As father, coach and mentor, Wayne Bryan helped his twin sons become the world's #1 tennis doubles team. His winning philosophy has always been simple: focus on playing before learning, motivate early and often, and most of all, have fun. Now Bryan has distilled his proven formula for success into a unique book that shows parents how to help their kids become champions in athletics, the arts, academia - and just about anything else they chose to undertake. Concise and accessible, this guide is packed with Bryan's trademark energy and common sense tips designed to inspire success.

This provocative critique of the youth sports movement examines the various issues surrounding children in sports and provides a plan for reform based on a change in philosophy and practice. Many American children spend more than 20 hours a week in organized sports, forgoing free time and unstructured recreational activities for the rigors of training and competition. This book offers a comprehensive critique of the youth sports movement, pitting the reality of adult-run sports programs against the needs and interests of children. It examines whether the tradeoff of "normal play time" for structured sports activities teaches discipline and leads to stronger character development, or if the pressures of the game, the physical strain of practicing, and the general overscheduling of children's lives have eroded the benefits associated with playing sports. Educator and former coach Steven J. Overman contends that youth-based sports programs require a radical change for the well-being of the young participants. The book explores the various problems in organized sports, including stress on the family, physical health hazards, violence, emotional duress, elitism, and hyper-competitiveness. Incorporating the perspectives of coaches, athletes, parents, physicians, and social scientists, the narrative scrutinizes the role of adults as promoters and coaches and concludes with a discussion of current and needed reforms.

The 1972 passage of Title IX, the federal law that prohibits sex discriminationin education, was a gamechanger for women and girls in athletics. in the forty years since the law was enacted, participation in sports—especially of girls and women—has grown dramatically. With that growth have come challenges. in Ice-n-Go: A Perspective on Sports and Life, Jenny Moshak, celebrated trainer of the legendary lady Vols basketball team and associate athletic director for sports medicine at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, reflects on the role of sports in society and addresses the high stakes and costs of winning in sports today. Ice-n-Go is a culmination of the breadth of knowledge and unique insight from Moshak’s more than twenty-five years of work in major college sports. in this highly readable new book, she covers social issues, medical concerns, motiva-tional techniques, gender roles and expectations, the impact of sports on our children, and how the body works, heals, and recovers. though she writes on serious subjects in a serious way, Moshak’s tone is always upbeat and positive with surprisingly simple strategies for improving the athletic experience for all, especially kids. An outstanding athlete herself, she shares lessons learned on her own demanding coast-to-coast bicycle ride across the united states. in sharing her stories, sound advice and fresh ideas, Moshak seeks to do for us what she has always done for the players in her care: to help protect, nurture, and grow the athlete who is in each one of us.

"Mommy, I used to be a tall baseball player."Yes, you will be a tall baseball player someday."With a look of exasperation, he stomped his foot and hollered."No! I was a tall baseball player—tall like Daddy!" What was my son trying to say to me? Did he mean . . . he couldn’t mean . . . was he trying to tell me that he was a grown-up in a previous lifetime?At the tender age of two, baseball prodigy Christian Haupt began sharing vivid memories of being a baseball player in the 1920s and ’30s. From riding cross-country on trains, to his fierce rivalry with Babe Ruth, Christian described historical facts about the life of American hero and baseball legend Lou Gehrig that he could not have possibly known at the time.Distraught by her son’s uncanny revelations, Christian’s mother, Cathy, embarked on a sacred journey of discovery that would shake her beliefs to the core and forever change her views on life and death.In this compelling and heartwarming memoir, Cathy Byrd shares her remarkable experiences, the lessons she learned as she searched to find answers to this great mystery, and a story of healing in the lives of these intertwined souls.The Boy Who Knew Too Much will inspire even the greatest skeptics to consider the possibility that love never dies.

Correct preparation is important in all aspects of life, but if you fail to warm up properly before playing tennis it could land you in the hospital for weeks. Just look how often professional tennis players are getting injured—sometimes bringing an early end to a promising career—and consider that these athletes are in peak physical shape. So just imagine the risk you are putting yourself at when you venture out for your weekly tennis match. With images that illustrate the exercises to accompany the text, Safe Tennis teaches you how to avoid these injuries and how to properly prepare yourself with detailed warm-up plans and exercises that specifically strengthen you for the sport of tennis. This includes stretching exercises that are designed by physical therapists who specialize in sports medicine. You will also learn the correct way to cool down after your match because injuries can arise if you let your body cool too quickly. Without the worry of nagging injuries, your time on the court will be that much more enjoyable. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Sports Publishing imprint, is proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in sports—books about baseball, pro football, college football, pro and college basketball, hockey, or soccer, we have a book about your sport or your team. In addition to books on popular team sports, we also publish books for a wide variety of athletes and sports enthusiasts, including books on running, cycling, horseback riding, swimming, tennis, martial arts, golf, camping, hiking, aviation, boating, and so much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

From the successes of such legends as Billie Jean King and Stan Smith to the current No. 1 men's team of Bob and Mike Bryan, the story of how Americans have come to rule the doubles court is a fascinating tale told by a longtime journalist and tennis insider Frost.