Carey Casey - Championship Fathering

I first knew Carey Casey as a young man, preparing to attend seminary, and have always had the greatest admiration for him. He has a deep love for people and a desire to lead them, especially young men, to Christ. I would highly commend to you any book written by Carey Casey.

BILLY GRAHAM

Carey Casey hits it out of the ballpark in his new book, Championship Fathering. This volume is chock full of practical information, exhortations, and examples from his own personal experience as a son and father. Perhaps most helpful is hearing about the simple yet profound ways that values were caught in Careys life and in the lives of his children. I encourage every father or father-to-beespecially those among us who lacked a strong male role model growing upto pick up this resource and heed its God-given wisdom.

JIM DALY
President, Focus on the Family

Ive known Carey Casey for 30 years. Hes truly one of Americas most respected and trusted leaders. In Championship Fathering, Carey lays out three easy-to-follow, fundamental steps that will take every dad in the direction his kids and wife desperately need him to go. Carey is a true example. He is a fantastic dad and speaker and he loves God devoutly.

JOE WHITE
Founder of Kanakuk Kamps
and author of Sticking with Your Teen

In Championship Fathering, Carey Casey lays out a vision for every dadand for our nation. Having known him for 25 years, it is no surprise that Carey makes it plain for all dads. He brings the research-based principles of the National Center for Fathering to life with practical ideas that all of us dads can useregardless of our circumstances. Carey shows us that we can win this battle for our childrens future, and yes, that we can change the culture of fathering in our nation by living out the basics of Championship Fathering.

DR. TONY EVANS
Senior Pastor, Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship
Dallas, Texas

I met Carey Casey when he was an 18-year-old running back playing against my team for the Virginia state high school football championship. Today, Carey and I are on the same team seeking a more important championship. This is our playbook. I hope youll join our team as we seek to become Championship Fathers.

COACH HERMAN BOONE
Head Coach, T.C. Williams Titans
As dramatized in the film Remember the Titans

Fathers today need coaches who equip them to be effective dads. Carey Casey wants to be your coach for a championship season. I want to encourage you to get this book and join his team.

DR. DENNIS RAINEY
President, Family Life

Winning the Heisman Trophy and being an All-Pro Receiver are great honors, but my lifelong goal is to have my children tell me Ive been a Championship Father for them. Carey Casey has provided meand youwith a great game plan to achieve that goal. If you want to be the dad your children need, Championship Fathering will help you get over the goal line.

TIM BROWN
Former NFL All-Pro Receiver and Heisman Trophy winner

Championship Fathering

Copyright 2009 by Carey Casey

Focus on the Family and the accompanying logo and design are federally registered trademarks of Focus on the Family, Colorado Springs, CO 80995.

A Focus on the Family book published by Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188

TYNDALE is a registered trademark of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Tyndales quill logo is a trademark of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide (www.zondervan.com).

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwisewithout written permission of Focus on the Family.

Cover design: Ron Kaufmann
Cover photo of father and child copyright by iStockphoto. All rights reserved.
Cover photo of leather texture copyright by Nick Schlax/iStockphoto. All rights reserved.
Back cover texture copyright by iStockphoto. All rights reserved.
Author photo copyright by Carey Casey. All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-58997-534-7

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Casey, Carey, 1955

Championship fathering: how to win at being a dad / Carey Casey.

p. cm.

A Focus on the Family book.
Includes bibliographical references.

1. FathersReligious life. 2. FatherhoodReligious aspectsChristianity. I. Title.

BV4529.17.C37 2008
248.8'421dc22

2008040733

Printed in the United States of America
5 6 7 8 9 10 11 / 15 14 13 12 11 10

This book is dedicated to my fathers dreams for me,
to my father-dreams for my children,
and to the father-dreams of every dad who reads these pages.
May we be the generation that launches a culture
of Championship Fathering in our land and beyond.

Contents

When you become published, suddenly you have to be an authority on whatever your book is about. So I enter this new arena with a bit of fear and trepidation. But I also do so with a great sense of calling, because responsible Championship Fathering is so vital to our future.

As youll see in what follows, Im an average dad who has been blessed to have some very good people around me. When I look at what is in this book, I realize that so many people have contributed to it in one way or another.

First and foremost, I know who butters my bread, if you will. God has given me so many blessings in life, as well as the passion and vision for this workstarting even when I was a boy. For many years, I have always known that the greatest thing I can do in life is to be a man of God, a husband, and a father. That has always been part of what I wanted to do and be in life.

My parents, Ralph and Sarah Casey, inspired me and never gave up on me even when others did. I was blessed to have them there. My brides parents, Dr. Perry and Mildred Little, were very dedicated parents and grandparents even in difficult circumstances. I thank my sister, Camellia, and my brother, Corwin, for being constant sources of support. And Im grateful to the other members of what is, in my experience, the greatest family in the world: Melanie, my bride of more than 30 years; Christie and her husband, Shunton; Patrice, her husband, John, and my grandson, John-John; my son Marcellus, his wife, Stephanie, and our granddaughter, Salem Miel; and of course Chance, who helps me keep my fathering fresh.

I am grateful for those who serve or have served on the staff at the National Center for Fathering since my arrivalgreat people who work tirelessly and who have helped me learn more about myself and about fathering than I ever thought I could. My friend and partner, Peter Spokes, the president at the Center, gives me great confidence as CEO because I know he will dot all the is and cross all the ts to keep the place running smoothly. Brock Griffin, our staff writer, helps me bring the message off the page and make it plain for our readers and radio listeners; his work shows up throughout this book. Others who have served here during my tenure include Brian Blomberg, Lucy Bloom, Cathy Henton, Amos Johnson, Ron Nichols, Maya Ostema, Bea Peters, Vera Lu Pollard, Sherri Solis, Debbi Swirczynski, George Williams, Steve Wilson, and George Young. Members of our WATCH D.O.G.S. team include Chris Danenhauer, Scott Dorf, Samuel Barnes, Frank Hannon, Shelly Perry, and Eric Snow.