Overplayed: A Parent's Guide to Sanity in the World of Youth Sports

by David King, Margot Starbuck

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780836199727
Publisher:	MennoMedia
Publication date:	03/08/2016
Edition description:	First
Pages:	232
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

David King is director of athletics and associate director of development at Eastern Mennonite University and has coached at the high school and college levels. He is president of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference and the Shenandoah Valley Athletic Club, and he is licensed for ministry specifically for itinerant speaking on faith and athletics.

Table of Contents

• Foreword
• Introduction: Why This Book?
• Myth #1: Because We Owe Our Children Every Opportunity, We Can’t Say No to Youth Sports
• Myth #2: My Child Deserves to Play With the Most Skilled Athletes
• Myth #3: My Child Should Specialize in One Sport
• Myth #4: There’s No Harm in Participating in Youth Sports
• Myth #5: Youth Sports Instills Our Family’s Values
• Myth #6: Good parents Attend All Their Children’s Games
• Myth #7: The Money We Are Investing into Youth Sports Will Pay Off
• Conclusion: How Do We Talk to Our Kids about Sports?
• Bonus Tips and Resources for Coaches, Parents, and Churches
• Acknowledgments
• The Authors

Editorial Reviews

Practical and inspirational, Overplayed reminds and reorients us as parents and caregivers to what truly matters: not our children’s scholarships, trophies, or records but the fact that they are God’s beloved children.”

Reviews - Rachel S. Gerber

Every page of this book screams common sense. It’s like a portable parent telling me that I’m not nuts for having questions about youth sports, and that I actually have the power to reclaim my sanity and the sanity of my entire family.”

Reviews - Scott Dannemiller

As a pastor, I have been looking for a resource on sports, faith, and families. In Overplayed, I have found it. The discussion questions at the end for families and coaches in the context of sport and the church are excellent, and I plan to use it as a conversation starter with parents, youth, and coaches.”

Reviews - Ruth Boehm

Good parents who are questioning how sports can build Christ-like character in their children will find practical suggestions within the pages of this book. The authors have done their homework in bringing to light the many challenges that confront families today. I for one am grateful that they give biblical answers as to how to navigate the sports arena in a healthy, selfless way.”

Reviews - Jim Ryun

This is the book for parents of any kids involved in the abundance of activities our culture offers (demands of!) our kids. Overplayed offers biblical and developmental wisdom to enable and equip parents to buck cultural demands and instead help our children grow appropriately into the people God made them to be.”

Reviews - Caryn Rivadeneira

There are so many myths associated with youth sports that we simply accept without thought or analysis as to whether they are actually true. This book is a must-read for parents as it takes a thoughtful, clear-eyed look at those myths and offers solid, helpful suggestions as to how we can, once again, make youth sports about the kids.”

Reviews - John R. Gerdy

I have been every one of the possible roles discussed in this book: professional, amateur, kid who got cut from the team, and parent of children currently in youth sports. Overplayed will help parents currently involved in youth sports and parents soon to begin the journey.”

Reviews - Erik Kratz