2010
June 3 (upcoming event)
Tom will present at the annual national conference for the American College of Sports Medicine, in Baltimore, Md. He has been invited to speak on a panel on youth sports.
June 24 (upcoming event)
Tom will serve as master of ceremonies of the inaugural Sports Hall of Fame induction event for Phi Delta Theta, at the college fraternity's annual convention in Orlando, Fla.
January 23
Game On cited in lifestyle piece that ran in Toronto Sun, Ottowa Sun, Calgary Sun and other Canadian newspapers. Read
2009
October 16
Tom speaks at the Department of Tourism, Recreation and Sport Management at the University of Florida, one of the colleges where Game On has been adopted as a required text. The Gainesville Sun previewed the appearance with a profile, and covered the event. The Independent Florida Alligator, the student newspaper, also published a news story.
August 4
Publication of paperback version of book, with a new subtitle, Game On: How the Pressure to Win At All Costs Endangers Youth Sports and What Parents Can Do About It. The paperback includes a new prologue, tips for parents, and updated reporting.
July
In the official publication of the American Volleyball Coaches Association, Game On is one of two books recommended for reading by executive director Kathy DeBoer. The other is Malcolm Gladwell’s best-seller Outliers: the Story of Success, which in one chapter explores why certain boys have advantages in ice hockey. “Whereas the Gladwell book is theoretical and thought-provoking, the Farrey book, while just as readable, is a pithy, hard-hitting critique of Americans’ obsessive attempts at programming our children for athletic success. … The book is well-researched and his critiques are difficult to dispute.”
June 16
President Obama creates the first-ever permanent White House Office of Olympic Paralympic and Youth Sport. One of the stated goals of the office will be to increase access to sports for children, especially those in urban areas, by coordinating federal resources and working closely with the U.S. Olympic Committee and its national sport governing bodies.
June 11
Tom gives keynote address at the annual National Coaching Educators' Conference in Pittsburgh, at the invitation of the USA Coaching Coalition, whose partner organizations include the U.S. Olympic Committee, NCAA, National Federation of State High School Associations, and National Association for Sport and Physical Education.
March 4
Game On is named “Sports Education Book of the Year” for 2008 by the Institute for International Sport at the University of Rhode Island. Founder and executive director Dan Doyle calls the book “a true classic.”
January 19
On the eve of the inauguration of the 44th U.S. president, Tom writes an open letter to Barack Obama, highlighting the role that federal government can play in helping more kids, especially those in urban areas, gain access to sports. The column is well-received by many leaders in the areas of sports and public policy.
January
Game On is reviewed in the official magazine of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAPHERD). Judy Young, Vice President of Programs, writes, “This is an important book for sport fans, parents and all of those who work to provide quality sports experiences for children and youth. Readers will be surprised, outraged, amused and encouraged by Farrey’s exposure and thoughtful analysis of contemporary youth sport.” Serving 25,000 members, AAHPERD, a non-profit based in Reston, Va., is the largest organization of professionals trained in the areas of physical education and health education.
2008
December 4
Tom gives keynote address at the annual conference for the National Alliance for Youth Sports in San Antonio.
August 25
Los Angeles Daily News columnist Steve Dilbeck riffs on chapter one of Game On, wondering how long it’s going to be before parents can order up Kobe Bryant’s sperm. Read
Also today, Orlando Sentinel columnist David Whitley figures out how Michael Phelps can make even more post-Olympics cash. Read
August
Extended author Q&A with David Davis of the LA84 Foundation in the newsletter of the Los Angeles non-profit. Read
July
In its annual report, the Institute for the Study of Youth Sports at Michigan State University praises Game On for capturing the national trends better than any other contemporary work. “For anyone interested in maximizing the benefits of sport for children and youth, Farrey’s book is a must read,” writes Dr. Dan Gould, director of the institute and a sports psychologist. MSU becomes the latest university to add Game On as a required text for a course, the graduate-level Promoting Positive Youth Development through Sport as offered through the Department of Kinesiology.
July 6
Seattle Times book review by Craig Smith, who calls Game On “an important work in that it touches almost every American home with kids.” Read
June 26
Tom interviewed on KIRO news talk radio in Seattle by show host Dori Monson. Listen here by downloading mp3 file.
June 14
Tom interviewed on Edge of Sports Radio with Dave Zirin. Listen on XM Satellite Radio here.
June 4
Los Angeles Times review by Susan Salter Reynolds, who highlights Game On as one of three new books that offer original insights on modern-day parenting. Read
June 1
Game On cited in “Specialization a Special Worry,” by Barry Temkin, Chicago Tribune. Read
May 29
Positive Coaching Alliance "highly recommends" Game On to its membership in book review. Read (PDF)
May 22
Game on is reviewed on National Public Radio by Bill Littlefield, host of “Only a Game.”
Read the review and listen to the subsequent May 24 conversation with Bill and Tom on the nationally syndicated show.
May 12
On Amazon’s best seller list, Game On reaches No. 1 among sports sociology books during the week of May 12, and continues to do so during the weeks of May 19 and May 26, 2008.
April 10
Columnist Robert Lipsyte cites Game On in USA Today Op-ed, “Jock Culture Permeates Life." Read
