Customer Reviews

Catch a Rising Star: The Adult Game of Youth Sports

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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.

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.

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.

As I read this work my mind went back to the many football games and baseball games that I attended with my sons in their youth and I wondered how guilty I was in pushing my children where they did not want to go in these competitive sports. From birth we teach our children to do the best they can and sometimes we go overboard pushing them beyond their limits. In this book, Catch a Rising Star, we meet Tom and his son Marc who are thrust headlong into a game where winning maybe losing and losing maybe exactly what should happen.
From the beginning of Marc's life Tom pruned him to be a football star, but Tom never considered the factors of life that would play into his decision for the future of his son.
As life progressed, Marc indeed was superior to other children in this game, but Marc lacked the spark that was required to take it to the limit and Tom almost destroyed his son and family by foolishly trying to light the spark that was not there.
In this book our author explores the unrealistic expectations that many parents pile upon their children in sports and the destruction these actions can cause. The storyline pulls you in and craft-fully the author illuminates the part over zealous parents with an agenda of their own play in the life of our children's sports. Often to their destruction.
This is an eye-opening read done in an entertaining way and one that all parents, couches and those who overshadow our children in any competitive area should read.
Shirley Johnson
Senior Reviewer
MidWest Book Review

A MUST READ for every parent/grandparent! The author compels and challenges the reader to look within ourselves to determine what expectations and goals we place upon our children - and most importantly, for what reasons. As a woman, after reading this amazing book, I gained a greater understanding of a male perspective I never thought about before - which is not to say I agreed with it(!), but it was eye-opening. This book is entertaining, educational and thought provoking. Oprah would love this one!

As a sport's mom of three children (ages 6, 9 and 11), I am on the soccer and softball fields for practices, games and tournaments more than I want to admit. My exposure to youth sports began about five years ago. Each year I keep seeing more parents and coaches becoming more vocal and out of control. I don't know where Mr. Albertson (the author) coached, but I can almost bet that he is in my own town, as I think I can identify these characters as people in my town.

Tom Anderson has football ambitions for his son and has a daughter with rare soccer skills. He struggles with perspective and balance in his aspirations. In Tom Anderson I saw lots of good and bad youth parents (including myself). The author skillfully keeps us involved in this family where the dynamics and conflicts of youth sports are played out. Tom Anderson spends about as much time and pages in sex scenes (almost exclusively with his wife) as he does in football. A real interesting combination that Dad's will enjoy reading. A very satisfying, well-told story.

I enjoyed the book.

The pages turned rapidly and I had that air flight moment where the taxi to the gate didn't take long enough and I had to be chased off the plane. It was a fun read. The characters have depth and complexities - not all good or bad. How do you know when it is time to step in and defy "the authority" and when do you continue to trust "the authority?" The story made me ask, "What would I do if I saw this happening?"

I played youth sports with my eight siblings in a small town and I now coach my daughters' teams. I recognize in the characters in the story, the personality of many parents that interfere, support, encourage and discourage young children in their pursuit of fun. At times the book brought knots to my stomach where parents knew what was "best" for their child-- whom was the "best" and was going to see to IT. What do you do if you were that kid? He knew he wasn't. I don't remember any parent stepping in to mitigate the trouble created by a misguided parent. My classmate suffered. Look around the stands, sidelines, and field, What do you see?

The book highlights and focuses the light on some of the most egregious actions that parents take in the guise of doing what is best. I would suggest these parents read the book and see if they recognize themselves. Opps - there is no time for those parents in the long-term plan for idling reading good practice time away.

In the book's case, I want the next book to explore what happens to Marc and his Dad's relationship if Marc becomes the second stringer? Tom (Marc's Dad) couldn't handle it. Knowing what he was willing to do so far to get his soon the "right," the "best," opportunity, what would he do and how would he justify it? That is just one of the many untold stories the books sets-up. Marc's twin sister Katie has her own issues with her Dad's misguided help. Why does Katie always have to help and Marc gets to skip the household chores? I want to know more.

I recommend the book to anyone who has ever watched a youth's game. I am looking forward to the next book.