Brian Smith, author of several books on faith and sports, runs TheChristianAthlete.com and is pursuing a master’s in theology and sports studies.
This winning book transforms youth sports into a place of discipleship, where parents guide their young athletes to understand it’s about more than winning but growing in Christ, building character and faith together.
If we don’t own the process of discipling our kids as they play sports, sports culture will do it for us. But what if we saw athletics as a way to build Christian character and faith along with physical muscles and skill? Away Game challenges parents to be more than spectators on the sidelines of their kids’ spiritual lives. Discover:
- How to use sports as a platform for instilling biblical values in kids and teens.
- How sports involvement provides opportunities to strengthen your relationship with your child, from car-ride conversations to post-game processing.
- Ways to keep joy, play, and rest in your child’s athletic experience, even at elite levels.
- Strategies for sparking faith-based discussions based on real-life scenarios such as handling pressure, dealing with failure, and fostering teamwork.
- Practical ways to counter the toxic competitive-sports culture as you cultivate self-control, perseverance, and kindness—in yourself and your kids.
Away Game empowers you to take on the role of spiritual mentor in your child’s athletic life, turning every game and practice into a moment of spiritual growth.
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About the Author:
Ed Uszynski (PhD, Bowling Green State University) has done bible teaching, content strategy, and leadership development in sport ministry for over thirty years. He is a frequent speaker on topics of race, sport culture, and marriage.
Youth sports at their foundation are a place where our kids can go to be with friends, learn life skills, and find physical activity they love. Fail. Succeed. Want to quit but persevere. Commit, and sacrifice for that commitment. All the important things in adult life, in many ways, we learn in youth sports. But adults have shifted the priorities. This book brings us back to where we need to be as parents and coaches and where our youth sports need to be for our kids. A must-read for parents.
Dan Orlovsky
Former NFL quarterback, sports analyst
Away Game does a great job of simplifying the ABCs of youth sports for all involved—from the refs and umpires, to the coaches, to the parents. Our society has gone from kids’ unorganized sandlot ball to the highly structured entity that youth sports are today. Some of the change has been good, some not-so-good, but it all needs to be navigated carefully. Brian and Ed’s efforts to help us find our way are a welcome tool in equipping us all.
Mike Singletary
NFL Hall of Famer
Away Game is essential for all Christian parents navigating the challenges of raising children in today’s youth sports culture. Brian and Ed provide a comprehensive analysis of the issues at hand and offer insightful solutions rooted in faith. If you’re seeking Bible-based answers to counter the prevailing sports culture paradigm, this is the book for you. I wish my wife and I had had access to such a resource when we were raising our kids.
George Gregory
Chaplain for the Los Angeles Charges, coauthor of The Marriage Game Plan
