Kids Who Tri Transforming Youth and Youth Sports Culture

Social scientist, parent, and sports enthusiast William Marsiglio champions the virtues of an emerging sport, a slice of American sports culture—youth triathlon. Kids Who Tri systematically explores the links between youth triathlon, models of youth sports, and child rearing and coaching philosophies, while offering readers an insider's view of the dynamic youth triathlon community. Drawing on interviews with parents, coaches, race directors, USA Triathlon staff, and young triathletes, as well as more than six years of personal observations as a "tri-dad," Marsiglio shows how embracing the multisport spirit teaches youth key life lessons while empowering them. He also reveals how youth triathlon has the potential to transform features of the American youth sports culture. This thought-provoking book challenges leaders in youth sports and fitness, education, and community development to join forces to make youth triathlon a mainstream sport in our schools and communities.Kids Who Tri answers eight basic questions, which highlight the youth triathlon community and its future:1)How can youth triathlon transform youth sports culture?2)Why should kids explore triathlon when they have access to so many other established sports? 3)Why should parents take the time to learn about this sport and encourage their children to experiment with it? 4)How can parents enhance their children's potential to enjoy and perform well in triathlon? 5)Why should adults volunteer, or make a career out of being a youth triathlon coach? 6)Why should race directors think beyond their immediate business self-interests to stage races for kids? 7)Why should the USA Triathlon (governing body of triathlon) leadership, as well as the leadership of the triathlon community more generally, make a commitment to help kids discover and fall in love with the sport? 8)How can stakeholders work together to expand youth triathlon and convince others that the sport enhances kids' lives?Kids Who Tri highlights the tight web of partnerships that represent the core of the youth triathlon movement, including various partnerships between athletes, parents, coaches, race directors, and USAT personnel. If we better understand the larger cultural and social contexts for these partnerships, we can improve them. If we strengthen the partnerships, we can enhance our chances of energizing and growing youth triathlon. If we help youth triathlon to go mainstream, we can transform how we think about and organize youth sports in general. And if we expand the reach and quality of youth triathlon, we can enrich young triathletes' personal development inside and outside of the sport.

William Marsiglio is a fellow at the National Council on Family Relations and a professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminology & Law at the University of Florida in Gainesville. He has authored and co-authored 11 books, including Dads, Kids & Fitness: A Father's Guide to Family Health.