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Overplayed: A Parent's Guide to Sanity in the World of Youth Sports
Should I sign up our seven-year-old son for the travel team? What should we do about our daughter's Sunday morning games? Am I the only one longing for a sane balance between children's sports, family time, and church commitments?
David King and Margot Starbuck offer good news for Christian parents stressed out by these questions and stretched thin by the demands of competitive youth sports. Join King, athletics director at a Christian university, and Starbuck, an award-winning author and speaker, as they investigate seven myths about what's best for young athletes. Listen in as they talk to other parents, pastors, and coaches about the peril and promise of children's sports. Learn practical ways to set boundaries and help kids gain healthy identities as beloved children of Godboth on and off the field; whether they win or lose.
David King and Margot Starbuck offer good news for Christian parents stressed out by these questions and stretched thin by the demands of competitive youth sports. Join King, athletics director at a Christian university, and Starbuck, an award-winning author and speaker, as they investigate seven myths about what's best for young athletes. Listen in as they talk to other parents, pastors, and coaches about the peril and promise of children's sports. Learn practical ways to set boundaries and help kids gain healthy identities as beloved children of Godboth on and off the field; whether they win or lose.
- GenresParentingNonfiction
210 pages, Paperback
Published March 8, 2016
4 people are currently reading
192 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 22, 2017
What a helpful breath of fresh air! If you have any children involved in any sport, you need to read this book, preferably before you start enrolling your firstborn 4 yr old in teeball or peewee soccer.
With three very active boys in sports this fall and feeling the pressure (already?!) to decide on whether to put the 7 yr old in travel soccer next year, I was so excited to see this book reviewed on The Gospel Coalition's website.
I appreciated so many things about this book that I'll just list them in no particular order.
- The authors have experience as an athletic director, coach, and parents of kids in multiple sports.
- The perspective is pro-sports, pro-family and pro-Christian values all at the same time.
- There are no formulas or rules presented as the "best Christian way" to integrate sports into family life; they advocate applying wisdom and knowledge of your individual child and family to any sports related decision.
- The authors are honest and direct about the positives AND negatives involved in youth sports.
- There are many examples of real families which make the book incredibly relatable. Lots of different sports are represented, examples are of boys and girls and stories are told of parents who got it right and parents who really got it wrong.
- There are quotes from professional athletes and other coaches across the country; these effectively serve the purpose of validating the authors' perspectives.
- The authors challenge the status quo on sports in a way that I found so refreshing. I have gotten so irritated by being bombarded by the peer pressure of "when are you doing travel soccer? Come on, you need to do it! The kids love it" nonsense that I just don't want to do sports at all. But this book made me feel like I really do have a choice and whatever decision we make is fine if it is based on our individual child and our family values.
It is unfortunate that the youth sports culture has gotten so crazy. Thank goodness for a book that will help families figure out how to do sports well!
With three very active boys in sports this fall and feeling the pressure (already?!) to decide on whether to put the 7 yr old in travel soccer next year, I was so excited to see this book reviewed on The Gospel Coalition's website.
I appreciated so many things about this book that I'll just list them in no particular order.
- The authors have experience as an athletic director, coach, and parents of kids in multiple sports.
- The perspective is pro-sports, pro-family and pro-Christian values all at the same time.
- There are no formulas or rules presented as the "best Christian way" to integrate sports into family life; they advocate applying wisdom and knowledge of your individual child and family to any sports related decision.
- The authors are honest and direct about the positives AND negatives involved in youth sports.
- There are many examples of real families which make the book incredibly relatable. Lots of different sports are represented, examples are of boys and girls and stories are told of parents who got it right and parents who really got it wrong.
- There are quotes from professional athletes and other coaches across the country; these effectively serve the purpose of validating the authors' perspectives.
- The authors challenge the status quo on sports in a way that I found so refreshing. I have gotten so irritated by being bombarded by the peer pressure of "when are you doing travel soccer? Come on, you need to do it! The kids love it" nonsense that I just don't want to do sports at all. But this book made me feel like I really do have a choice and whatever decision we make is fine if it is based on our individual child and our family values.
It is unfortunate that the youth sports culture has gotten so crazy. Thank goodness for a book that will help families figure out how to do sports well!
