Soccer Dad

Soccer Dad is the story of a soccer-ignorant, sports-ambivalent writer who saw his daughter from the kiddie leagues through the travel-sports gauntlet to a coveted Division I scholarship. And then realized his work had only begun. David Murray's daughter, Scout, loved soccer from toddlerhood. Her drive and skill pulled the Murray family into the world of youth sports—one as culturally obsessive as it is economically exclusive, where each new achievement presents more challenges. Youth sports is fun, but it isn't simple—especially for parents determined to raise a rounded human being. In Soccer Dad, David tries (and sometimes fails) to keep his perspective on the frenzied soccer sidelines; in post-tournament hotel happy hours; on the road to college "showcases;" and during soul-searching calls and late-night text sessions with Scout as she navigates the intense pressure of elite college sports. On that journey, David contends with some of the essential questions facing parents of talented children: How do you guide without steering, motivate without pushing, and protect without smothering? And how do you learn from other parents—their good instincts, and their bad? With humor and wisdom and love, Soccer Dad helps soccer parents, sports parents, all parents—to feel less alone, make more conscious choices, and savor our time on the sidelines of our children's great adventures.