Dark Secrets

About the Book

Kirkus Review A competitive runner’s instruction manual for young athletes and their parents. Internationally ranked runner and professional sports advisor Reid, in her debut, presents an upbeat, thoroughly detailed guide for parents who dream of shepherding their children into the world of professional sports—or who already have a child entering that world. Using charts, photos and inspirational quotes, Reid takes her readers through the basics of body growth, nutrition and training practices. She also provides an insider’s look at the process of developing a varied training regimen, maintaining a positive outlook (she points out that most of the worst obstacles a young athlete may face will be mental, not physical), creating a well-balanced diet, and, as the book’s title indicates, researching and selecting the right coach. As a complement to coach selection, she also provides parents with a knowledgeable guide to the various illegal performance-enhancing substances that haunt the professional sports world; the dangers and side effects of steroids, stimulants, diuretics and others are given a complete rundown. The brief book also provides common-sense instructions for more advanced athletes who face the prospect of hiring professional managers. The book’s tone is optimistic and avowedly Christian throughout (many section headings are Biblical quotations), and its focus is highly specialized: Reid admits that her book was “written to encourage you as parents in how to support and guide your upcoming superstar athletes,” and the book shows little interest in young athletes who don’t aspire to “an Olympic or a professional career.” Some parents may object to Reid’s assertion that “without competition, there wouldn’t be sports,” or her declaration that “winning is about an athlete asserting superiority in an event—demonstrating it, publicly.” That said, even parents who primarily want their children to enjoy sports, rather than single-mindedly focus on them, will likely find a wealth of useful information in these pages. A focused, goal-oriented handbook for young pro-sports hopefuls.

About the Author

As a youngster attending Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt, MD, Reid was quickly distinguished as one of the most recognized high school athletes in her class winning numerous state and national championships. This proves true during her first couple years at the University of Texas. While earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Sport Management, Reid became one of the nation’s most decorated track and field athletes in NCAA history. She won 7 NCAA Outdoor Championship titles and 3 NCAA Indoor Championship titles. Reid is the only three-time women’s outdoor 400-meter national champion in NCAA history to win the event as a freshman in 1996 and again in both 1998 and 1999. Reid also added the NCAA Indoor national 400-meter titles in both 1998 and 1999. She went on to winning five other NCAA titles as a member of the 4x400 meter relay team. During her collegiate career, she earned 17 All-American honors in the 200 meter, 400 meters and the 4x400-meter relay. Undefeated in 400 meters since 1997, Reid holds a 12-race win streak. Reid also won the prestigious 1999 Honda Broderick Award as the female collegiate National Track and Field Athlete of the Year. She was named the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association’s (USTFCCCA) Indoor Athlete of the Year and the Big 12 Female Athlete of the Year. In 2006, Reid was named the premier 400-meter runner in NCAA history and as one of the top student-athletes in the 25-year history of NCAA Women’s Track and Field with her selection to the USTFCCCA’s “Silver Anniversary Team.” She was an anchor runner for the United States team winning gold at the 1999 World University Games in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. Reid also anchored the United States 4x400m relay team to win a gold medal at the Goodwill Games in Brisbane, Australia in 2001. To top off a successful athletic career, Reid was inducted into the prestigious 2008 University of Texas Women’s Athletics Hall of Honor recognizing her outstanding achievements as a student-athlete and beyond. Author's Website: www.SuziannReid.com