"I don't want to play volleyball anymore." Holly Page's heart sank when she heard her daughter speak those words. Lindsay's high school team had recently made it to the state championship tournament. Lindsay was a junior and her role was to come off the bench as a server and defensive specialist. Her mother, though not the coach, was already planning the next year's starting rotation in her mind. In college, Holly majored in PE and played basketball. For the past twenty-seven years she has been involved in teaching PE or coaching at some level either as a volunteer, a part-time coach or a full-time coach. Her background and love for athletics is what made Lindsay's decision to quit volleyball such a bombshell. Forced to examine her own attitudes toward girls in sports, Holly found she could no longer justify her earlier passions. God used this situation to start an evaluation process that resulted in this book. Reflecting upon her own experiences as an athlete, coach and mother, Holly explores questions that are relevant for many others. What are the benefits of playing sports? When is it okay or even important, for a girl to quit participating in a sport? Do girls play sports for different reasons than boys? What potential pitfalls will parents face? What are some helpful things to know in dealing with school athletics? How can a parent communicate effectively with a coach? How should coaches approach their role? Though the focus of this book is on girls, one chapter addresses a few pitfalls specific to boys. Here is a resource for Christian parents (along with daughters and coaches) that is filled with practical suggestions, helpful advice and effective encouragement in navigating the sometimes rocky road of raising not just girls but God's Girls in Sports."
