{"id":397,"date":"2019-11-04T10:04:50","date_gmt":"2019-11-04T15:04:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/people.clas.ufl.edu\/marsig\/?page_id=397"},"modified":"2026-03-19T08:55:52","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T12:55:52","slug":"kids-who-tri-book-reviews","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/people.clas.ufl.edu\/marsig\/kids-who-tri-book-reviews\/","title":{"rendered":"Kids Who Tri: Book Reviews"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n
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Kids Who Tri: Book Reviews<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cKids Who Tri invites you in with a firsthand look at the youth experience in the lifelong sport of triathlon and how it can transform our kids.\u00a0Kids Who Tri provides our nation\u2019s youth a roadmap to a sport that gives kids a sense of accomplishment from finishing their very first triathlon all the way to the pride they feel from being the best in the U.S.\u00a0I wish my parents had a resource like this to lean on when I was just starting out in youth triathlons.\u00a0 This book is a must read for any parent looking to dive deeper into the sport of kids triathlon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Hunter Kemper (4x Olympic Triathlete, USA Triathlon Hall of Famer)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

\u201cWritten with both head and heart, Kids Who Tri serves as a primer for youth in triathlon. Marsiglio effectively blends science and passion as he shares a reservoir of knowledge, invaluable insights, and personal anecdotes from his vast experience. This book is both launching pad and didactic tool for any parent or race director involved in the introduction to, and support of, young athletes in the fast growing multisport.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

\u2014Alicia DiFabio, Psy. D. (Best-Selling Author of Women Who Tri: A Reluctant<\/strong>
\nAthlete\u2019s Journey Into the Heart of America\u2019s Greatest Obsession)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

\u201cBased on interviews with parents, coaches, race directors, youth triathletes, and USA Triathlon staff, as well as years of first-hand observations in the trenches as a \u2018tri-dad,\u2019 Kids Who Tri provides an engaging and intimate overview of the exciting sport of youth triathlon. As a scholar who focuses on family health, William Marsiglio makes a compelling case that adult advocates for young people need to do more to promote youth triathlon for boys and girls from all backgrounds and abilities. This book is\u00a0a \u2018must-read\u2019 for any parent or person who simply wants to help kids to a better life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

\u2014\u00a0 Cherie Gruenfeld (13x Ironman Age Group World Champion, Founder & Director of<\/strong>
\nExceeding Expectations\u2014a non-profit foundation for at-risk kids in San Bernardino, CA)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

\u201cKids Who Tri is a great book for parents who are interested in having their kids develop and become successful not just in triathlons, but in life. Backed by extensive research and investigation into this sport as an author and parent, William Marsiglio shows parents in a detailed way how they can educate and inspire kids to develop a healthy set of life skills and habits that will influence them for a lifetime.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

\u2014\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Dr. Andrew Jacobs (Sport Psychologist, Host of \u201cDr. Andrew Jacobs Sport Psychology Hour\u201d, Co-author of \u201cJust Let \u2018Em Play: Guiding Parents, Coaches and Athletes thru Youth Sports\u201d)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

\u201cKids Who Tri provides a great roadmap or \u2018State of the Union\u2019 to understanding kids triathlon. Marsiglio\u2019s reflections on how to grow the sport are valuable insights for not just kid’s triathlon, but our sport as a whole. Having grown up as a triathlete, I understand the unique challenges it provides to kids, coaches, parents, etc. I found myself reflecting on my own experiences and how my parents, team, and coach mainly learned through trial and error. The lessons portrayed in this book mirror what took us countless hours, days, months and years to figure out. Kids Who Tri lays the groundwork to inform the unknown, tackle the challenges that the sport faces, and suggests solutions for how to develop kid’s triathlon so that we can more effectively share the sport that I, and so many others, love and grew up loving.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Ben Kanute (Olympian, Mixed Relay World Champion, 70.3 Champion, Triathlete)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

