Home Team Advantage: The Critical Role of Mothers in Youth Sports Paperback – September 5, 2006

As a professional who has worked with hundreds of youth athletes, I can tell you that there is much more than what meets the eye in your child's participation in sports. The author leaves nothing out and has filled out my knowledge of what a young athlete goes through, how they think, and how we as adults can best help them use sports as a vehicle for growth and learning.I have read a lot of books in this genre and Home Team Advantage is by far my favorite. I refer to it often.Craig Sigl, the teen mental toughness trainer

i got this for my wife. she is already very involved and i thought this would do 2 things; confirm her hard work and appreciation from both our kids and their teammates, myself and other parents by showing how important she is; and possibly give her some additional ideas and support from other moms who put so much time and energy into their kids activities (not limited to sports but things like band, scouts, and other things). we are already doing a lot of things in the book and it is nice to see that she is contributing to the lives of not just our kids, but many others. this would be a great book for someone with small children just getting into sports or other activites to give some insight on what to really expect as far as time and committment, but also what a truly important role you can play in the developement of your children. you can't beat the price and it shipped very quick.

GOOD BOOK

We all hear about the sports moms who spend most of their time chasing after and picking up their kids. But what IS the role of all those mothers of kids in youth sports?In HOME TEAM ADVANTAGE: THE CRITICAL ROLE OF MOTHERS IN YOUTH SPORTS, Brooke de Lench looks beyond the minivan-chauffeuring, frazzled women behind children's athletics. In this culmination of experience and research, de Lench examines everything from when to register kids for sports to how to handle bad coaching situations.This wonderful resource is divided into three major sections: "Part I: The Role of Sports Mothers in the Family"; "Part II: Sports Mothers, Coaches, and Other Parents"; and "Part III: What Mothers Can Do to Reform Youth Sports."Part I steps mothers through the process of getting children started in sports. Knowing what sport(s) to register your child in is just as important as determining a good age to begin. Also discussed are differences between boys and girls, the need for balancing family schedules, preventing abuse, and dealing with injuries and injury prevention.Part II addresses the ever-growing concerns over abusive coaches and parents, as well as ways to handle such situations.Part III gives great tips for mothers (and fathers) to advocate for their kids. Mothers can and should take active roles in their kids' sports. Besides driving and providing snacks, there are many more ways to contribute, even if a mom is a busy professional.The material in this book is concise and well written. Some themes are repeated throughout the book, but these are important ideas that cannot be expressed enough (such as whether the kids are having fun, safety, and so on).While this book is directed at mothers, this is a valuable resource that all parents of youth athletes should have, and it should be required reading for coaches and staff. Do not miss out on Brooke de Lench's wonderful contribution to the world of youth sports.Reviewed by Christina Wantz Fixemer9/26/2006

I heard author De Lench talking on NPR national radio last week about this book and all of the work she has done (is doing) with preventing catastrophic injuries and death of kids in youth sports. I had no idea what I was in store for when I read the book. In fact her advice may just save my kids lives. And, the chapter on Preventing Child Abuse in youth sports is another must read. Again, I now know that the hollering that one coach does to my 6 year old and his team mates is downright abuse. Better yet, I know (from her lessons) how to advocate for my kids to keep them emotionally safe and physically sound. I found her chapter on how to start a new team to be FABULOUS! Bravo-De Lench-You go girl! Kids were being excluded so she rallied her parent pals and started their own all-inclusive group with rules that we all would die for--no bad mouthing eachother, open dialog with the coaches, all kids play the same amount of time (coaches kids included), etc.The chapter on Politics is a must read! And, the one on parenting/coaching girls and theother on how to parent boy athletes is very interesting. The only folks who won't love this book are the bad coaches who are nervous that we all will become so well educated that they may lose their coaching jobs.

When my wife bought this book I was intrigued. I was one of those guys who thought that it was up to mothers to drive their kids back and forth to and from sports, pack snacks and fundraise but that was about it. After reading Home Team Advantage, I realized I was dead wrong: there is a whole lot moms can and should be doing beyond simply chauffeurs; that perhaps if we included womens's perspective, our kids would be having more fun playing sports. I am the director of a youth football league and will encourage all of the coaches to read this book-- simply put it is a blueprint for a succesful season.