Covering Home

Lessons of the Art of Fathering from the Game of Baseball

Willie Mays said that good players can play with their bodies, but great players play with their hearts and minds as well. The same is true for fathering. In Covering Home, author Jack Petrash combines a love for children with his love for the game of baseball to give fathers, or fathers-to-be, a new perspective on raising children.

From the first few pages of Covering Home…

There is a place where out passionate commitments converge, and it is there that fathering and baseball intertwine. The lessons that I have learned in one have instructed me in the other; how in fathering as in baseball you have to work on fundamentals, develop good habits, avoid errors, work on your control, and always keep in mind that you can't win them all…

In the busyness of modern times where both parents work and travel and go back to school, fathers are repeatedly covering home. Knowing when to cover home is essential. It requires knowledge of what should happen in a given situation but also an awareness of what could go wrong. Whether it's an overthrow, a passed ball, a snow day or a sick child, we need to be alert, as well as ready and willing to act…

Like baseball, fathering is a path of development…[It] will call on us to grow in ways we never imagined.

Reviews

"I have so many memories throughout my life that have been provided through baseball, but the strongest ones are those provided by my father. Almost all of the life lessons that my brothers, sister and I learned from dad were related to us through baseball. Jack Petrash seems to have captured that deep connection between fathers, their children, and baseball in Covering Home."

"Petrash poignantly brings the field of dreams down to earth for fathers. He loads the bases of parenting with relevant truisms and then brings them home with practical lessons."

"…will immediately become the kind of book passed on from friend to friend, from father to father, and from father to son or daughter…There are many more detailed books on fatherhood that are essential for a dad's library, but none so precious as this small wonder."

"…Sound advice for dealing with kids from grade school through the teenage years."

"Bringing the mythic nostrums of America's pastime to bear on the much-lamented state of fathering might seem like sending a dribbler back to the mound, but Petrash delivers more than just tips about patience and preparation, timing and tolerance. Like a veteran manager, he hands out inspiration and discipline in equal measures, and shows us how we can be more than we ever imagined."

"…A different take and well worth a read."

"…Covering Home is one of the most reader friendly, accessible, and effective 'how to' books on parenting every written specifically for Dads."

"…This clever approach makes Covering Home an easy read for the father who wants to be the Most Valuable Parent in his child's life."

"…Petrash has managed to combine his three passions of being a father, teacher and baseball fan…into one full life and one interesting book.-Richmond Times"

"…(Petrash) teaches fathers how to be their best."

"…Written in a calm, free-flowing manner that is sure to help men better connect with their children-and it may be just the book for dads reluctant to pick up the typical parenting manual."

"…Jack Petrash's love for the game and the art of fatherhood is evident in his prose, which sparkles with compassion, insight and a touch of wit."