Game On

We all want our kids to shine. But here's what you need to know before you push them too far. Much as Fast Food Nation challenged America's eating habits, Game On by Tom Farrey will forever change the way we look at youth sports. In this fascinating journey into a culture gone haywire, Farrey--an Emmy-award winning reporter--examines the bewildering choices confronting the all-stars of tomorrow. He finds 13-year-old figure skaters who have been injected with steroids; 11-year-old baseball players suiting up for 125-game schedules; 9-year-olds with private trainers; 7-year-olds engaged in power lifting; even babies conceived from sperm donated by elite college athletes. Lost in all that ambition is the larger reality: poor showings by U.S. teams in the Olympics, the World Cup, and international baseball and basketball competitions. Drawing on his own experiences as a father of three, Farrey looks beyond the statistics and the studies to the stories of real-life athletes, educators, coaches, recruiters, and parents, seeking to identify precisely what's wrong and what's right with our fevered pursuit of excellence. For any parent who hopes to give a son or a daughter a leg up in this sports-loving nation, Game On is required reading: a surprising, alarming, thoughtful, and, ultimately, empowering book for moms and dads who want the best for their child.Farrey, Tom is the author of 'Game On', published 2008 under ISBN 9781933060460 and ISBN 1933060468.