Moms & Dads, Kids & Sports


Book Description




Benchwarmer


Book Description

A moving, funny, inventive parenting memoir, written in a surprising form: an encyclopedia of failure in sports What can a new father learn about parenthood from reading sports almanacs? For most dads, the answer to this question is: nothing. But to Josh Wilker, whose life and writing have been defined by sports fandom, all of the joy, helplessness, and absurdity of parenthood are present between the lines. After all, what better way to think about losing control than Eugenio Velez's forty-five consecutive at-bats without a hit? How better to understand ridiculous joy than the NFL career of Walter Achiu, whose nickname was "Sneeze"? In the stories of sports figures large and small, Wilker finds the pathos in success and the humor in losing. As the terrified father of a one-day-old, Wilker recalls the 1986 World Series, when the moment was too big for the Red Sox. When he finds himself stealing away for an hour of alone time, Wilker thinks of boxer Roberto Duran, so beaten by Sugar Ray Leonard that he finally gave up. And yet, even as the frustrations and anxieties build, Wilker remembers Mets pitcher Anthony Young, who broke the baseball record for most consecutive losses -- and never stopped showing up. Finding the richness of life in obscure wrestling maneuvers and pop-ups lost in the sun, Benchwarmer is a book of unique humanity and surprising wisdom.




101 Ways to Be a Terrific Sports Parent


Book Description

The determining factor in whether a child between the ages of six and seventeen enjoys athletics is his or her parents -- not the sport, coach, or team. Yet, parents are often unaware of how their behavior and expectations impact their child's experience. In 101 Ways to Be a Terrific Sports Parent, Dr. Joel Fish, a sport psychologist who is also the dad of three young athletes, shares both his clinical expertise and practical experience to help parents develop a deeper understanding of the many issues that surround the young athlete. For athletes of all skill levels, from Little League to high school, Dr. Fish discusses how to: •Help your child reach his or her full athletic potential •Develop strategies to deal with competitive pressure •Know if you're too involved or not involved enough •Interact successfully with your child's coach, and more With insights into the different developmental and self-esteem issues facing girls and boys, information on parenting a superstar athlete, and special tips for single parents, 101 Ways to Be a Terrific Sports Parent will help any parent make sports a memorable and happy experience for their child.




Grown and Flown


Book Description

PARENTING NEVER ENDS. From the founders of the #1 site for parents of teens and young adults comes an essential guide for building strong relationships with your teens and preparing them to successfully launch into adulthood The high school and college years: an extended roller coaster of academics, friends, first loves, first break-ups, driver’s ed, jobs, and everything in between. Kids are constantly changing and how we parent them must change, too. But how do we stay close as a family as our lives move apart? Enter the co-founders of Grown and Flown, Lisa Heffernan and Mary Dell Harrington. In the midst of guiding their own kids through this transition, they launched what has become the largest website and online community for parents of fifteen to twenty-five year olds. Now they’ve compiled new takeaways and fresh insights from all that they’ve learned into this handy, must-have guide. Grown and Flown is a one-stop resource for parenting teenagers, leading up to—and through—high school and those first years of independence. It covers everything from the monumental (how to let your kids go) to the mundane (how to shop for a dorm room). Organized by topic—such as academics, anxiety and mental health, college life—it features a combination of stories, advice from professionals, and practical sidebars. Consider this your parenting lifeline: an easy-to-use manual that offers support and perspective. Grown and Flown is required reading for anyone looking to raise an adult with whom you have an enduring, profound connection.




Changing the Game


Book Description

The modern day youth sports environment has taken the enjoyment out of athletics for our children. Currently, 70% of kids drop out of organized sports by the age of 13, which has given rise to a generation of overweight, unhealthy young adults. There is a solution. John O’Sullivan shares the secrets of the coaches and parents who have not only raised elite athletes, but have done so by creating an environment that promotes positive core values and teaches life lessons instead of focusing on wins and losses, scholarships, and professional aspirations. Changing the Game gives adults a new paradigm and a game plan for raising happy, high performing children, and provides a national call to action to return youth sports to our kids.




Dads, Kids, and Fitness


Book Description

Now more than ever, American dads act as hands-on caregivers who are devoted to keeping themselves and their families healthy. Yet, men are also disproportionately likely to neglect their own health care, diets, and exercise routines—bad habits that they risk passing on to their children. In Dads, Kids, and Fitness, William Marsiglio challenges dads to become more health-conscious in how they live and raise their children. His conclusions are drawn not only from his revealing interviews with a diverse sample of dads and pediatric healthcare professionals, but also from his own unique personal experiences—as a teenage father who, thirty-one years later, became a later-life dad to a second son. Marsiglio’s research highlights the value of treating dads as central players in what he calls the social health matrix, which can serve both healthy children and those with special needs. He also outlines how schools, healthcare facilities, religious groups, and other organizations can help dads make a positive imprint on their families’ health, fitness, and well-being. Anchored in compelling life stories of joy, tragedy, and resilience, Dads, Kids, and Fitness extends and deepens public conversation about health at a pivotal historical moment. Its progressive message breathes new life into discussions about fathering, manhood, and health.




