Book Review - The Dad I Wish I Had

A book for Christian fathers who want to become a more dedicated and committed dad and for young men preparing for fatherhood, The Dad I Wish I Had is a reflection of former NFL player Freddie Scott II's personal journey and ministry focused on helping men become Godly and responsible in their personal choices. Filled with personal stories and opportunities to write about your own attitudes and experiences, The Dad I Wish I Had is a great addition to any Christian father's library.

Freddie Scott is a former professional football player for the Indianapolis Colts and is now a minister, speaker and author, and president of Unlock the Champion, Inc. His recent book The Dad I Wish I Had speaks to his experiences growing up in an NFL family, working with youth estranged from their fathers and helping men commit to greater and more godly manhood.

Scott begins his book by relating an experience he and his wife had at a church youth camp talking to teenagers about what they hoped to find in a partner, what they wanted or didn't want to bring from their parents' family into their own family, and about the quality of their relationships with their fathers. The findings were fascinating.

The young women with whom they spoke though that the most important characteristic in a husband was a man with a strong relationship with God and a commitment to family virtues. And yet the young men to whom they were attracted and who were boyfriends did not exhibit those traits. And young men, while focused more on the physical attributes of a future wife, tended to think that girls only were attracted to guys with money.

But when it came to families and fathers, most youth could not think of many things currently in their families that they wanted to emulate in their future families. But they had long lists of things they wanted to avoid--like violence, anger, and hypocrisy. And nearly all the youth at the camp felt like their fathers were at best preoccupied and detached, and at worst abusive or had abandoned the family.

Freddie Scott shares his own perspectives of growing up with a largely absent father whom he idolized. His father played professional football for the Detroit Lions and he grew up at games and practices. But his father would be gone for days at a time, and finally separated from his mother. While they have now become closer as adults, the pain lingers.

So Scott has developed a series of exercises and principles which will help any Christian father better see God's plan and hand in his life and to follow a godly example of fatherhood. The book also includes a journaling opportunity at the end of each chapter to encourage the reader to think a bit more deeply about what has been written.

The Dad I Wish I Had is an important book for Christian fathers who feel a need to reconnect at home, and is a helpful manual for a young man wanting to be that kind of father. I recommend it wholeheartedly as a part of every Christian father's personal library.

Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.