Sports Success RX!: Your Child's Prescription for the Best Experience

by Paul R. Stricker

Aimed at parents and coaches of organized sports, this easygoing and friendly guide outlines the physical and emotional milestones that determine sports skill development in youth. Dr. Stricker avoids medical jargon and discusses topics such as unrealistic performance pressure; the ways that body chemistry, thinking skills, and emotional maturity all play important roles in athletic training; and differing developmental timetables for young athletes. He emphasizes that a focus on personal accomplishments is a much more effective than a focus on simply winning. Each chapter provides a questionnaire that gauges a child's readiness for the skill levels discussed.

218 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2006

Reviews

[Douglas Lord · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Superman," writes Stricker, a pediatric and adolescent sports medicine specialist, "didn't just step into his cape--he grew into it." Like the Man of Steel, children gradually mature into superstars when they don soccer cleats, swim trunks, or football padding. Besides being fun, sports boost self-esteem, aid social and leadership skills, and provide an entrée to concepts of teamwork and discipline. Readers are reminded that mental, motor, and visual development as well as chemical maturation affect a child's ability to master a sport; unrealistic expectations and excessive training are vilified, and patience, kindness, and supportiveness are cheerily preached to parents, coaches, and teachers alike. The coverage is not sport-specific but ranges over athleticism, obesity, strength training, and nutrition generally; most content applies to the ten-and-under crowd and recommends "perfecting technique, consistent training, and maintaining good nutrition." Excellent content summary at chapter endings enhances this primer; like Joel Fish and Susan Magee's 101 Ways To Be a Terrific Sports Parent: Making Athletics a Positive Experience for Your Child, this is a good choice.
Find reviews of books for men at Books for Dudes, Books for Dudes, the online reader's advisory column for men from Library Journal. Copyright Library Journal.

[Roxane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful information about parenting an athlete and about the child's different developmental stages as he or she grows. I feel that the information is not only important, but valuable for those who have children, coach children or teach children.
I believe that Paul Stricker just wanted for parents to realise that when their child is playing a sport and seems to not be doing well, that it's not for lack of trying. it could be that their coordination hasn't fully developed yet or any other developmental reason. This is just a clear reminder to love our children where they are at and not to push them beyond their abilities.