Norwich

One Tiny Vermont Town's Secret to Happiness and Excellence

By: Karen Crouse

Narrated by: Gabra Zackman

The extraordinary story of the small Vermont town that has likely produced more Olympians per capita than any other place in the country, Norwich gives “parents of young athletes a great gift—a glimpse at another way to raise accomplished and joyous competitors” (The Washington Post).

In Norwich, Vermont—a charming town of organic farms and clapboard colonial buildings—a culture has taken root that’s the opposite of the hypercompetitive schoolyard of today’s tiger moms and eagle dads. In Norwich, kids aren’t cut from teams. They don’t specialize in a single sport, and they even root for their rivals. What’s more, their hands-off parents encourage them to simply enjoy themselves. Yet this village of roughly three thousand residents has won three Olympic medals and sent an athlete to almost every Winter Olympics for the past thirty years.

Now, New York Times reporter and “gifted storyteller” (The Wall Street Journal) Karen Crouse spills Norwich’s secret to raising not just better athletes than the rest of America but happier, healthier kids. And while these “counterintuitive” (Amy Chua, bestselling author of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother) lessons were honed in the New England snow, parents across the country will find that “Crouse’s message applies beyond a particular town or state” (The Wall Street Journal).

If you’re looking for answers about how to raise joyful, resilient kids, let Norwich take you to a place that has figured it out.

Critic reviews

“With her small but timely book, Crouse has given parents of young athletes a great gift — a glimpse at another way to raise accomplished and joyous competitors.”

“Splendid.... Crouse’s message applies beyond a particular town or state.”

“Crouse has written a powerfully inspiring and thought-provoking book filled with wisdom and counterintuitive insights. I couldn’t put it down. Norwich is a refreshing and much-needed intervention that puts joy at the center of the parenting conversation.” (Amy Chua, bestselling author of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother and The Triple Package)

“Hold this piece of carbon in your hands, parents, as it shines like a diamond, revealing the path to raise happy, resilient children.”

“Both a brilliant book and a needed blueprint. Sports parents and aspiring young athletes can now, through this charming and revelatory story, follow the best and healthiest example. Crouse has performed the neat feat of providing both a terrific piece of reportage, and a public service.” (Sally Jenkins, bestselling author of The Real All Americans)

“The tremendous focus and sacrifice it takes to become an Olympian often leads to imbalance in life. The village of Norwich has shown that a strong community can foster love of sport and competitive success without sacrificing balance.” (Michael Phelps, 28-time Olympic medalist)

“A small gem of a book—a quiet Jeremiad about what's gone wrong in this country with the way we raise athletes into adulthood and a meditation on how we might begin to repair that broken process.” (Julie Checkoway, bestselling author of The Three-Year Swim Club)

“The lessons of Norwich are inspiring and compelling.”

“Crouse proves that there really is a town in which all the kids are above average—in this case, in a range of Olympic winter sports. Be careful Norwich. After reading this, the rest of the country will be headed your way!” (Beth Kobliner, bestselling author of Make Your Kid a Money Genius (Even If You’re Not))

“Crouse, a Times sportswriter disillusioned by drug-enhanced results and joyless competitions, stumbled on Norwich in the midst of her travels with more or less the same stunned enthusiasm with which Ronald Colman, in the movie “Lost Horizon,” stumbles on Shangri-La.” (Adam Gopnik)

“Brimming with community-building ideas that transcend sports, this book challenges the current overextended, high-pressure world of youth athletics and provides the tools to help foster a positive, hometown-based alternative. Highly recommended.”

“By the time readers finish Crouse’s account, they may shift from wondering how Norwich does it to asking why everybody doesn’t do it this way.”

Easy Read

Very easy to pick up and read/ listen to when you have the time. Good collection of the backgrounds of Olympians formerly prospective Olympians all originating from the small town of Norwich. Enjoyed the read, but to me, lacking further depth (perhaps that's a good thing)

Norwich is an amazing town but not the "only" one.

I read this book because my cousin has lived in Norwich for over 20 years so I have spent many holidays and other visits there. There's no doubt of it's beauty, close-knit community, and obvious athleticism. Given it's natural environment, most people move there to enjoy the outdoors, thereby attracting many athletes. A well-educated, ambitious group of athletic/outdoor enthusiasts is bound to produce some star athletes although the number of Olympians produced by Norwich is impressive. However, given the number of Sailing Olympians produced by Marblehead, MA, and Tennis Professionals from the same town in Russia (read Malcolm Gladwell), for example, I don't think Norwich corners the market for producing successful athletes. Nor is it the only place where a 3rd grade teach might hold onto a token from a child who shows early promise. Nonetheless, Norwich is a special place to raise athletic children... just like many other towns worldwide.

If you're into the Olympics, cool.

This was just a book about the Olympics, or the influence of a town on paths to the Olympics, but honestly not much about the town itself.