Growing Up Young

Youth sports can build resilience and discipline—or quietly erode the very relationships they’re meant to strengthen. In Growing Up Young, Craig Young—father, marriage and family therapist, coach, and consultant—shares the faith-centered principles that guided his son’s journey from youth leagues to college football’s biggest stage and ultimately the NFL. This is not a football strategy manual. It is a parenting playbook for families navigating youth and competitive sports. Drawing from decades of professional insight and lived experience inside the world of recruiting, performance pressure, and public scrutiny, Craig offers practical wisdom for parents determined to pursue excellence without sacrificing connection at home. Inside this book, you’ll discover how to support your child through wins and losses, build confidence without fueling ego, navigate pressure, recruiting, and outside expectations, avoid living vicariously through your athlete, and keep faith and a long-term perspective at the center. At its core, Growing Up Young is about more than athletics. It is about raising grounded, resilient young people prepared for their defining moments—on the field and in life. Whether your child is just beginning in youth sports or competing at an elite level, this book offers steady guidance for parents who want to lead with character, confidence, and purpose.