October 6, 2018
This is the book I wish I had known about and read while my kids were still in highly competitive, year-round sports. We (thankfully) let them walk away when they said they were done instead of forcing them to continue, but it was a struggle to keep our smile and walk away from it all—but it was the best decision for our family. This book would’ve given us a lot of peace back then, and would’ve made us better sports parents while we were in the thick of it, too. Christian bent, but that shouldn’t deter others from a different (or no) faith, as there’s a lot of wisdom/good points to be made here, faith aside.
August 31, 2024
I wish more parents knew about this book! It is imperative for families/parents to carefully weigh the consequences of youth sports. Many families do, but this book is a unique help as it addresses many myths which are (possibly) operating in the minds of parents. Also, the authors have many helpful evaluative questions for families to consider.
December 29, 2017
It's hard to find books on this topic and I thought this one did a great job of addressing some of the issues facing parents in this society. Thought provoking and well written.
January 20, 2019
A very important read, especially for parents of athletes. Examines various issues in the world of sports and raising children.
November 9, 2022
If you enjoy sports, but the current youth sports stage bothers you, read this!
Want to read
July 23, 2025Balancing youth sports with faith and family.
October 6, 2016
The authors are experienced athletic coaches as well as parents who each have more than one child who actively played multi sports. With coaching & managing their own families' schedules, this leads to their credibility.
The book is written in chapters of common myths or mistakes parents make, true stories, tips to parents, and questions at the end of each chapter.
Overplayed is written from a Christian worldview & highlights Christian values, character building, & maintaining a balanced home life.
Many people would dislike their views. Examples are is the myth that you have to be at every practice & game to be a good parent; young children should specialize in one sport, year round, etc.
I highly recommend reading Overplayed to avoid making lifelong mistakes with our children and sports .
The book is written in chapters of common myths or mistakes parents make, true stories, tips to parents, and questions at the end of each chapter.
Overplayed is written from a Christian worldview & highlights Christian values, character building, & maintaining a balanced home life.
Many people would dislike their views. Examples are is the myth that you have to be at every practice & game to be a good parent; young children should specialize in one sport, year round, etc.
I highly recommend reading Overplayed to avoid making lifelong mistakes with our children and sports .
October 4, 2016
While I agree with several points made (avoiding specialization, busting myths that "you owe it to your child") I'm still questioning several points made about the problem with elite sports. I've seen many benefits from my child's involvement in them. Still considering this one. Definitely left me with a lot to think about.
March 25, 2017
My family and closest friends would have raised eyebrows over my reading a book on sports. As I put it to another friend of mine, my knowledge and interest in sports would almost fill a thimble. That said, I have to somehow emphasize the value I found in this book.
Look at the title and the cover art. Consider it a bit. I don't think I have ever seen such a perfect match to a book's content. King and his co-author Margot Starbuck make a great case for the hijacking of youth sports, the cost to families (financially, emotionally, family values, and family ties), and even the point in time it all began. Don't stop reading here. You must also know Overplayed is not an indictment against organized sports. It is a challenge to parents to know their children's real needs. Plus, it reassures parents who may make a decision that goes against today's sports culture.
The information and arguments are sound. The appeal to parents motivates. And the bonus for me is that none of it applies only to sports. The call for parents to be discerning what their children are actually saying and needing and to be helping their children see what values matter most needs to be trumpeted to every household.
I had some difficulty in the first four chapters as the arguments sounded totally repetitive. They then formed a firm foundation for the last three chapters to build upon. I recommend this for every parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, or guardian as well as the coaches working with the youth.
Look at the title and the cover art. Consider it a bit. I don't think I have ever seen such a perfect match to a book's content. King and his co-author Margot Starbuck make a great case for the hijacking of youth sports, the cost to families (financially, emotionally, family values, and family ties), and even the point in time it all began. Don't stop reading here. You must also know Overplayed is not an indictment against organized sports. It is a challenge to parents to know their children's real needs. Plus, it reassures parents who may make a decision that goes against today's sports culture.
The information and arguments are sound. The appeal to parents motivates. And the bonus for me is that none of it applies only to sports. The call for parents to be discerning what their children are actually saying and needing and to be helping their children see what values matter most needs to be trumpeted to every household.
I had some difficulty in the first four chapters as the arguments sounded totally repetitive. They then formed a firm foundation for the last three chapters to build upon. I recommend this for every parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, or guardian as well as the coaches working with the youth.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews