Carrying Lawn Chairs

There is an obsession with youth sports in the US and around the world. It seems that most parents want to get their kids started in youth sports and other pursuits as early as possible to supposedly give them a leg up on other kids whose parents are also probably starting them at a young age in sports and other activities. A major thrust of the book is that young kids should be allowed to have their childhood and be involved in much authentic and natural play. That's how they discover who they are, and thus are in a better position to meet the demands of the competitive world in their adult years. I think that organized youth sports gets in the way of young kids being involved in authentic play and having real fun. I say a number of controversial things in the book. For example, I think it is dysfunctional for throngs of adults to flock to organized youth sports for very young kids. The kids don't want to be there. The adults are on edge about how their kids are performing. No one seems to be having any fun. I realize that many parents and grandparents and others so want to be at these games, but again, I think it is dysfunctional. Unlike most books on problems with youth sports, I don't say what can be done to improve organized youth sports for very young kids, I am against organized sports for kids under 10 and maybe even 12. I'm not against sports. I'm a big sports fan and follow major league sports. I have a story about a hockey team that played when they youth were in their teens and they have fond memories of playing and even traveling together, but they were older and more able to deal with organized sports and its many demands. I talk about winning and many other things related to youth sports and the many shortcomings that I think are a part of organized youth sports, especially for the very young. I point out that what the young kids really want more than anything is the love of their parents. There are many aspects of organized youth sports that get in the way of young kid being made to feel loved by their parents. In the second part of the book I talk about other aspects of parenting related to various topics, including government education, discipline, morality, excellence, drugs, technology, self esteem, teasing, comparisons, individuality, neighborhoods, word use, and other aspects of society related to raising children. This is a book about youth and sports, but it is more about the parent child dynamic in today's society and the many perils for young people these days. I come to this book not out of any professional expertise, but out of observations made from many years being involved in organized youth sports in many roles. This book approaches organized youth sports from an angle that may have never been covered in any book. Again. I'm not for changing youth sports for young kids, I'm against organized youth sports for young kids. My book is not a how-to book for parents. I don't consider myself a parental guru. My goal is to put ideas out there for parents to run with. I come form the point of view that most parents already know a lot about parenting form experience. I just want to make a contribution to parenting and improving the lives and increasing the happiness of young people. Some may even get upset at some of the ideas I put forth, or at the very least disagree. And I'm not even guaranteeing I'm right about everything I put forth. I just put forth the conclusions that I have made after many years of observation of the youth sports scene and the family and society in general. I want my book to improve the lives of families and young people. One thing about the written word is that it is interpreted in many ways. That is a risk in any book, but it can be hoped that the overall message will get through to most readers. Thank you. Mark Robertson Carrying Lawn Chairs Youth Sports and Other Parental Mindsets