Product Description

For the last eight years, Dan Doyle,founder and executive director of the Institute for International Sport, and parenting expert Deborah Doermann Burch have researched The Encyclopedia of Sports Parenting. The Encyclopedia offers prescriptive advice on virtually every issue that confront parents of young athletes of all ages. The research has encompassed an extensive array of surveys with a wide variety of individuals and groups, including present and former athletes; parents and grandparents; non-athletes - and a special survey conducted with 500 highly successful individuals on their views of sport. In his capacity as Distinguished Lecturer for the NCAA Foundation, Doyle has interacted with thousands of student-athletes at the nearly 100 schools at which he has spoken over the last eight years.

Subjects include detailed chapters on issues such as "Playing for a Demanding Coach," "The Unparalleled Value of Team," and "Should My Child Play on a Travel Team?" The text has been reviewed by over 60 distinguished individuals, all of whom have experience in either sports parenting or education.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #679065 in Books
• Published on: 2008-03-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 477 pages

From the Publisher
* Senator George Mitchell calls the book, "A remarkable service to us all."

* Mark Murphy, Athletic Director at Northwestern and former captain of the Washington Redskins, says, "Brilliant...by far the most comprehensive book that I have ever seen..."

* Sports poet Jack Ridl calls the book, "Stunningly thorough...a voice of sanity amid a bedlam of hype."

* Tom Condon of the Hartford Courant says, "The book contains more wisdom about parenting, not just sports parenting, than I've ever seen in one place."

* Novelist Mary Ann Tirone-Smith states, "Brilliant...remarkable...by far the most comprehensive gathering of advice for parents of youngsters who participate in sports."

About the Author
Dan Doyle is founder and executive director of the Institute for International Sport. In his capacity as executive director, Doyle has conceived a number of internationally acclaimed programs such as the World Scholar-Athlete Games, National Sportsmanship Day, the Center for Sports Leadership and the Center for Sports Parenting. Deborah Doermann Burch is a graduate of Bates College.

Customer Reviews

Great book for sports parents and anyone else
Although the title might suggest that this is book is written solely for parents who love sports, that's far from the truth. This is a really good book for parents who are crazy about sports, but also for those who don't know a basketball from a soccer ball. The book covers all of the basics of being a "sports parent," like how to sign your child up for little league and what type of summer camp to enroll them in. For those parents whose kids get more serious, there's plenty of information and advice on navigating high school sports, college scholarships, etc. But most of all, this is a book about parenting. There's a lot of helpful advice on using a kid's sporting experience to teach him or her about hard work, about success and failure, and about competing hard while still treating people fairly. The book is both a practical how-to guide, but also a rich trove of common sense wisdom on raising good kids.

Essential for any parent of a potential sports mega star.
Child Athletes need a brand of special care to be the best they can be - and "The Encyclopedia of Sports Parenting" is here to help parents do the best that they can for their young athletes so they get the most they can out of their hobbies. Covering youth sports of all ages - from little league baseball to college football, nothing is left uncovered. Providing advice on encouraging ones children, and giving them the little extra special things they need in their adolescence to do well in youth sports, "The Encyclopedia of Sports Parenting" is essential for any parent of a potential sports mega star.

The Encyclopedia of Sports Parenting -- A Slam Dunk
Whether you're a student athlete, the parent of an athlete, a sports fan, a fitness-conscious individual, a guidance counselor, a coach, or an armchair athelete, The Encyclopedia of Sports Parenting teems with information for all levels and interests of sports. With great insight and near-reverence for the power of sport not only to change lives, but even more importantly, to change the world, Dan Doyle treats readers to an insider's view of the world of sports, a world to which he's devoted his life.
In conducting the research, Doyle plumbed the minds and expertise of hundreds of renowned and respected coaches as well as student athtletes for information about the college recruiting process, the pros and cons of playing Division I or Division III sports, how and when to talk to your child's coach, sports cmap, and so much more. Open to any page and you will be rewarded with advice, statistics, web information, and a host of resources for athletes playing at all levels in this essential sports guide for parents.
The Encyclopedia of Sports Parenting makes you feel as if you have your own personal sports consultant at your disposal, 24-7, at a fraction of a sports consultant's fee. Don't miss out.

Lynn Hoffman
Mother of a High School 2-Sport Varsity Athlete, Guidance Counselor