Whose Game Is It, Anyway?: A Guide to Helping Your Child Get the Most from Sports, Organized by Age and Stage - Softcover

Baltzell, Amy

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0618474609 ISBN 13: 9780618474608

Publisher: Mariner Books, 2006

Synopsis

In an era when parents and kids are overwhelmed by a sports-crazed, win-at-all-costs culture, here is a comprehensive guide that helps parents ensure a positive sports experience for their children. In Whose Game Is It, Anyway? two of the country’s leading youth sports psychologists team up with a former Olympic athlete and expert on performance enhancement to share what they have gleaned in more than forty years of combined experience.

The result is a book unique in its message, format, and scope.
Through moving case studies and thoughtful analyses, Ginsburg, Durant, and Baltzell advocate a preventive approach through a simple three-step program: know yourself, know your child, know the environment.
They look at children in age groups, identifying the physical, psychological, and emotional issues unique to each group and clarifying what parents can expect from and desire for their kids at every stage.
They also explore myriad relevant topics, including parental pressure, losing teams, steroid use, the overscheduled child, and much more.
Illuminating, impassioned, and inspiring, Whose Game Is It, Anyway?
is required reading for anyone raising—or educating—a child who participates in sports.

About this title

About the Author

Amy Baltzell, Ed.D. is a former Olympic-level athlete and a recognized expert on performance enhancement.

Richard D. Ginsburg, Ph.D. and Stephen Durant, Ed.D. are directors of the Program and the Performance and Character Excellence in Sports (PACES) Institute.

Richard D. Ginsburg, Ph.D. and Stephen Durant, Ed.D. are directors of the Program and the Performance and Character Excellence in Sports (PACES) Institute.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Introduction: Character Counts A 9-year-old Little League pitcher struggles mightily to hold back his tears. He has just walked a player, with the bases loaded, in the last inning of a one-run ball game in the playoffs. He is close to losing his battle to contain his anger and frustration at the umpires calls and his humiliation at hearing the cheers and jeers of the opposing team. He had struck out the first two batters with ease, but then the ump made a few questionable calls and now its crunch time. His father, the coach, has called time and is approaching the mound. The boy is the teams best pitcher. His arm is a bit tired. He knows the team depends on him, but it is a struggle. He is too young to appreciate that the joy of competition takes place in the midst of that struggle. But deep down he knows he has to dig in, throw some good pitches, and get one more out. The tears quiver but hold at the rim of his eyes. He tugs his cap down low and keeps his eyes locked on his feet, waiting for his fathers words. How can the father help his son face this challenge with confidence and spirit? Young athletes and their parents face situations like this one every day. This Little League pitcher embodies the worthy struggle that every athlete and, in fact, every person must endure: the attempt to master skill and control emotion in the face of adversity. In this way, organized sports give children the opportunity to face challenges that will help them learn important lessons about themselves and the world. Some might hope that this young baseball player will use this opportunity to improve his technical skills under pressure-to gain control of his pitches and increase his ability to change both their speed and placement in order to fool the batter. Others might hope that he will learn something about handling adversity: "No matter what, son, keep your cool and be a man about it. Theres no crying in baseball." Some parents genuinely might not care about the game itself but only about a sons emotional well-being: "Its okay, son. Its only a silly game. Its no biggie if they hit a walk-off grand slam. Dont be so upset." But others might teach the boy a darker lesson- he must learn to do whatever it takes to succeed, to win. "Son, success in sports and in life is determined by the answer to one question: did you win? Thats all people will want to know. Life is unfair and thats the way it is." What, then, is the right thing to say and do? The best response would take into account the childs age, gender, temperament, past history of performance, overall ability, the circumstances of the game, the childs level of fatigue, other problems the child might be experiencing, and his or her current emotional state, just to name a few factors. No magic words will guarantee a triumphant, strikeout performance. In a given situation, a coach or parent might use encouragement, passionate challenge, technical reminder, humorous distraction,

About this edition

• Publisher: Mariner Books
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0618474609
• ISBN 13: 9780618474608
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 336