Matthew Barnett, 47, is a married father of two children. He's the father of Crescenta Valley High School senior Mia Barnett, 17, a University of Virginia signee who has become one of California's top cross country and track and field standouts over the last few seasons. Matthew is also the founder and a pastor at the LA Dream Center, an outreach center and shelter which has served the Los Angeles community since 1994. He's written a Parent's Perspective to examine his own path guiding a talented athlete, offering both lessons and mistakes he's made along the way.
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"I've had to forgive myself many times for saying the wrong thing on the drive home after a race. I've had to grow through many things in my own life and leadership as a parent."
By Matthew Barnett
I've had the wonderful joy of watching my daughter Mia Barnett run since her first meet in the eighth grade. I've seen her accomplish so many wonderful things. Any parent of a talented runner knows the feeling when they first d...
