Caz McCaslin runs Upward Sports, a global youth sports organization that promotes Biblical values, equal play time, and ultimately, the person and work of Jesus Christ. He wrote what he considers a “parent playbook” called Every Child is a Winner (Broadman and Holman: Nashville, 2002). My family and I got to visit the main headquarters of Upward in South Carolina about a year ago and they gifted us with this book upon our visit.
The book is a quick read. You would think at first that it is a narrative about Upward Sports and how it all got started, but it is more about parenting your child using Biblical principles. Caz uses his famous storytelling talents to convey his messages about how to raise kids in a way that shows them God’s love (sometimes through “tough love”).
As a unicycling juggler, I especially loved the final story in the book: about a boy who wanted to go to the circus. He saved up all his money to pay the $2.25 entrance fee. When he joyfully skipped into town to go to the circus, he got there early because he was so excited. He was there early enough to catch the parade of animals and jugglers headed towards the big tent. When the guy on the tall unicycle rode by, he offered the boy some popcorn for the price of $2.25. The boy enthusiastically handed over his $2.25, ate the popcorn, and went home.
The boy then told his father all about the circus and how much fun he had. But the father quickly realized that the boy had only seen the parade leading up to the circus and not the circus itself. Then McCaslin and Biehl finish with this thought:
“The reason I tell that story is because this life is nothing but a parade. If you know Jesus Christ when you die, you will go to be with Him in heaven for eternity – and that is where the circus really begins” (page 114).