\u201cKids Who Tri dives into the emerging culture of youth triathlon and its journey toward the mainstream. It explores how partnerships at the local, regional, and national levels are essential to growing triathlon for youth, while giving voice to the diverse perspectives in the multisport community. It is a fantastic resource not only for current triathlon enthusiasts, but also for aspiring youth and their families to jump into the world of swim, bike and run!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Rocky Harris (USA Triathlon CEO)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

\u201cKids Who Tri is not only a great guide for parents who know nothing about the sport but an excellent resource for elite-level athletes whose children may look at competition a little differently than they do. Get ready to swim, bike, and run!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

\u2014John O\u2019Sullivan (Founder, Changing the Game Project; Host, Way of Champions Podcast)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

\u201cKids Who Tri is a compendium of everything a parent should know when launching a child into the sports of triathlon. William Marsiglio\u2019s notion that triathlon transforms youth is not a platitude but a fact. So much more than just a sport, Marsiglio leads you through the various programs, issues, and even emotions parents are likely to encounter whether their children are fun-loving adventurers who just want to dabble in triathlon or are focused swim-bike-run specialists who aspire to Olympic glory.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Melissa Merson (USAT certified youth coach, race director, & official)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

\u201cMarsiglio\u2019s contagious enthusiasm and ever developing understanding of the multidisciplinary sport of triathlon and its \u201ctri\u201dmendous splash on our futures of tomorrow is illuminating, source-able, heartfelt, empathetic, and nourishment for the \u201ctri\u201dfecta of the mind, body and soul.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Coach Mo McCown (USAT certified youth coach, SLAP\u2014Swim Like a Pro)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

\u201cKids Who Tri is an important contribution to the current conversation on youth sports.\u00a0Dr. Marsiglio explains, using first-hand examples and research-backed insights, how triathlon uniquely equips kids with the physical and mental tools they\u2019ll need to thrive in tomorrow\u2019s world.\u00a0This book is for the parent who wants to gift his\/her child with a life-long love of sport, challenge, and fitness.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Joe Maloy (Olympian and World Champion Triathlete)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe should be alarmed that 84 percent of youth athletes quit playing sports by age 15, in part, because they can\u2019t meet the time commitments, don\u2019t have access to recreational sports as high schoolers, are unable to make competitive high school teams, or see organized sports as unattractive because they emphasize winning rather than participation. Kids Who Tri is the encyclopedia\/solution\/google\/answer to get kids and keep kids on the right path to live a healthy lifestyle for the rest of their lives. Along with the physical advantages, William Marsiglio shares the mental and maturing benefits of multisport activities.\u00a0Rather than promoting triathlons as competitions, we stress the value of the camaraderie of training, feeling better physically and emotionally, and being fulfilled by crossing the finish line. The transformation of teenage kids through triathlons can be astonishing and stick with them through college and into adulthood. If we are serious about curing the health-care crisis, let\u2019s collectively push for preventative maintenance? A lot of people doing a little is better than a couple of people doing a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

\u2014\u00a0\u00a0Dan Engelhard (\u201cYou Against You,\u201d Founded High School Triathlon Club in 2009, HSTriClub.org,\u00a0USAT Certified Coach)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

\u201cWiliam Marsiglio\u2019s book, Kids Who Tri\u00a0is a classic example of the value of sports for young Americans. Too often, the pressures put on youngsters in team sports results in overwhelming dropout; thus cheating young people of the huge psychological, emotional, and physical benefits that sports participation provides.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

\u2014\u00a0\u00a0Fred C. Engh (Founder, National Alliance for Youth Sports)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

\u201cAlthough I didn’t start triathlon until age 24, I believe triathlon is a great sport to start as a youth. I believe the best outcome for youth is to find health and happiness through sport. Triathlon is three sports in one. A child doesn’t become overworked, due to time constraints when trying to balance swimming, biking, and running.\u00a0 William Marsiglio’s\u00a0book is about youth triathletes, how to get involved, and how to grow in the community of triathlon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

\u2014\u00a0\u00a0Gwen\u00a0Jorgensen (2016 Olympic Gold Medalist, 2x ITU World Champion, Triathlete)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

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