Synopsis

What is an athletic star?  Is it someone who wins at any cost?  Is athletic stardom all about the money?  Raising Athletic Stars tackles these questions.  These issues simmer in our national conversation and when they erupt during times of scandal, our cultural attitudes, morals, and status are brought into sharper focus. 2005 has already revealed the continued evolution of sports into a culture of violence, cheating, and indifference. In April a 13-year-old boy killed another teenager with a baseball bat when teased about losing a baseball game. 2005 has also brought us unprecedented greed in the NHL, criminal behavior in the NBA and a shameful denial of steroid use in Professional Baseball.  Every day professional athletes are creating new challenges for parents who worry about their children’s role models. 

Ted believes that by raising a high-profile national debate on sports behavior directed at parents and coaches, maybe we can start raising a new generation of student athletes who respect their bodies, their sports, their teams, coaches and communities.  The best way to do this is by introducing a book that sparks a national dialogue and has the support and participation of outstanding ‘Athletic Stars’.  In this fashion, we call parents, coaches, youth, and community organizations to action as well as all those who have benefited as we have from appropriate athletic encouragement and competition.

This book is different than the dozens of ‘kids and winning’ books currently on the shelves at your bookstores.  Ted speaks directly to coaches and parents about promoting balance in the upbringing of a student athlete.  Athletes, coaches and other professionals offer their experiences and advice from proven actions.  Ted provides stories of solid role models and good examples of conduct.  In a forthright but gentle tone, this book will provide inspiration, guidance and practical tips for every stage of a student athlete’s career. This 200-page book, with dozens of photographs, also provides a journal for recording special achievements and milestones for the student athlete.

In Raising Athletic Stars Ted not only confronts the issue of poor sportsmanship, the notion of winning at any cost, a cheating epidemic, pushy parents, and controversial coaching, but also questions regarding proper training, nutrition and healing. Ted challenges parents and coaches to take action, to promote good sportsmanship and to raise decent, hard working athletic stars.  Ted writes from personal experience after raising two sons who both went on to Division I College Athletic Scholarships, as a single parent.

Ted provides guidance from the playground to the College Level Recruitment process with an in-depth look at the make-up of a star athlete.  Along the way Ted interviews dozens of respected sports professionals, parents, coaches and student athletes for a 360-degree perspective on the care and feeding of a star athlete.  For example, Coach Barry Alvarez of the Wisconsin Badgers - Division I College Football Team says in Chapter 10.  “My trainers can see who is experimenting with steroids – you can see it – and we don’t tolerate it.  We just put a stop to it as soon as we see it.”  This is the kind of message we need at all levels of sports and with all levels of unethical guidance to children.  If Rafael Palmeiro, of the Baltimore Orioles had been given just this sort of example early, as a youth in baseball, it is very likely that he would not now be facing the ruin of his career due to poor ethics and steroid use.

Ted has come to understand first hand that student athletes can’t become star athletes without star support.  Most often it is a team effort between the student, a parent or guardian and a series of coaches.  This team effort ensures that youth athletes have the knowledge, skills, information and support required to get the grades, make the teams and achieve their goals.  Ted speaks directly to parents, students and coaches about fair play, personal responsibility and teamwork.  Whether a child plays organized sports or not, it is these traits that will serve a child well throughout their lifetime.

As a single father and an athlete himself, Ted Dance raised his sons according to his definition of an athletic star.  In response to an overwhelming demand, Ted has chosen to share not only his experiences but those of respected experts as well.  Ted believes that extraordinary talent does not need to be inherent but that it can be developed with proper guidance and encouragement. He believes that parents and coaches must teach children to do their best, play by the rules, and respect their teammates.   Raising Athletic Stars provides just this and much more in a realistic and faith based format.