Book Recommendation: Raising Empowered Athletes by Kirsten Jones

As parents, coaches, and mentors, we want young people to succeed. But in a world increasingly focused on rankings, scholarships, and performance, it’s easy to lose sight of what truly matters.

In Raising Empowered Athletes, Kirsten Jones offers a refreshing perspective: youth sports are not just about developing athletes. They are about developing people.

The book challenges us to rethink how we define success. Instead of focusing solely on wins, playing time, or statistics, Jones encourages families to focus on the qualities that serve young people long after their athletic careers end: resilience, confidence, accountability, and character.

One of the book’s most powerful messages is that parents don’t need to solve every problem their children face. In fact, some of the most important growth happens when young people experience setbacks and learn they can navigate them on their own.

Whether it’s losing a game, making a mistake, not making the team, or spending time on the bench, challenges create opportunities to build strength. While our instinct may be to protect young people from disappointment, Jones reminds us that resilience is developed through adversity, not around it.

The book also encourages parents to move from directing to guiding. Instead of managing every aspect of a child’s athletic journey, we can help them develop ownership of their goals, choices, and experiences. Confidence grows when young people discover they are capable of handling challenges themselves.

What makes Raising Empowered Athletes so valuable is that its lessons extend far beyond sports.

Every young person needs opportunities to take risks, learn from mistakes, and develop self-belief. Every young person benefits from adults who value effort, growth, and character as much as achievement.

At Be Kind 5, we believe one of the greatest gifts we can give young people is the confidence to trust themselves. Sports can be an incredible classroom for learning perseverance, leadership, and teamwork, but the real victory isn’t found on a scoreboard.

It’s found in the young person who learns to keep going when things get hard.

It’s found in the young person who treats others with respect, handles disappointment with grace, and believes in their ability to overcome obstacles.

Those lessons last a lifetime.

Kirsten Jones reminds us that the ultimate goal isn’t to raise successful athletes. It’s to raise confident, resilient, and empowered human beings. And that’s a goal worth cheering for.

We at Be Kind 5 are grateful for leaders like Kirsten who are helping shift the conversation around youth development. Her work is a powerful reminder that the greatest impact we can have on young people isn’t tied to their performance, but to the values, confidence, and resilience they carry with them throughout life.

We highly recommend Raising Empowered Athletes: A Youth Sports Parenting Guide for Raising Happy, Brave, and Resilient Kids by Kirsten Jones. Whether you’re a parent, coach, educator, or mentor, this book offers practical wisdom and encouragement for helping young people thrive both on and off the field.

Thank you, Kirsten, for championing a generation of young people who are not only stronger athletes, but stronger humans.

You can find Raising Empowered Athletes on Amazon or at your local bookstore. 📚