BOOK REVIEW: STOP THE TSUNAMI IN YOUTH SPORTS BY V.J. STANLEY
Over the last 20 years, as the issues surrounding youth sports in this country have reached bizarre and at times disturbing heights, there have been a number of individuals who have felt compelled to write books about this national epidemic.
I know this, because I am one of those people. My first book on what was wrong with youth sports, GOOD SPORTS, was first published in 1992. Since then, I have done several more.
But I am not alone in my writing efforts. There have been a number of worthy books on the same topic. Some of these works have merely mirrored what we already know about our nation which seems to have lost its sense of priorities. Other books have pointed out that there are all sorts of studies that show that we’re going down the wrong path with our kids.
All of these books, of course, share a singular theme – that we, as American sports parents, are doing a real disservice to our kids when it comes to sports in the 21st century.
But then you find a book from V.J. Stanley, who brings a breath of fresh air into this very emotional topic. Stanley, a former top amateur athlete himself and who hails from Rochester, NY, has spent the last few years researching and looking for solutions to the everyday concerns of parents and coaches who are involved in youth sports, and he has penned a poignant and passionate plea to right the ship and to get back to what sports are supposed to be about - specifically, kids having fun. Like so many of us, V.J. wonders how today’s parents and coaches seem to have lost their moral compass when it comes to kids in sports today.
Of course, the goal of kids just having fun is not easy to reach these days. Not with parental dreams of athletic scholarships, pro contracts, and the like seemingly right on the horizon. Too much emphasis is put on the rewards at the end, not during the years of development.
Intellectually, we all know that it’s too easy to become caught up with the dream of hoping that our child will be that magical one who will become the next LeBron James or Mia Hamm. Let’s face it – parents are emotional beings, and Stanley makes his case that we absolutely need to maintain our perspective as best we can. Along the way, Stanley provides insights into coping with tryouts, provides coaching tips, how we can instill in our kids a sense of doing the right thing, and much more. Indeed, this is one of those sports parenting books that really covers all the bases.
If you’d like to find out more about V.J. Stanley, or how to order a copy of his excellent book, go to his websitewww.frozenshorts.com.
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