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i think i’ve decided what my first book is going to be about.
and i can confidently tell you it is not going to be a best seller.
here’s why: the people who need to read the book, won’t. people who know people who should read the book will probably be too intimidated to suggest they buy it. and people who would want to read it are a pretty small group.
i think i want to write a book to parents of young athletes.
tonight i went to two baseball games. the first one involved the 15-year old team that corey coaches. after that one was over, i drove over to where chris was umpiring a game between two 17 and under teams. nothing really happened at either of the games…but i had about four hours to sit and reminisce of my days when my boys were playing.
as a parent of young athletes, i saw it all…felt it all…experienced it all…and lived to tell about it! i’ve had my heart broken. i’ve felt my sons were treated unfairly. i’ve seen my boys through rose-colored glasses. i’ve even written an email to a coach (that i immediately followed up with another one…of apology.) i’ve watched my boys cry at their perceived failures. i’ve listened to them contemplate quitting.
i’ve bit my tongue. i’ve swallowed my own pride. i’ve heard the careless criticisms of other parents directed at my boys. i’ve seen my boys’ dreams crushed. i’ve watched them struggle to reach their potential. i’ve watched other boys succeed at my boys’ expense. i coached both of them a little. i walked away and let others coach them. some good coaches. some not so good coaches. a couple of really bad coaches.
don’t get me wrong. i could fill pages of the great memories…the successes…the moments of ecstasy…the achievement of goals…and the sweetness of reward. i won’t bore you, but if you ask me about it, you better be sitting down!
but here’s where i’m at. with the exception of a handful of prima-donna, elite, over-the-top gifted child prodigies, my boys had the same kind of childhood athletic experiences that most every other kid had. good. bad. and everything in-between.
and i guess that’s the point. there are similar paths that kids walk. and there are similar paths that parents walk. and i think i’d like to help. and i think i have a lot of good things to say to parents.
but here’s a couple of questions for you: have you learned any lessons you’d like to pass on? do you have anything you’d like parents to know? i’d like to hear from you.
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