Life Lessons from Little League: Revisited: A Guide for Parents and Coaches

Life Lessons From Little League Revisited: A Guide For Parents And Coaches is far more than a handbook for would-be Little League baseball coaches - it is also a parenting manual that draws directly from lessons learned in Little League to promote a balanced and nurturing parenting environment that helps a child live up to his or her potential. Chapters warn against harmful behaviors such as the "overachiever" parent, the "blame-it-all-know-it-all" parent, and the "unfulfilled" parent, discuss how to teach and promote harmony, and more. At the same time it embraces the dynamics of the responsibility of coaching a little league team, and prepares would-be coaches to avoid many possible pitfalls - as well as preparing parents to recognize a bad coach (bad defined as "a bad role model for the children") early on. Written in plain and simple terms, Life Lessons From Little League Revisited is enthusiastically recommended for anyone involved in the Little League scene, as it covers numerous common issues and pitfalls besetting anyone in charge of organizing and teaching young people to work as a team.

I've read lots of books about coaching at all levels of baseball, but this is one book that I couldn't put down. It doesn't have any drills, but it does have great suggestions for selecting teams. More importantly, it tries to teach coaches and parents to be more mature and to think about the real lessons that we're teaching the kids on our teams (and that they can teach us). If you coach a youth team in any sport you owe it to yourself and to your team to buy this book and read it.

I first purchased this book from the Al and Al Little League clinic. The author gives proceeds to help fund Little League clinics where money is in short supply. I figure, good cause, what the heck. It was like finding a a hidden treasure at a yard sale. Got half way through it and loaned it to our high school varsity football coach, who also coaches 7 and 8 year olds. He was equally impressed. He says it has even influenced how he relates to his high school football players. He gave a 5 minute commercial at our coaches meeting. Every coach left with a copy. I think it will turn out to be one of the best investments our league has ever made.

Baseball is a game. Too many parents and coaches forget this, but kids don't, unless someone - usually a grown-up - makes them think otherwise. I'm glad Mr. Fortanese shared his wisdom and his experience. There's not a single drill, no baseball playing tips, but this is easily the most important book I've read on coaching - and understanding - kids and baseball. I'm very disappointed it's not in print anymore, because I wanted to give it out as coaches' gifts. PLEASE reprint this, and thank you Mr. Fortanese!

This book should be required reading for all coaches of all children's sports - not just Little League baseball. Even coaches of middle school and high school age children could benefit from reading this book. As a mom of children that play Little League, I had always just assumed that because someone was coaching with a respected organization like Little League that they were sensitive and understanding to children, and that they were knowledgeable about how to teach children now only how to play but how to be good sports. Boy, did I get a rude awakening! All children's sports organizations should request that their coaches read this book. It could help the good coaches be even better and some others to understand that their role as a coach is not necessarily to help the kids win, but to help them develop friendships, character and good memories. I would love to give a copy of this book to the person who would have been coaching my child this year if I had not read this book first! Please hurry and reprint this book as soon as possible!!!!!