Happy Campers


Book Description

Audrey "Sunshine" Monke, mother of five and camp owner-director, shares nine powerful parenting techniques-inspired by the research-based practices of summer camp-to help kids thrive and families become closer. Research has proven that kids are happier and gain essential social and emotional skills at camp. A recognized parenting expert, Audrey Monke distills what she's learned from thousands of interactions with campers, camp counselors, and parents, and from her research in positive psychology, to offer intentional strategies parents can use to foster the benefits of camp at home. Our screen-obsessed, competitive society makes it harder than ever to raise happy, thriving kids. But there are tried-and-true methods that can help. Instead of rearing a generation of children who are overwhelmed, anxious, depressed, and who struggle to become independent, responsible adults, parents can create a culture that promotes the growth of important character traits and the social skills kids need for meaningful, successful lives. Thousands of parents attest to the "magical" benefits of summer camp for their kids, noting their children return more joyful, positive, confident, and resilient after just a few weeks. But you can learn exactly what it takes to promote these benefits at home. Complete with specific ideas to implement the most effective summer camp secrets, Happy Campers is a one of a kind resource for raising happy, socially intelligent, successful kids.




Sport Marketing 4th Edition


Book Description

Sport Marketing, Fourth Edition With Web Study Guide, has been streamlined and updated to keep pace with the latest information and issues in the competitive world of sport marketing. This text maintains its position as the best-selling and original text in the field, continuing to direct students to a better understanding of the theoretical backbone that makes sport marketing such a unique and vibrant subject to study. Using the new full-color format and companion web study guide, students will stay engaged as they explore how fans, players, coaches, the media, and companies interact to drive the sport industry.




Overplayed


Book Description

As seen in Focus on the Family magazine. Should I sign up our seven-year-old son for the travel team? What should we do about our daughter's Sunday morning games? Am I the only one longing for a sane balance between children’s sports, family time, and church commitments? David King and Margot Starbuck offer good news for Christian parents stressed out by these questions and stretched thin by the demands of competitive youth sports. Join King, athletic director at a Christian university, and Starbuck, an award-winning author and speaker, as they investigate seven myths about what’s best for young athletes. Discover with them what it means to not be conformed to the patterns of the youth sports world. Listen in as they talk to other parents, pastors, and coaches about the peril and promise of children’s sports. Learn practical ways to set boundaries and help kids gain healthy identities as beloved children of God--both on and off the field, and whether they win or lose. Equips parents with concrete tips such as: Eight questions to discuss on the way home from the game Five ways to ruin your child’s sports experience Dinnertime conversation starters about your family’s values The one question you can't not ask your child about youth sports Key Features: Challenges seven common myths about youth sports Offers wisdom for families on decisions such as choosing leagues and how many seasons to play Author Q&As address parents' common concerns about youth sports Bonus tips and resources for parents, coaches, and pastors Free downloadable study guide available here.




Grace-Based Parenting


Book Description

Discover a parenting style that nurtures a healthy family and displaces fear as a motivator for behavior. Learn how to meet your child's three driving inner needs for security, significance and strength with the invaluable gifts of love, purpose and hope. Modern parents are stressed out and tired. They’ve tried countless parenting books on the market, many of which are harsh, fear-based books that loving parents instinctively reject. As Christians, we frequently believe that the battle for a child's heart and soul is fought on the outside with rigid rules and boundaries, when in fact the opposite is true. Dr. Tim Kimmel, founder of Family Matters ministries, offers a timeless look at parenting. Rejecting rigidity and checklists that don't work, Dr. Kimmel recommends a parenting style that is the opposite, emphasizing the importance of communicating the unconditional love that Christ offers and affirming this timeless message of grace to one's family. In Grace-Based Parenting, you’ll learn: A parenting style that mirrors God's love, reflects His forgiveness, and displaces fear as a motivator Why fear-based parenting is a guaranteed method to set children up for failure How to provide a safe space for children to develop into functional adults with purpose, security, and inner strength As we embrace the grace God offers, we begin to give it—creating a solid foundation for growing morally strong and spiritually motivated children. This revolutionary book presents a whole new way to nurture your family.