SPORTS BOOK REVIEW: GRACIE GOES GOLFING

This sports book review comes via an author’s reading at Annie Bloom’s Books.

Last night author Arran Gimba packed the house.

From his daughters and their friends, along with their parents, they were a dream audience.

What is it about an author reading that gets people out of the house?

Let’s start with the joy of books, the joy of reading.

Add the joy of visiting an independent bookstore like Annie Bloom’s and you’ve got a good night out.

But there’s more.

Mr. Gimba wrote a children’s book about golf.

Kirkus Reviews calls it:

A sure hit for young golfers or any child who shares a love of sport with a special grown-up.”

One Special Grown-Up Children’s Book

I met Arran when I joined the writers for Oregon Sports News, the sports outlet he created and nurtures.

There was something about the way he ran his group that created harmony.

From covering an Oregon Sports Hall of Fame event at the Multnomah Athletic Club, Arena Football at the Moda Center, to hosting writer gatherings at local watering holes, Gimba has the pulse of Oregon sports.

As a Dad, he shares the same enthusiasm with his family, and his extended family.

They all came together to hear him read from Gracie Goes Golfing.

Kids Learn To Golf, Adults Get A Sports Book Review

In the world of people who are who you think they are, Arran Gimba stands out.

His reading drew kids who found books in a ‘reading fort’ beside the audience.

As more kids arrived they were drawn to the kids reading books in the space they created.

I call that a classic ‘Win Win,’ along with a bookstore memory.

Even better was Arran talking about youth golf in the Portland metro area.

As a well-seasoned youth coach with a decade of experience running two teams each season for my kids, I can say this from the experience:

Sports matter more than you’d guess if you don’t have the front row seat to hopes and dreams.

The big kid who didn’t like basketball and the dad who didn’t want to spend time playing with him.

The coordinated kid with all the latest gear because his parents knew he was a budding superstar and didn’t understand the idea of the other kids catching up.

The athlete in high school who succeeded in every sport they tried without mastering just one.

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The big kid got bigger; the coordinated kid didn’t get bigger; the athlete had the best run of all.

And just like you, they all have special sports memories.

Gracie Goes Golfing builds on the fundamentals of sport beginning with a parental interest.

From there it’s all about engagement, education, and execution.

Kids want to learn a sport their parents play. Then they discover their friends play. After that you can’t keep them down.

Whether it’s golf, tennis, running, swimming, soccer, baseball, basketball, football, or wrestling, there’s an activity for your kid. And you.

The interesting part of this sports book review is that Gracie Goes Golfing might be a children’s book, but like all good writing, there’s a lesson that goes beyond the page.

It might be just the lesson for you and your kids.