Catch a Rising Star: The Adult Game of Youth Sports [Paperback]

Donald W. Albertson (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1933538252 | ISBN-13: 978-1933538259 | Publication Date: January 1, 2006

What can drive a parent to sports rage? The Adult Game of Youth Sports Into this maelstrom hurls the Anderson family. Tom Anderson is an obsessed sports parent who lost out on his chance for football glory. He seeks redemption through his twelve-year-old son, Marc, whom he believes is the best youth quarterback in New Jersey. To stay ahead of the pack, Tom designs a demanding four-hour a day training program for Marc. While some would call this abusive, Tom believes he is doing all a father can do to prepare his son for the fiercely competitive world of professional sports. Tom's wife, Maggie, disagrees. She wants her children to just be children, and desperately tries to hold on to her daughter, Katie. But Katie has other plans. She is a natural born athlete, and has talent that her brother would kill to have. But Marc has something that Katie desperately wants more than a life in sports: the love and attention of their father, and she will not be denied..

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

As a youth sports coach, I was amazed by the lengths obsessed parents would go to drive their children to sports glory, or into the ground. Overall, coaching was a very rewarding experience, and the majority of parents were supportive and helpful. But there were troubling moments when normally sane, law-abiding adults would let their emotions run rampant. A referee’s bad call, or a disparaging remark by a parent from the other team and normally reticent parents would erupt into a fireball of fury.

In Catch a Rising Star: The Adult Game of Youth Sports, Tom Anderson is the embodiment of the obsessed sports parent. Not all behaviors can be clearly labeled right or wrong, so Tom's story reveals his motivations, drives, and reasoning. I leave it up to you, the reader, to decide whether a behavior is abusive or nurturing.

About the Author

Donald W. Albertson holds a B. A. in history from Rutgers University. He has done graduate work at Temple University and Westminster Theological Seminary. He lives in southern New Jersey with his wife, Carolyn. His experiences as a youth sports coach serve as the basis for this, his first novel.

Product Details

• Paperback: 252 pages
• Publisher: TurnKey Press (January 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933538252
• ISBN-13: 978-1933538259
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,227,910 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An original and enlightening story, January 18, 2006

By 

Steven Morse (Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Catch a Rising Star: The Adult Game of Youth Sports (Paperback)

Many parents never realize the destruction they cause to a child's growing stages when they pressure them too hard. Unfortunately all too many parents of youth sports players neglect and abuse their children to compensate for their lack of physical prowess or failed dreams. Sadly many fathers of youth athletes are similar to Tom Anderson; an obsessed sports parent who lost his chance at sports glory and is living through the talent of his quarterback son, Marc. By over-training his son and pressuring him to join an elite youth football league, Tom neglects his soccer-playing daughter, Katie who might just be a better athlete than Marc.

One of the first pieces of adult fiction to cover the topic of sports rage and obsessed youth sports parents. The author's characters are true to life and will even have readers thinking of similar characters in their own lives. Nice job Donald.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Compelling, January 12, 2006

By 

K. Titus (New Jersey) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Catch a Rising Star: The Adult Game of Youth Sports (Paperback)

This book is a fantastic novel about the real world of youth sports. The characters are very well developed and I found myself thinking for them as I find only when characters are presented fully. The ending is incredible and makes the whole book worth the read. This is a believable story with real characters and real situations, I highly recommend it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Catch a Rising Star, February 2, 2006

By 

Donna M. Sitko (OHIO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Catch a Rising Star: The Adult Game of Youth Sports (Paperback)

My husband used to coach little league, and I saw many parents as depicted in Don's book. It's a sad state of affairs. Don is an eloquent writer. The story seems to leap off of the page. I'm sure this is the beginning of a magnificent writing career for Mr. Albertson.