I am a baseball fan. More so than just a baseball fan I am a huge St. Louis Cardinals fan. Some of my earliest memories are watching the Cardinals play. I remember watching them beat the Brewers in game seven to win the World Series. That being said, when Mike Matheny was named manager of the Cardinals after Tony La Russa retired, I scratched my head in confusion. I get it now.
Mike tells his story of taking over a little league team and the infamous letter he wrote and read to the parents of this team. It’s amazing to think that a man went from coaching little league-rs to coaching big league-rs in just a matter of years. Mike shares some of his personal story of succeeding in baseball as a tool to share wisdom about sports and life in general. His throwback and unconventional approach yielded the results he promised.
Mike shares some great advice for parents, coaches and kids developing in youth sports. He also gives 8 keys to success. Nothing in this book was new or mind-blowing to me. I did find the book to be down to earth and an easy read. Baseball fans should definitely enjoy the book. I found myself laughing at times and tearing up at others.
My personal favorite take away was Mike talking about how parents need to be silent and supportive in the stands while watching their children play sports.It made me think how we have it reversed in life. We are loud and vocal in the stand but silent at home when it comes to faith matters. The opposite should be true.
If you’re a parent, baseball fan, youth coach, or mentor I highly suggest this book.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for my review.