Customer Reviews

A Coach's Letter to His Son

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This story captures a small part of childhood, but a vital part that shapes us as we grow up. Yet it depicts a multifaceted element: a sport that a child plays in the beginning is always a process of joy because they are learning something new; yet as they grow up, and the sport becomes a more important and central part of their life, it takes on a different nature. The transition period of this unwanted evolution of a pastime is always hard to pinpoint, but it is always painfully apparent when one begins to look back.

All of this is apparent and smoothly comes to life in this book; a book that is not just for a father or son. If the reader can look beyond the immediate roles of the both the father and son, it can apply to anyone and really, anything. I myself was never so deeply involved in a sport, but because of competition entering into a child's life at such an early age, a sport was forever altered to me because of that competition. It has left me with a profound dislike for the sport, as well as general competition. To see all of these elements so neatly and beautifully laid out in this story puts everything into a perspective I wish I had years ago.

Regardless, this book applies to every activity that has the ability to turn competitive, and nowadays, that ranges from traditional sports to the oddest things one can think of. Indeed, it is important to note that the illustrations are also very well done, and they give proper light to such an important theme in our lives today. The only aspect of the story that leaves the reader wanting, as it is with any thoughtful and relevant story, is what happens in the future, what happens to those who take the next step in competition and what happens to those who move on and engage in other activities. It is also important to realize that either path does not always have a clear ending, for there is always time to touch upon the past and find what was lost.

A Coach's Letter to His Son is a short book. I read it in one sitting but I found that its simple yet powerful message resonated with me for the remainder of the day.

Reading this book brought back memories of playing pick-up baseball at my local park, perhaps the most enjoyable time of my youth. Allen's story captures the loss of that simple joy for the game that so many kids experience when they are exposed to overzealous coaches and parents who make baseball too much about winning and not enough about having fun.

The longing to recapture the pure joy of the game of baseball is what makes A Coach's Letter to His Son such a meaningful book.

Beautifully illustrated by John Thompson, A Coach's Letter to His Son is a must-read for parents, players and coaches alike.

This book is an elegant and beautiful account of an experience so common in modern America. Childhood sports are no longer, sadly, about the kids. They are about winning, and nothing else. No longer are kids allowed to experience the game for what it really means, rather they are forced by their parents and coaches to care only about being better than others. This sort of enviroment contributes nothing to children, it only damages their capacity for enjoyment. This book gets at the core of the meaning of baseball and shows that just because the major leagues are a job, doesn't mean that little league has to also be corrupted. Reading this book made me take a step back and see that childhood sports need to be returned to their origin, an origin that was pure; sports used to be about fun, why can they no longer be?

An essential read for coaches of kids or parents, you will thank yourself for reading this book and hopefully realize the beauty of the game once again.