Coaching the Dream is a "must read" for any parent who is supporting and nurturing their child on their journey to becoming a successful athlete at any level. Parenting is hard work and often, parents are developing their playbook as they go along. Unfortunately, parents don't know what they don't know and simply loving on your child is not enough to navigate the intricate and sometimes confusing world of athletics. This book is written by Deborah Johnson, a mom who has raised three successful athletes; two with D-1 scholarships and one in the NFL. She has this to say about sports: "In my mind, sports provide opportunities to challenge ourselves and achieve great things, opportunities that we cannot find in any other arena. Most importantly, the lessons we learn in the world of athletics are some of the most easily applied to our everyday lives, making us not just good athletes, but better human beings." Deborah helps parents to understand that no one should care more about their children more than they do. She is a sports parent advocate and clearly makes a compelling argument why every parent should see themselves as an advocate for their children's dreams and well-being. Parents have a role to play in whether or not their child will be able to reach their dreams. They need to be ready to steer their child through the sand traps, detours, successes and failures of following their dream. Parents will need a plan, a dream team, priorities, and a whole lot of patience. In this book Deborah guides parents through her process that led to huge successes for her children and shows parents how to formulate a plan that will work for their children.
About the Author: Deborah Johnson, AKA "DJ the Sports Mom" is an accomplished educator, inspirational speaker, writer and storyteller. She is heralded as a positive force who is sharing her talents with the world-especially parents and young people. Deborah is a sports parent advocate with a passion for supporting athletes and is a champion for heart health and wellness. She is the president of Goal Minded, LLC, which is an organization that reaches out to parents and athletes at all levels to help them maximize their talents; advocate for safety in sports; and helps athletes to get recruited for college scholarships and beyond. DJ was the co-host of the Game Ready Mom radio show (www.blogtalkradio.com/sidelinepass) for two years and is the Executive Director of the Jay Richardson Foundation, an organization she co-founded in 2008 with her son. The Foundation received recognition as an" Organization on the Rise" at the 2011 Unsung Athletes Awards during Super Bowl XLV. Deborah was the 2011 NFL Spokesmom for the Campbell Soup Company's "Address Your Heart" campaign. She won the Dr. Oz NFL Mom Ultimate Health Challenge in 2010 and she was a motivational speaker for Monster DLP where she was named their "Most Inspired Speaker" for 2006. Two of her sons attended college on D-1 football scholarships and her youngest son lettered on the high school varsity track team. She is the co-founder of the Football Parents Association at Ohio State and the only female in Ohio State history to address the football team as a chapel speaker before a game. DJ is the Membership Chair for the Professional Football Players Mothers Association and she is a board member for The National Alliance for Youth Sports. Deborah is the narrator for the Let's Talk Sports video for athletes and parents (www.letstalksports.nays.org). She earned a B.A. in French from The Ohio State University and a Masters in Human Services Management from Brandeis University. She has over 25 years of experience in sports parenting. She is a resident of Powell, Ohio.