Home Team Advantage: The Critical Role of Mothers in Youth Sports (HarperCollins 2006)

Over the past decade, the stakes in youth sports have reached startling heights; the pressure to win often eclipses the desire to have fun. Sports injuries have increased tenfold; aggression on and off the field-between kids, parents, and coaches-is at a fever pitch; and drug and alcohol use among young athletes is on the rise. While there are plenty of books that help the best-intentioned parent, most of them are written by men, for men. They do not address concerns specific to mothers, nor empower them to confidently step onto the out-of-control playground to assume whatever role they choose-spectator, advocate, administrator, coach, fund-raiser, or team mom.

"Home Team Advantage" is an essential resource manual that will inspire women to confidently tackle some of the issues preventing their kids from enjoying sports. Brooke de Lench authoritatively covers issues ranging from ensuring playing time and confronting out-of-control coaches to countering the "winning at all costs" mentality. Packed with real-life anecdotes and information from experts, "Home Team Advantage" provides constructive, practical, and forward-thinking advice to help mothers understand the critical role they can play in putting the words fun, game, and play back into youth sports.

The Awakening of a Surgeon: One Doctor's Journey to Fight the System and Empower Your Community

Groundbreaking, enlightening, and riveting, The Awakening of a Surgeon is a thoughtful telling of one man's determined belief in the power of change.

Each year, more than 1.4 million youth under 15 are treated in doctor's offices, clinics, hospitals or hospital emergency rooms for injuries. Awakening of a Surgeon is Dr. Janda's fight to make sports safer for children and adults. "The number one fallacy is that injuries are inherent; that they are going to happen no matter what you do," said author and orthopedic surgeon David Janda. "The vast majority of injuries are completely preventable."

In Awakening of a Surgeon, Janda details his fight against equipment manufacturers, insurance companies and the government to help make sports safer. It is an inspirational story that every parent should read and know that one person can make a difference.

Endorsed by Olympic champions Bonnie Blair, Bart Conner and Nadia Comaneci and author James Dodson.

Dr. David H. Janda (Sleeping Bear Press, 2001)

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