This book’s intent is not to label youth sport as an experience to be avoided or eliminated, or to suggest that youth sport providers have improper motives. Instead, I believe that once we truly know youth sport, beyond government slogans and romanticized images, we can finally pursue meaningful attempts at reform.”
Dionne Koller is joining us on the Busboys stage alongside one of the nation’s foremost sports law authorities, Professor N. Jeremi Duru. Copies of the book will be available for purchase during and after the event, and Koller will be signing following the program.
This event is free and open to all. Our program begins at 5:00 pm, and will be followed by an audience Q&A. Copies of MORE THAN PLAY will be available for purchase before and after the event. Please note that this event is in person and will not be livestreamed.
We ask that guests RSVP in order to receive direct updates about the event from Busboys and Poets Books
Dionne Koller is Director of the Center for Sport and the Law at the University of Baltimore, where she also serves as a law professor. In 2021, she was appointed to co-chair the Commission on the State of US Olympic and Paralympics. She also has served as chair and a member of the executive board for the Sports Law Section of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS), is a member of the United States Anti-Doping Agency’s Administrative Review Panel, and serves on the editorial board for the International Sports Law Journal. She is a graduate of Harvard Law School. She was awarded the AALS 2024 award for significant contributions to the field of sports law. Her latest book is MORE THAN PLAY: How Law, Policy, and Politics Shape American Youth Sport.
Professor N. Jeremi Duru is among the nation’s foremost sports law authorities. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Sports Lawyers Association and for the Fritz Pollard Alliance of coaches, scouts and executives of color in the National Football League, the National Sports Law Institute’s Board of Advisors, and the LawInSport Editorial Board. He has a particular interest in sport’s impact on society, with a principle focus on racial and gender dynamics. Professor Duru received his undergraduate education at Brown University and then completed a joint-degree program at Harvard University, receiving a Master’s degree in Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government and a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School. He is a frequent media contributor and has provided commentary for numerous media outlets, including CNN, BBC, NBC, MSNBC, Fox, ESPN, NPR, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Philadelphia Inquirer.
