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The Big Kid and Basketball: ... and the lessons he taught his Father and Coach
The story of a child who overcame the impact of bullying through resilience, sports and love and how he taught his dad courage and determination.
Written by a healthcare leader, coach, husband and father.
Written by a healthcare leader, coach, husband and father.
233 pages, Paperback
Published October 18, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 26, 2022
I enjoyed reading this book very much. So many wonderful take-away lessons to gain!
Coaches have the ability to leave huge impacts on the people they work with, on and OFF the court as well. What children learn in team sports can be carried long into their adult lives. I was blessed to have many great coaches impact my life for the better while playing various team sports throughout my high-school years.
As an fellow emotional introvert, I related to the authors feelings very much through this story. Like him, I often internalize all my failures more often then I should and sometimes because of it I don’t always see my wins. I think this book is very refreshing because it serves as a good reminder to not focus on our shortcomings, proved by a scene in the book where a dad tells the coach that he failed to protect his son’s psyche during a game. That conversation stuck with the coach for years and he continued remember it. When that same parent runs into the coach at a party and tells him nothing but praise about how he was a wonderful coach, the coach was floored.
We need to remember that all we can do is our best- and if we do just that, we are bound to succeed even in areas we may be unaware of. So much of this rings true as parents as well. Sometimes it’s hard to not focus on our short-comings. We need to remember to keep working hard and doing our best and we will continue to improve and leave positive impact in our family members lives.
Coaches have the ability to leave huge impacts on the people they work with, on and OFF the court as well. What children learn in team sports can be carried long into their adult lives. I was blessed to have many great coaches impact my life for the better while playing various team sports throughout my high-school years.
As an fellow emotional introvert, I related to the authors feelings very much through this story. Like him, I often internalize all my failures more often then I should and sometimes because of it I don’t always see my wins. I think this book is very refreshing because it serves as a good reminder to not focus on our shortcomings, proved by a scene in the book where a dad tells the coach that he failed to protect his son’s psyche during a game. That conversation stuck with the coach for years and he continued remember it. When that same parent runs into the coach at a party and tells him nothing but praise about how he was a wonderful coach, the coach was floored.
We need to remember that all we can do is our best- and if we do just that, we are bound to succeed even in areas we may be unaware of. So much of this rings true as parents as well. Sometimes it’s hard to not focus on our short-comings. We need to remember to keep working hard and doing our best and we will continue to improve and leave positive impact in our family members lives.
November 3, 2018
An inspiring read for anyone
This well written book would be a perfect read for a new youth sports coach and would prepare them well for the road ahead. Following Tom's journey through first season assistant coaching all the way to being a head coach himself was an interesting read.
The book is however about more than just coaching basketball, it sheds a lot of much needed light on the destructive effects of bullying. As one who was viciously bullied all throughout my own youth, by both peers and coaches, as I read, I kept saying to myself "I really needed a Coach Dahlborg when I was young."
I have known Tom for almost 34 years and I have known Tommy aka "The Big Kid" since he was born as well as Samantha and Haylee who are becoming powerhouses of their own in changing our world for the better.
For me, knowing the family quite well, I came away with the feeling that our world would be a lot better off with many more "Coach Toms" who just want to get involved and make a difference.
This well written book would be a perfect read for a new youth sports coach and would prepare them well for the road ahead. Following Tom's journey through first season assistant coaching all the way to being a head coach himself was an interesting read.
The book is however about more than just coaching basketball, it sheds a lot of much needed light on the destructive effects of bullying. As one who was viciously bullied all throughout my own youth, by both peers and coaches, as I read, I kept saying to myself "I really needed a Coach Dahlborg when I was young."
I have known Tom for almost 34 years and I have known Tommy aka "The Big Kid" since he was born as well as Samantha and Haylee who are becoming powerhouses of their own in changing our world for the better.
For me, knowing the family quite well, I came away with the feeling that our world would be a lot better off with many more "Coach Toms" who just want to get involved and make a difference.
March 22, 2019
I have known Tom for a few years now — virtually, via phone and email. We have not met in person yet. However, after reading his book, I feel like I got to know Tom at a whole new level! His writing style transported me into the story in such way that I felt as if I was one of the spectators cheering on his team — his boys — at their games.
Tom’s humility, his willingness to learn from others and mine for life’s insights through the game of basketball and his fellow coaches and the players, was a life lesson in itself for me.
The book is a quick read; I didn’t want to put it down. Over the course of just a few hours, I emerged from Tom’s story buoyed up, more optimistic, and with a renewed perspective on the difference each of us can make in the world and lives around us. How the ordinary moments like a basketball practice or game can have such a profound and positive impact on the lives of young people — and their coach.
Thank you Tom for not only touching the hearts and lives of the teams you coached in the past but for doing so for me as well!
Tom’s humility, his willingness to learn from others and mine for life’s insights through the game of basketball and his fellow coaches and the players, was a life lesson in itself for me.
The book is a quick read; I didn’t want to put it down. Over the course of just a few hours, I emerged from Tom’s story buoyed up, more optimistic, and with a renewed perspective on the difference each of us can make in the world and lives around us. How the ordinary moments like a basketball practice or game can have such a profound and positive impact on the lives of young people — and their coach.
Thank you Tom for not only touching the hearts and lives of the teams you coached in the past but for doing so for me as well!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews