Problems, comments or questions about this site?   Please email us at  webmaster@coachjerry.com

GoodSports

I am writing to ask for your help in dealing with a serious and troubling situation affecting our children. Ugly incidents in the news recently serve as reminders that there are significant problems in organized youth sports. We hear about the physical, verbal or mental abuse of children, or brawls between coaches, parents and game officials. Unsportsmanlike behavior is becoming all to common these days, even eight year-old kids talk trash. Most of the problems can be traced to the win-at-any-cost mentality of many parents and coaches. Valuable life lessons can be learned from participation in positive organized sports programs, unfortunately, millions of young children are being turned off by negative experiences and many others are learning some very distorted lessons.

As a long time youth coach with a passion for kids, I am trying to counter this distressing and objectionable trend. I have written a book titled "Mom, Can I Play Football?" which stresses the importance of keeping the fun in youth sports and gives coaches and parents advice to accomplish this. Reviews of this book have been very positive. The Mid-West Book Review praised it saying, "This is critically essential reading for anyone who coaches organized sports for kids, the parents of those kids, as well as the school, municipal, and business community authorities who make organized children's sports possible." The National Alliance For Youth Sports said, "Jerry Norton has a clear grasp of what is needed in youth sports today." And YMCA CEO and President T. Wilkes described the book saying, "Children’s sports the way they should be." Net proceeds from sales of the book are to be donated to charitable youth groups.

This book can play a vital role in improving the deteriorating situation in youth sports if parents and coaches read and heed its message. To help spread this message, I am seeking corporate and individual sponsors who, sharing my concerns, will purchase books and donate them to 501-3c nonprofit youth associations in their community through an effort I call GoodSports.

By making this gift, you become a member of our GoodSports team. We will do all the work to make the contacts and deliver the books to the selected association. For tax purposes, donors will receive a receipt from the nonprofit association acknowledging the gift’s value. We ask for a minimum donation of at least 25 copies. The cost is just $6 per book but the payoff for the kids can be priceless. Be a GoodSport and make all our kids winners.

Thanks for your interest.

Jerry Norton