Blaylock turns to athletes in writing ‘The Right Way’

A need to fill a void was the motivation behind Mike Blaylock writing his first book, “The Right Way to Win.”

Blaylock’s book is being released by Moody Press and the first-time author said although it is geared toward junior, high school and college athletes, it holds a message for everyone.

Blaylock will autograph copies of “The Right Way to Win” at LifeWay stores in Birmingham June 17 and in Mobile July 8.

The ordained Baptist minister, who has spent the majority of his professional career working with Christian athletes, wrote the book out of a desire to give young athletes a guide on living their lives as Christians- while dealing with the pressures they are faced with today.

“As a parent, a coach and an educator I could never find a book that served as a guide for the Christian athlete. There were lots of books written about Christian athletes but not one written for them- so I decided to give it a try,” Blaylock said.

“I interviewed college and high school players and asked them what they struggled with and in what areas did they need help,” he added.
Blaylock said the two top issues were “handling pressure” and “how to impact their teammates as Christians”- both topics are chapters in the book.

“I’ve written a guidebook that deals with a multitude of issues for the Christian athlete, but it also has a universal message that applies to everyone,” he said.

The book provides examples of professional athletes, some of whom Blaylock knows through his years as chaplain for the Kansas City Royals, and how they reacted to situations in their lives.

Practical application

Concluding each chapter are study guide questions that can be used individually or in a group setting.

There is a section for parents on “How to Parent a Christian Athlete,” which touches on the importance of positive examples and standards for the young athlete.

Blaylock said the message of the book is: “How is success measured from God’s perspective?”

And in answer to his question he replied. “It’s being the best of what God wants us to be. Being a success in life or on the playing field, is not necessarily measured by winning.”