Mentoring Our Boys –

One of the Best Role Models in Professional Sports

I’m currently reading a book titled: How to Raise an MVP, Most Valuable Person (Ambrose and Freda Robinson, Zondervan Publishing House, 1996). It was written by the parents of David Robinson, retired super star of the San Antonio Spurs.

This is how David introduces this book and his parents:

“Families in our society today are faced with a growing number of challenges. Children are pressured daily to try or sell drugs. There is more pressure than ever before to enter into sexual relationships at an earlier age, and they confront crime and violence that are growing at alarming rates. Many parents are too busy living their own lives to make sure their children are living the right lives. Some are more preoccupied with work, hobbies, and self-improvement than with giving their children the quality time they need and deserve.

The family unit is being attached at its very foundation. But without the family, our country has no strength. As the strength of the family grows , so grows the strength of our communities and the strength of our nation. Everything starts in the home. We need to be more concerned parents. Our children need to be more attentive, caring, and disciplined.

My parents laid the foundation. If we ever went astray, they got us back on course. But they were pro-active, as well. Instead of waiting for something to happen, they were active in preventing, directing, and guiding. My dad always had a vision for who he wanted me to be. Parents have to know where they want their kids to go. That doesn’t mean making them into something they’re not, but it does mean giving the kids a direction, a purpose. The parents need a focus in raising their kids.”

I’ll share more from this book later. But I’d like to direct your attention to a webpage that promotes the use of Squires2Knights Ministries resources for youth athletic programs for boys. Check out http://boysyouthsports.com/index.html

Posted on February 6th, 2009 by Jeff Purkiss
Filed under: Fathering/Mentoring, Guy Kinda Fun