Raising Empowered Athletes

A Youth Sports Parenting Guide for Raising Happy, Brave, and Resilient Kids

By: Kirsten Jones

Narrated by: Kirsten Jones

Today's youth-sports experience provokes countless questions for well-intentioned parents. How young should kids start playing sports? Should they specialize—and when? What should a parent do when their kid is not getting the playing time they think their child deserves? How do parents encourage children without overwhelming them? And, most importantly, how do we ensure our kids both reach their true potential on the playing field and are well-prepared to be successful in life?

Raising Empowered Athletes has answers for every youth-sports situation with an overarching goal of not only helping parents raise strong athletes but also nurture great human beings who are empowered to succeed on and off the playing field.

Nationally recognized performance coach Kirsten Jones—a former Division I athlete herself—covers wide-ranging topics including the origins of today's hyper-competitive environment, what to insist on for your child’s earliest sports experiences, club and travel teams, best approaches to family conversations and goal-setting, and the transition to high-school sports. Delivered in a conversational and compassionate style, Raising Empowered Athletes will resonate with parents, coaches, and administrators alike.

©2023 Kirsten Jones (P)2023 Dreamscape Media

The type of wisdom you expect to find in a book

For parents who fantasize about their kids being talented and making them rich someday doing what they love, this book offers a grounded perspective. As the author wisely puts it: ‘Raise the child you have, not the child you wish you had.’ A great read—highly recommended if you have kids and love them as much as I love mine.

A must read for parents

A helpful guide on navigating raising athletic kids in today’s high pressured sports world! I loved it!!!

Great insight for stressed parent of young athletes

Great insight for a mom of 3 young athletes. As a previous D1 athlete myself, so much has changed, I needed an experienced friend to share their journey. That’s what this book was for me, a good friend who could tell it like it is. Thank you.

Great, succinct representation of youth sports culture

Great book about parenting through this sometimes difficult process with our children. Her stories were poignant and representative of what most of us can identify with, yet have never put words to. Very accurate rendition of this unique culture, yet she offered a welcoming perspective. She provided helpful tips in a simple, meaningful way.

A must read for every parent

This book has made such a lasting impression on me as a parent, and I draw learnings from it on an almost daily basis, as my son navigates high school sports. As the parent of a relatively “new athlete”, who started sports later than most kids, navigating this terrain has been challenging at times. Jones’s book is packed with relatable anecdotes and down to earth, practical advice that has kept us grounded and most importantly supportive of our son having fun while learning many of the new skills (a growth mindset, resilience, discipline, and teamwork) that will carry him through life. The narration is excellent - Jones’s compassion for her student athletes rings true. Can’t recommend this book highly enough, a must read for every parent!

are you a sports parent? read this, now!

Kirsten's book is a must-read for parents. It's easy to get tangled up in the drama of parenting, sports, and kids. The drama does not help your kid have fun, learn fundamentals, or enjoy time with their friends in sports. This book cuts through all of that and helps you see clearly as a parent on the sidelines. Kirsten reads the Audible version and does a superb job (and I'm picky). You'll also learn some strategies for your own goal-setting.

Eye opening

This was suggested to our swim team by the head coach and wow it was a great listen. It was so helpful to reflect on myself as a parent and make adjustments. I realized there were something’s I was doing as a basketball mom that was not helpful, and possibly even hurtful. It led to a good conversation with my child and adjusting on my end. Happy to say we now have many more open conversations about both swim and basketball and his feelings as well as my support. Highly recommend.

Excellent listen for parents!

Absolutely loved her insights, suggestions and storytelling. This was very valuable to me as a mom of young athletes.

Wonderful book! A wake up call :)

I’ll 100% recommend this book to all parents out there whom have athletes at home.

important book for parents

Excellent book, a must read for any parent of youth athletes. Applies to all ages- from rec to high school and college.