Sports are an amazing environment in which to raise children. The benefits they gain from athletic participation are many, including physical, personal, and social. Yet, there is also a dark side to today's youth sports culture, as an emphasis on winning has made what was once fun become a burden for many young athletes. As a result, parents can't always be certain their children's athletic involvement will be safe and enjoyable. In Raising Young Athletes: Parenting Your Children to Victory in Sports and Life, Dr. Jim Taylor-an internationally-recognized authority on sport psychology, child development, and parenting-offers a guiding hand to help parents ensure their children's sports participation encourages positive attitudes and promotes healthy developments as they move toward adulthood. The role of parents in shaping their children's sports experience has never been more important, and Dr. Taylor shows parents how to send the right messages to their young athletes with clear and practical advice. Whether playing sports just for fun or with aspirations to play professionally, Raising Young Athletes helps parents steer their children toward a healthy, positive experience. As such, their participation will become an impactful part of their lives that will prepare them to be victorious both in sports and in life.
Jim Taylor, PhD, is internationally recognized for his work in the psychology of sport and parenting. He has worked with junior elite, collegiate, Olympic, and professional athletes for more than thirty years. Taylor is a former world-ranked alpine ski racer, second-degree black belt in karate, marathon runner, and Ironman triathlete. Dr. Taylor is the author of many books, including the Prime Sport series, Positive Pushing: How to Raise a Successful and Happy Child, and Train Your Mind for Athletic Success: Mental Preparation to Achieve Your Sports Goals. You can learn more about his work at www.drjimtaylor.com.
Acknowledgments Introduction Chapter 1: Four Pillars of Athletic Success Chapter 2: Five Obstacles to Athletic Success Chapter 3: Your Role in Your Children's Athletic Lives Chapter 4: Send the Right Messages to Your Young Athletes Chapter 5: Dos and Don'ts for Sport Parents Epilogue Notes Bibliography About the Author
Taylor, a renowned sports psychologist and successful athlete in his own right, offers this useful, modern guide for parents navigating the changing world of youth sports. He aims for "a deep and broad perspective on how to ensure that your children's sports participation fosters nurturing experiences, encourages positive attitudes, and promotes their most healthy development, as both athletes and people, as they move toward adulthood." Each chapter illustrates the path to athletic success through the development of values, a sense of self, and ownership and concludes with Taylor's essential "do's and don'ts for sports parents." In today's culture of specialization, traveling teams, and messages from the media that promise fame, money, and professional careers, Taylor believes that parents need more help than ever to make sure their children's athletic experiences are balanced, healthy, and, most of all, fun. This is an informative resource for any parent and a must-read for those with children already participating in the rewarding and challenging world of sports. * Booklist * Benefits gained from athletics are myriad, according to veteran psychologist Taylor. Physical health, self-mastery, resilience, social and relationship development, and all-around fun are some of the advantages detailed in this manual. Unfortunately, monied interests infused into sports broadcasting have created a celebrity lure that has contributed to parents being more concerned with fulfilling their own athletic dreams through their children. For instance, in 2016, a survey showed that 26 percent of parents believed their children would become professional athletes, creating an industry dubbed the "youth sports industrial complex" and resulting in overcompetition, burnout of youth athletes, and a loss of enjoyment. As a world-ranked alpine ski racer, black belt in karate, marathon runner, and triathlete who works with Olympic-level athletes, Taylor is distinctly qualified to teach parents how to direct their children toward healthy, positive sports experiences. Solid, trustworthy advice for parents of athletes elementary age and up. * School Library Journal * Dr. Taylor's Raising Young Athletes offers valuable information about the important roles parents play and the messages they send while parenting their children through sports. This book will help every parent of a young athlete learn or regain a healthy perspective about how to identify and communicate the benefits of participating in youth sports. -- Ross Flowers, Ph.D., author of Introducing Your Child to Sports: An Expert's Answers to Parents' Questions about Raising a Healthy, Balanced, Happy Athlete Dr. Jim Taylor is one of the top experts in the field of parenting high-level athletes, and his new book, Raising Young Athletes, is a fantastic resource. The section on the five obstacles to athletic success should be mandatory reading for every sports parent. If you want to help your athletes, of any age, attain success in sport and life, you need this book! -- John O'Sullivan, founder of Changing the Game Project and bestselling author of Changing the Game: The Parent's Guide to Raising Happy, High-Performing Athletes and Giving Youth Sports Back to Our Kids Jim Taylor's book Raising Young Athletes has lots of insights for sports parents. His analysis of the current state of youth sports is spot on and he focuses from the beginning on the right question every youth (whether athlete or not) needs to answer: "Who am I?" Jim provides a valuable set of dos and don'ts, including the priceless insight that "children become the messages they get the most." Positive Coaching Alliance is about using sports to develop Better Athletes, Better People. This book is a valuable contribution to helping parents help their youth athletes become both. -- Jim Thompson, founder and CEO, Positive Coaching Alliance, and author of Elevating Your Game: Becoming a Triple-Impact Competitor Raising Young Athletes: Parenting Your Children to Victory in Sports and Life is a one-of-a-kind resource for parents who feel caught up in the rat-race of youth sport today. Dr. Taylor breaks down the science of sport parenting into digestible strategies, and communicates an optimistic message about parents' role in the sport participation of their children. A must-read for parents of young athletes. -- Travis Dorsch, Ph.D., assistant professor of human development and family studies, founding director of the Utah State University Families in Sport Lab
