"The knot in Tom's stomach tightened as he watched his 12-year-old son take his shot at greatness. The waning seconds of this football game would decide more than who won or lost: Marc's future rested on the hulking figure at Tom's side."
- "Catch a Rising Star: The Adult Game of Youth Sports"

Tom Anderson is an obsessed parent who lost out on his chance in football. Therefore, he seeks redemption through his son Marc on the field.

Such is the story of Voorhees resident Donald W. Albertson's first novel, "Catch a Rising Star: The Adult Game of Youth Sports."
It marks the first piece of adult fiction to portray the mentality of the obsessed youth parent, showing his or her desires, motivations and often sad results. Albertson, who's lived in southern New Jersey his entire life, decided to write because of the "experiences he had as a coach."

"I was often amazed by the actions of the parents. I was really surprised by this behavior," Albertson said.

Athletics isn't an unfamiliar territory for Albertson. Before coaching his two oldest daughters, he played all types of sports throughout his youth, with baseball and football marking his personal favorites.
Along with being a coach in youth sports, Albertson served as program commissioner for the Cinnaminson Girls Soccer Club and a representative to the South Jersey Girls Soccer League. Soccer marked the last sport he thought he'd become involved in.

"My oldest came to me when she was seven and said, 'Dad, I want to play soccer.' I learned a lot about the game, and before you knew it, I'm coaching," Albertson said.

After moving on from coaching, Albertson started his own online bookstore, Riverfront Books to maintain his love of literature. He explains the roots of the business, which also added to his desire to pen "Catch a Rising Star."

"When the Internet got big, I decided to start it. I centralize in modern sports," Albertson said. "I'm all for competitive youth sports, but there has to be an option."

Albertson's book outlines how a parent's behavior affects youth sports, which is evident in its title. Through his coaching experience, he felt that a parent's involvement just becomes problematic.

"The screaming at games starts to get out of hand," Albertson said.
Albertson brought up an incident which reflected the over-aggressive nature of parents today.

"I have had some verbal confrontations. They never went to fisticuffs. We picked up this girl from another team mid-season. Her father told me that I should redesign my offense for his daughter," Albertson said.

"I told him I wouldn't do that. He was a parent. When parents become obsessed, it's no longer about the kids."

To deal with an obsessive, as Albertson addresses in "Catch a Rising Star," a coach should keep a steady head on his shoulders.
"You want to try to diffuse the anger. You don't want it to get to the point where its out of control," he said.

Albertson spent about two years writing and another two editing "Catch a Rising Star." He cites "learning the craft" as the largest challenge he encountered while penning his first novel.

"Through the years, I tinkered with short stories. I like doing books now, though. I learned a lot," Albertson said.

Albertson said that the book's original manuscript consisted of over 900 pages. Condensing it down to slightly under 300 also proved to be a roadblock.

"One editor said no one will consider a novel over 100,000 words by a first time author. I spent a lot of time editing. I got a lot of positive responses (from publishers), but they weren't willing to pick it up," Albertson said.

"I thought I was going to fall in it and be on Oprah. Its very tough being in publishing."

Though Albertson endured a "long and difficult process" in putting "Catch A Rising Star" together, he believes he accomplished the goal he set out to.

"I wanted to put a face on the issues. I wanted to show the how and why it becomes an adult game," Albertson said.

The book traces a parent's obsession with ensuring his son's success in sports. Albertson said that 70 percent of kids who play youth sports drop out by the age of 13.

"It's not fun anymore. They're often pushed by financial commitments. It starts with the parent's obsession," Albertson said.
Ultimately, Albertson hopes his first novel will open the public's eyes to a growing issue.

"I think the first thing is awareness. People have to be aware that this is a problem," he said.

After seeing "Catch a Rising Star" hit shelves, Albertson is already writing another book, which he describes as a business thriller. He also said there's a sequel in the works on youth sports.

"I didn't get in everything I wanted to say in the first one," Albertson said.