Why this Book?

Obesity, stress, depression and lack of physical health are at an all-time high in our society.  These are symptoms of the root cause of decreased physical activity, play and pleasure in life.  The book You Can Play brings to the forefront the opportunities to live life with improved success, health and happiness by establishing and maintaining a lifelong commitment to play.  The fundamental premise of this book is that by doing what comes naturally, playing with others, you indirectly empower yourself to engage in those things you most desire. You Can Play is not about being disciplined, it is about giving you permission to live life to its fullest.
This book draws attention to play as a responsible choice rather than a luxury of those people with spare time on their hands.   One may think that this book could be compared to self-help books that talk about the importance of making all the right decisions and working hard to find success.  In fact, this book flies in the face of the theory that discipline is the way to fulfillment.  The messages are fundamentally different in that they encourage women to shake free of the “should do”, and “can’t do” directives that society lays upon us, clear our minds, listen to our hearts and do what has come naturally since we were infants…play!

Unlike other books, You Can Play does not share the opinions of the author alone.  It taps into the passion of the author for team play and draws from the real life experiences of thousands. Through story telling you will be able to identify with a broad spectrum of challenges, opportunities and potential that come from making team play a lifestyle choice.

For the reader, the last page of this book represents not the end, but the beginning. You will not be left alone with concepts and undirected new passion for team play, but will have access to networks and communities of support to put new philosophies into action.  Women have had limited role models and support in making team play a priority and lack of skills and determinedly nonthreatening environments often prevents us from engaging in team activities.  The You Can Play network changes this by providing a forum that grows in scope with each new reader.  It offers a community of support which ultimately brings about culture change and influences people to do those things that are truly most important to their fulfillment.

Finally, this book is based on the successful application of these theories in many communities and cultures found in the workplace.  Brenda Loube, has turned her life lessons learned as an athlete and coach into a successful career as owner and leader of Corporate Fitness Works, a preeminent provider of customized fitness and wellness management services for corporations, residential and retirement communities.  This successful health and fitness business provides a real life example of success for women and girls by applying the very principles championed in this book—making active play an approach to life.

Leveraging the power of storytelling and presented in a conversational style, women from all walks of life, including politicians, broadcasters, lawyers, doctors, coaches, industry leaders, executives, small business owners, healthcare professionals, teachers, nurses, volunteers, parents and more can relate to this book.  It profiles You Can Play survey respondents and weaves survey results throughout the book giving slice-of-life examples and illustrating the impact that participation in team play has on confidence, relationships, and general success and fulfillment in all aspects of life.