The Cost of Winning is the story about our obsession with developing specialized, high-level athletes from a young age, and the multi-billion business of youth sports. The documentary takes a hard look at the lingering effects this approach has on young athletes' long-term development.
You won't learn much about St. Frances as an actual school from The Cost of Winning, nor about how their specific neighborhood in Baltimore feels about the team, but you'll probably laugh a little, cheer a lot and maybe get teary at a few points.
Maybe it's unfair to expect what is, in practice, an extended news magazine-style profile to effectively challenge its own premise. It's just hard to see how this series couldn't benefit from a greater opportunity for introspection on all levels.
