Helping Boys Who Don't Play Sports Survive Bullies and Boyhood hit home for me. I wish it had been available when my sons were young. I have painful memories of times when one of my sons was up at bat. Strike one. Strike Two. I begged God, “Please let him make contact with the ball. Please just let him make contact.“ Strike three. My heart broke as I watched his shoulders drop and his face look toward the ground as he walked back to the dugout.



At the time, I thought that this was part of growin

Helping Boys Who Don't Play Sports Survive Bullies and Boyhood hit home for me. I wish it had been available when my sons were young. I have painful memories of times when one of my sons was up at bat. Strike one. Strike Two. I begged God, “Please let him make contact with the ball. Please just let him make contact.“ Strike three. My heart broke as I watched his shoulders drop and his face look toward the ground as he walked back to the dugout.



At the time, I thought that this was part of growing up. Had I understood more about the process, I would have handled things differently. Dr. Edgette’s perspective and approach toward alleviating the pain inflicted on boys who are not “jocks” or even slightly athletic are insightful and long overdue. She highlights the means by which adults can help boys make their way through and survive the “all boys must play sports gauntlet.”



Dr. Edgette offers solutions and shows how to rethink and maintain dialogue with a boy who is not athletically inclined. Because this book is specific to boys and sports, it zeroes in on how sports have been but should not continue be a requirement for a boy’s rite of passage into adulthood. I highly recommend this book for parents and counselors alike.