The Association of Church Sports and Recreation Ministries (CSRM)
  • HOME
  • Partner with CSRM
    • How to Partner
    • GLOBAL NETWORK PARTNERS
    • MINISTRY PARTNERS
  • SERVICES
    • CONFERENCES
    • CONSULTING
    • CERTIFICATION
    • CONNECTIONS
  • RESOURCES
    • THE AGON INSTITUTE
    • BLOG
    • Book reviews
    • STORE
    • OVERWHELMING VICTORY PRESS >
      • Become an OVP Sponsor
      • OVP Proposal Submission
    • OVERWHELMING VICTORY FLIX
    • DEVOTIONALS
  • DONATE
  • ABOUT US
    • HISTORY AND WHAT WE BELIEVE
    • LEADERSHIP
    • International Ministry
    • Leedy Scholarship Fund
    • JOBS >
      • VIEW SPORTS MINISTRY JOBS
      • VIEW CSRM JOBS
    • News & Updates
    • CONTACT US
    • Privacy Policy
    • TERMS AND CONDITIONS
    • RETURN POLICY
  • STORE
  • Login
  • HOME
  • Partner with CSRM
    • How to Partner
    • GLOBAL NETWORK PARTNERS
    • MINISTRY PARTNERS
  • SERVICES
    • CONFERENCES
    • CONSULTING
    • CERTIFICATION
    • CONNECTIONS
  • RESOURCES
    • THE AGON INSTITUTE
    • BLOG
    • Book reviews
    • STORE
    • OVERWHELMING VICTORY PRESS >
      • Become an OVP Sponsor
      • OVP Proposal Submission
    • OVERWHELMING VICTORY FLIX
    • DEVOTIONALS
  • DONATE
  • ABOUT US
    • HISTORY AND WHAT WE BELIEVE
    • LEADERSHIP
    • International Ministry
    • Leedy Scholarship Fund
    • JOBS >
      • VIEW SPORTS MINISTRY JOBS
      • VIEW CSRM JOBS
    • News & Updates
    • CONTACT US
    • Privacy Policy
    • TERMS AND CONDITIONS
    • RETURN POLICY
  • STORE
  • Login

BOOK REVIEWS

The following reviews primarily reflect a Local Church Sports Outreach Ministry perspective, rather than assessing whether or not the books are delightful or inspirational to read.

Game Plan – Sapphire Lake Series

8/7/2014

Comments

 
By Tim Conrad

If your are looking for a great book to give away to your youth league participants you’ve can’t go wrong with… 

Game Plan is a fast moving and well crafted novel based on the lives of young athletes who live in a fictional southern town of Sapphire Lakes. The plot and intrigue will resonate with any pre-adolescent who has ever experienced the crisis of being popular with peers, felt the pressure of whether or not they will make the team or be cut, relished the early awakenings of romance or the angst of divorcing parents. Conrad repeatedly hits the mark of connecting to the “echo boomer” generation in this first venture of the Sapphire Lakes stories. It is fiction. It is geared for children. It is highly recommended for the 10-14 aged crowd, but parents will also enjoy it, especially if they read a chapter or two each night to their pre-pubescent children. I’m betting the kids will beg: “please mommy/daddy, just one more chapter.” 
Picture
The real genius in this book is how well it paints a picture of how positive youth sports can be when the coach really understands the role and purpose of competition; how to make the most out of both teachable moments (life lessons) and impact moments (spiritual development lessons) and when the parents allow the youth sport experience to be just that, a youth experience. While at first blush this book will be seen as a positive model for how kids should compete and relate to one another, the subtle message of the book is really geared to adults! Conrad’s adult characters demonstrate how great things can be when adults act in mature and loving ways rather than living vicariously through their kids. 

New Concept Found in this Book
All Sport Sunday (chapter 24). A particular scene in the novel describes a church which designates one Sunday each year for everyone to wear the sporting gear of their favorite team and celebrate all who participate in sport – a great idea for an outreach Sunday Service. Anyone playing on a community based youth or adult athletic team would be able to invite their whole team to church for a special service, food and fellowship. 

Catch Phrases Worth Remembering
  • Game Plan – a constant theme throughout the book. Just as players must trust their coach has the right plan for their team, each person can trust God has a plan for their life. 
  • Five small rules (i.e.: being on time) & five big rules (i.e.: its only a game) communicate there is discipline to be learned from the small rules and huge life lessons from the big rules. 

Points of Contention
It is appropriate to write a novel for children that doesn’t delve too deeply into the real dark and ugly side of sin. It is important to refrain from scaring and scarring young minds and hearts and yet it is crucial to not create an unreal, fairy tale world. Conrad balances this well but as the children in his novels age, so can their understanding of the gravity of unwise and un-Godly choices. 

The issue of co-ed sports is never fully addressed. There are problems with this including gender confusion and modesty issues. It would be great if these issues were exposed in these novels. Co-ed competition may be accepted in our secular culture and the novel is certainly representative of society at large but it is hoped the problems associated with mixed gender competition would be brought out in future episodes. 

Recommendations for a Second Edition
Deepen the sophistication of each of the story’s primary characters 

Create even more sporting ethical dilemmas and demonstrate how a theology of sport and competition can bring “overwhelming victory” as juxtaposed with how Humanistically based approaches fail. 

Show how one of “coaches five big rules” (its only a game) realistically plays out when catastrophic injury or even death brings reality into perspective. 

Encourage the novel’s church leadership to embrace and implement a local church sports outreach ministry. 

How to use this book – It is recommended for each church to purchase enough copies to give out to each participant in your youth leagues rather than a trinket or trophy. It would also be a great giveaway for Vacation Bible Schools or year-end Sunday School gifts to children. This book will pay spiritual dividends in each home it is read. 

Thanks Tim for this ground-breaking work. You have created Youth Literature which really understands sport, and mission oriented sports outreach ministry. 

Disclaimer
Uncharted Waters is a Preferred Partner of CSRM. In addition, my daughter served for a summer in Tim’s ministry of Uncharted Waters, I currently serve on the Uncharted Waters Board and Tim and I are collaborating on new projects, including writing projects. 
Comments

    BOOK REVIEW ARCHIVES

    December 2017
    March 2017
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    April 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    August 2014

    RSS Feed

CURRENT NEWS
Visit Facebook for the latest news and views.
PRAYER SUPPORT AND INFORMATION
Visit Twitter for the latest updates and prayer request.
OUTREACH MINISTRY VIDEOS
Visit our new YouTube channel for new training videos for the purpose of equipping the local church to change lives through sports outreach.
CONTACT US
Your questions and comments are important to us. Please contact us  and we will answer any questions you may have!

ABOUT US
Leadership
Strategy
How to Partner
FOUR C STRATEGY
Conference
Consulting
Certification
Connections
PARTNERS
Ministry Partners
Global Network Partners
Preferred Providers
Affiliated Ministries
RESOURCES
Articles
Audio
Book Reviews
Blog 
Devotionals
Store

© Copyright 2019   |  The Association of Church Sports and Recreation Ministries  |  All rights reserved. | PO Box 9110 Canton, Ohio 44711
​Website partially sponsored by:
Author David Waddell | 
www.davidwaddell.biz and
​Amazing Athletes
® Educational Sports Programs in Columbus | www.amazingathletes.com/columbus