THE BALLGAME OF LIFE
LESSONS FOR PARENTS AND COACHES
OF YOUNG BASEBALL PLAYERS
by David Allen Smith and Joseph Aversa, Jr.
Reviewed by Theresa Halzle
A Christian Sport Zone Recommended
New Release!
As we enter into post-season when All-Star and tournament teams for baseball are being chosen, and practicing and playing are beginning, a new urgency for wins can be felt on diamonds across this country. A newly released book, The Ballgame of Life, offers baseball drills that double as life skills.
Authored by David Allen Smith and ex-pro Joseph Aversa Jr., The Ballgame of Life is a collection of gems of wisdom that can give a coach help in turning his young players into winners in life as well as in baseball. Divided into Innings, the authors start each with an important and to-the-point lesson called, “Teach Your Players This”. Inside a baseball diamond graphic is a rule such as, “Avoid vulgar language and bad behavior. It cheapens your character and causes others to think less of you.”
Each Inning (chapter) covers a topic, such as “Finishing What You Start” which is found in the Sixth Inning and “Success (and Failure) Leads to Success” found in the Fourth Inning. There are true stories in each Inning that personalize and punctuate the lessons.
The twenty-seven Life Skills Learning Drills introduced by the authors are baseball skills that also have life lessons to them. For an example, The Bat Toss demonstrates “that thinking outside the box or trying something you never thought of is important in every aspect of life.” Then the physical lesson is explained, (Just a portion of the drill is written here, please see Page 48 for the entire drill.) “Hitting the ball well…requires that you ‘throw your hands at the ball.’ …Now have each player take a full swing with good mechanics and release the bat so that it lands in the middle of the field…”
The authors know that young athletes want to have fun, but also want to win. This book really binds these two aspects of sports together, creating lesson plans that speak to both.
This is a wonderful book for beginning as well as more seasoned coaches. The drills are practical and fun, the life lessons are important.
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