Every Kid Can Win

by Terry Orlick, Orlick

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186 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 1975

Reviews

[Dianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a gem filled with ways to have every child feel a part of the sporting community. Most children desire to be a member of a sports team. That is until they are yelled at for their mistakes and are left sitting on the bench game after game. Only a very few children will become professional athletes. "It is absurd that on the one hand we feel that sports are good for kids and on the other hand we set up a system which eliminates poorer performers, girls, late-maturing boys, kids who are not aggressive enough, and so on." Orlich maintains that it is best to organize school and community sports that teach skills in a fun way, organizing facilities to maximize participation giving all the children the exercise they require for good health and to instil a love of a variety of sports that can be played for a lifetime. Athletes who have attained phenomenal levels of achievement often gained their confidence beginning in games of scrub, shinny, street hockey and other spontaneous back alley community games. There are things in these games which are vital to recapture. Children are perceptive and have a tremendous amount to offer if they are given an opportunity to express their views. The professor designed and implemented a questionnaire to get to the true feelings and perceptions of children. One of the ideas a coach could use in practice is that no one can score a goal or a basket until every person on the team has touched the ball or puck. This gets the more able team members to help the less able children. Keeping more kids involved in a sport throughout their school years and into their adult lives is a goal parents, teachers and community leaders would be wise to adopt. Every kid wins in terms of values learned and individual improvements made. The author is a sports psychology professor who works with Olympic athletes.