The Spirit in Baseball by Kathryn Nixon & Ana Boudreau

There are certainly many opportunities for character building in team sports. Nixon and Boudreau show how the fruit of the Spirit can can be practiced in little league baseball. (They have a similar book about football.)
Children are reminded to use self-control when they strike out. They learn patience as they wait their turn to bat. They shout with joy when a teammate gets a home run in the ninth inning to win the game. In a similar way, each of the fruit is explained through baseball.
Designed for young children, the simple text by Kathryn Nixon about each character trait is illustrated with baseball action paintings by Ana Boudreau.
Each fruit is introduced with a Scripture verse, followed by the application from baseball. Each colorful illustration has a tiny fruit hidden on the page for children to find.
But the book is not for children alone. The authors realize that adults also need to use these virtues as much as their little players. Parents and coaches reading this book to little ones will be reminded they are also to be people who live the fruit of the Spirit.
Nixon knows baseball. She is married to Trot Nixon, who was part of the Boston Red Sox team that won the World Series in 2004. She was impressed with the team's strength both physically and spiritually. She says, “I wanted to show children that they can be a strong Christian and share those beliefs with their teammates while still being an exceptional player.”
The book ends with inspirational words from Trot Nixon, an illustration of a list of the fruit of the Spirit, a baseball prayer, and a page for autographs.

Kathryn Nixon was involved in many sports growing up. She met Trot at NC State. They were married and he was drafted by the Red Sox. The year the Red Sox won the World Series, she was inspired to write this book.

Ana Boudreau grew up with the dream of being an artist and illustrator. She met Nixon while painting murals in Nixon's church. They struck up a friendship and began planing these books.

See a book trailer, more about the authors and lots more information at: www.thespiritinbooks.org.

The Spirit in Sports Publishing, hardcover, $14.99.

I received a copy of this book from The B&B Media Group on behalf of the authors for the purpose of this review.