The basis of the book is Dan Bylsma's life from the time he was born up until 1998. It covers many different aspects of his life. From playing sports to school to attending church. Dan was an excellent athlete (state champion golfer & MVP baseball player in addition to being a very good hockey player) and a good student, while always maintaining his spirituality.

The book also covers some of the problems he faced. One problem was the enormous pressure of following in his older brothers' footsteps. Each of his older brothers were good athletes and great students, as the youngest son it made for a difficult road. Another problem was more specific...when Dan went to play junior hockey in Canada, his first coach/GM started to make overtures to the young boy. Dan solved this by keeping his head together and talking with his parents. Then, after returning home, he realized that his decision to play junior hockey in Canada was the right one, so he agreed to move to Canada (the Bylsmas' are from Michigan) again. This second experience proved to be much better and he excelled. This story reflected the story of Sheldon Kennedy. Dan often wondered, after hearing about Kennedy, whether he would have turned out the same way. Fortunately for Dan, his parents had instilled solid values and a good head on the child, allowing him to move beyond the negative experience.

Although Dan's life provides the basis for this book, the book is truly about how to raise your child. This book provides an excellent tutorial on how to raise a child. Not just a child that will one day play in the National Hockey League, but any child...espiecially one that has a special talent. The lessons from the book can be summed up by:

• "Your responsibility as a parent is to train him (or her) for life..."
  
• "Amateur sports are wonderful opportunities for life lessons."
  
• "Be able to recognize the characteristics that are necessary for a young athlete to make significant advancement."
  
• "Be conservative in assessing your child's potential for the big leagues."
  
• "Academics must be of primary importance."
  
• "The child must learn that the road to the NHL or any professional sport is paved with opportunities disguised as drudgery."
  
• "Be sure the program in which your child is involved is child-oriented not parent/coach/program-oriented."
  
• "Be sure the child's life has balance and proper priorities."
  
• "Avoid any situation where your child is a paper star."
  
• "Don't be a drop-off parent."
  
• "Speak the words "You can do anything you want to' with care."
  
• "Because sports administration is a human endeavor, it is not perfect."
  
• "Be aware that athletic stardom in any sport is a very narrow road with slippery slopes on both sides."
  
• "Be certain the child's goal of playing in college or the professional ranks is his or her goal and not yours."
  

An Excellent Book

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