Laura and John Moulder of Newtown have developed a new sports ministry, Hidden Rock Sports, LLC, dedicated to building the bridge between faith and youth sports. Its founding document is Good News for Young Athletes: Winning Strategies for Sports and Life, a guidebook filled with scripture-based, field-tested advice and suggested activities, providing a tool for parents to use with children to navigate the sometimes tumultuous waters of youth sports from a faith perspective.hiddenrocksports.com) that provides real life faith and sports stories and an interactive blog to encourage families to make faith an active part of their sports life.

The couple is offering an interactive workshop for families with children ages 6-13 on Saturday, April 2. The program will be in Monsignor Robert Weiss Gathering Hall at St Rose of Lima, 40 Church Hill Road, from 4 to 6:30 pm.

Key messages from the guidebook will be shared at the event; other activities include an exciting game show and athletic competitions.

"We hope this will be the first step in helping families transform their approach to sports that will lead young athletes to improved performance and, ultimately, joy and contentment both on and off the field," said John Moulder.

Explaining their inspiration for the new ministry, Mr Moulder said, "As our children progressed in competitive youth sports, it became clear that the toxic culture was limiting their enjoyment. Our search for a solution led us to an invaluable resource, the Bible. We believe that through sports our children can get to know God in a more personal way, which, in effect, will improve their game and strengthen their character. The benefits of this relationship will transcend sports and spill over into all facets of their lives."

The ministry also features a website (

Reservations are requested for the April 2 event, which will include interactive presentations, fun athletic competitions, challenging trivia, raffles, and pizza.

Reservations can be made by contacting event organizer Pat Gorman at gormanfamily1@msn.com or 203-300-8237.

and can be made by contacting event organizer Pat Gorman at

gormanfamily1@msn.com or 203-300-8237.

All children who attend must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Participants are asked to bring gently used sporting equipment for Let's Play It Again, an organization that provides children in need with sporting equipment free of charge.

The Guidebook And Website

The issues associated with the inevitable ups and downs of athletic competition are varied and complex. Everything from interacting with teammates and coaches to dealing with skill level and achievement goals can be challenging for young athletes.

Written to address these and other situations commonly encountered by children playing competitive sports,

Good News For Young Athletes is a first of its kind resource. Topics including Hard Work, Anxiety, Commitment, Perseverance, Pride, Balance, and Contentment are addressed from the scriptural perspective.

Field-tested tips, illustrative stories, and recommended activities are provided throughout the book.

The ministry's website encourages parents to communicate with each other through blog submissions highlighting their experiences with youth sports. A regularly updated library of faith and sports in the news articles from around the country provides uplifting stories about athletes, young and old, famous and anonymous, who are blending faith and sports with positive results.

"These stories can be used to start meaningful family discussions and provide wonderful role models/situations for young athletes as they embark on their faith and sports journey," said Mr Moulder.

The guidebook retails for $14.95 and can be found at the website, at select Barnes & Noble stores including the Danbury location, and

amazon.com.

For more information about Hidden Rock Sports, including a digital or paperback copy of

Good News for Young Athletes, contact Laura@hiddenrocksports.com or 203-241-5245.

[mappress mapid="86"]