Father’s Day Books from Simon & Schuster

Parents Behaving Badly – by Scott Gummer

An overzealous parent screaming on the side of the little league field is an iconic image of kid’s sports in America today.  Scott Gummer analyzes how parents navigate the complex emotions that are tied to youth sports today with shocking wit, humor, and truth in his book, “Parents Behaving Badly”.

The book is centered around Ben and Jili Holden whose lives take a surprising turn when Ben is challenged to coach his sons little league team, following in the footsteps of his iconic father known notoriously around their small community as Couch.

As Ben struggles between coming to terms with his past relationship with his father, and his new role as parent coach he encounters both the joys and horrors that make up youth sports in America. Besides being laugh-out-loud hilarious, the book takes a frank look at urban America and the struggles parents face growing up along side their children.

Scott Gummer has three other published books and has written for Vanity Fair, Sports Illustrated and Fortune Magazine along with others, and demonstrates the strength and skill of his writing by capturing characters so realistic you can see them on the side of the field.  A great summer read, it will keep you laughing and remembering till the very last pitch.

Life Is Yours to Win – by Augie Garrido

Inspiration comes from the strangest of sources.  As parents we seek inspiration from other Moms, Dads, Television, Internet, basically wherever we can find it.  Famous actor Kevin Costner got his inspiration from his college’s baseball coach, a coach for a team he never played for.

Augie Garrido, known as the “winningest coach in NCAA division I history” is the new author to “Life is yours to Win: Lessons Forged From the Purpose, Passion and Magic of Baseball” with a heartwarming introduction done by Kevin Costner.

The book analyzes the impact baseball has on life, and the lessons Garrido has learned over the years of educating Americas youth in the game.

Garrido has coached baseball teams to more victories then any other coach in any sport in NCAA Division I history and has won more Coach of the Year awards than any other college coach in the history of the game.  Despite this impressive resume, Garrido has a simple philosophy of playing the game; play like you would live life.  He focuses his team on developing character, being good teammates and people first and finding simple joy in playing the game.

His advice transfers both on and off the field making it an interesting and inspiration read for both players and Moms alike.

Disclosure: The Dad Lens received these books to facilitate this review.

Mom Central