Be All In: Raising Kids for Success in Sports and Life

by Christie Pearce Rampone, Kristine Keane, Abby Wambach (Foreword by)

Overview

Soccer star and Olympic gold medalist Christie Pearce Rampone and sports neuropsychologist Dr. Kristine Keane share the best practices that athletes, parents, and coaches can use to turn the lessons learned through sports into lifelong skills.

Sports offer a vital path for children to get healthy, self-confident, and social. In Be All In, three-time Olympic gold medalist, World Cup Champion, and US team captain Christie Pearce Rampone and sports neuropsychologist and brain health expert Dr. Kristine Keane offer practical, real world advice on how to handle the pressures felt by youth athletes, parents, and coaches today and provide kids with their best shot at reaching their dreams.

In contrast to outdated adages like "no pain, no gain," the ethos of "be all in" is about being authentically present in everything you do, on and off the field. Through a unique blend of neuroscience, parenting strategies, and wisdom gleaned from the extraordinary experiences of a world-class athlete, this transformative book explains how to create realistic expectations for kids, help them succeed in all aspects of their life, improve game day performance, and reduce the stress of dealing with their coaches, ambitions,and losses.

With invaluable insight into parenting behaviors that may derail children's performance despite best intentions, and concrete strategies for teaching accountability, confidence, self-efficacy, and resiliency, this fundamental guide has tips to support athletes of any age, sport, or level of competition.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781538751725
Publisher:	Grand Central Publishing
Publication date:	08/15/2023
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	518,966
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Christie Pearce Rampone is the most decorated American professional soccer player — male or female — of all time. She is a 1999 and 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup champion, and a three-time Olympic gold medalist. Currently, Pearce Rampone is an active speaker, coach, and sports broadcaster. She is also a sports mom of two girls, and coached professional, high school, and club soccer teams, as well as youth basketball teams.
 
Kristine Keane, Psy.D. is a neuropsychologist who has been working with professional athletes, physicians, and mental health clinicians for the past twenty years. Dr. Keane is the owner, developer, and clinical director of two multi-specialty neuropsychological private practices and a Clinical Director of a Neuroscience Concussion Program at Hackensack Meridian Health. She is also the sports mom of three children, who play soccer and basketball, and run track.

Table of Contents

Authors' Note xi

Foreword Abby Wambach xv

Introduction: Christie's Story xvii

Chapter 1 Giving the Sports Back to the Kids 1

Chapter 2 Communication 15

Chapter 3 Get Your Head in the Game 37

Chapter 4 Accountability 52

Chapter 5 Mental Toughness 70

Chapter 6 Authenticity 94

Chapter 7 The Car Ride Home 111

Chapter 8 Confidence 132

Chapter 9 Beating Performance Anxiety 154

Chapter 10 Concussion and Sports Injury 177

Chapter 11 Slow Down to Speed Up 201

Chapter 12 The Reality of Early Specialization in Sports 213

Chapter 13 Little Sky Blue 227

Appendix A My Coaching Philosophy 241

Appendix B Concussion in the Classroom 247

Notes 249

Acknowledgments 261

About the Authors 267

Editorial Reviews

"An essential manual for a sports parent. It's a compelling look at the role from someone living it."—Forbes

"A terrific primer for both youngsters who participate in youth sports and their parents."—New York Post

"Should be required reading for any coach or parent who wants their child to play sports, regardless of the level. Informative, nourishing reading for parents and coaches and their young charges."—Kirkus Reviews

"Backed by considerable experience, knowledge, and common sense, Rampone and Keane's game plan should be required reading for all student athlete parents and coaches."—Booklist

Normal0falsefalsefalseEN-USX-NONEX-NONEMicrosoftInternetExplorer4 "Expertly written and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, Be All In: Raising Kids for Success in Sports and Life will prove to be an invaluable guide for parents, caregivers and coaches with respect to children of any age engaging in an athletic activity of any kind."—MidwestBook Review

"As a parent, coach, and member of society, I find that we are too caught up in raising our future generation to succeed, and we lose sight of the most fundamental key to success: finding your passion. My parents taught me from a young age that loving what you're doing is more important than winning, which ultimately built the foundation for my success. Be All In perfectly embodies the importance of helping children find where their passion lies and encourages them to build on it rather than focus on the pressure of winning."—Shawn Johnson East,US Olympic Gymnast

"If ever there were authoritative voices in youth sports, it's Rampone and Keane. Be All In gives young athletes and their parents the perfect formula for balancing competitiveness, confidence, and compassion."—HarleyA. Rotbart, M.D., professor emeritus of pediatrics at University of Colorado and authorof No Regrets Parenting and 940 Saturdays

"Be All In is a vital read for parents and coaches. Rampone's success on the field and Dr. Keane's studies in the field combine to create a knowing, scientifically backed primer for those looking to navigate the youth sports world and live to tell the tale."—Ken Davidoff, baseball columnist at New York Post

"Be All In brings heart, hustle, and focus back to the forefront of the conversation in youth sports, in a way that helps athletes develop the inner drive that helped Christie Pearce Rampone become one of the best athletes in the world. This powerful fusion of theory and practice creates a priceless and refreshing view of sports, and how we can guide the youth sports experiences to create champions in sports and in life. I am ALL IN for Be All In and you should be too!"—Dr.Jen Welter, Founder of Grrridiron Girls & first female NFL coach

From the Publisher

2020-06-12
A star athlete provides expert advice for parents and coaches.

In this comprehensive analysis, written with clinical neuropsychologist Keane, Pearce Rampone, “the most decorated female American professional soccer player of all time,” shares her personal experiences on and off the field, as a player and mother of two athletes, alongside coaching tips geared toward young athletes. Although most of the stories involve soccer, the advice is useful for any sport. The authors discuss the importance of having parents refrain from coaching from the sidelines, the idea of signing a mission statement of appropriate conduct for everyone to endorse prior to the season, and the need for open communication on and off the field. They explore body language and how a parent can tell whether a child is enjoying the sport or playing because they feel like they should as well as building confidence, working through performance anxiety, and what to say and not to say on the ride home from a game. Throughout, the authors include anecdotes of young players that bolster their guidance. Bulleted lists and clipboard-type notes are inserted into the text, placing extra emphasis on key points and making it simple for readers to find relevant concepts. The authors also cover the all-important topic of injuries, particularly concussions, and Pearce Rampone shares her own experiences with concussions as well as a checklist of symptoms to watch out for in a person with a suspected head injury. Especially dangerous is “the second concussive blow—more serious injury and prolonged recovery time, sometimes resulting in the loss of an entire season.” As a professional athlete who has been both a winner and a loser and who has played while injured, Pearce Rampone’s counsel on these important topics is easy to assimilate and should be required reading for any coach or parent who wants their child to play sports, regardless of the level.

Informative, nourishing reading for parents and coaches and their young charges.

Kirkus Reviews