Product Description
Rarely in any sport are 28 top coaches assembled to share their principles, insights, strategies, methods, and experiences in a book. Fastpitch softball is an exception. Now you can learn from the best and take your players, team, and entire program to a higher level.

Find out how Mike Candrea develops productive hitters at Arizona, and follow the advice of Fresno State’s Margie Wright for competing in tournaments and playoffs. This landmark work covers all the bases, from recruiting players to attracting fans. Chapter after chapter, you can use this book as the game plan for building a winning program.

The all-star lineup of contributors includes:

• Dianne Baker

• Margo Jonker

• Carol Bruggeman

• Teresa Wilson

• Marge Willadsen

• JoAnne Graf

• Gayle Blevins

• Brian Kolze

• Yvette Girouard

• Denny Throneburg

• Bill Edwards

• Deb Pallozzi

• Betty Hoff

• Jacki Wright

• Mike Candrea

• Jay Miller

• Cheri K. Kempf

• Lori Sippel

• Linda Wells

• Margie Wright

• Jeff Janssen

• Rhonda Revelle

• Elaine Sortino

• Carol Hutchins

• Mona Stevens

• Rayla J. Allison

• Judi Garman

• Sharon J. Drysdale

The Softball Coaching Bible is filled with insights and expert advice to help you better understand the game and make the right decisions in key situations. Soak it up, enjoy the stories, and benefit from the wisdom of the sport’s finest mentors. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Softball Coaching Bible
Softball Coaching Bible along with softball skills and drills are two books that no coach should be without.

Bits and Pieces of Useful Info
Pros:
- Variety of topics covered including fund raising, recruiting, mental, and play aspects
- Advice from several sources
- A handful of good tables and info-graphics

Cons:
- In many cases, about 1/2 of each chapter consists of the given "expert" telling you why they are "great." I realize they are probably trying just trying to establish their value as an expert on the subject, but it's very annoying.
- Rather than properly developing ideas a coach can use for his or her own team, there are brief overviews of some ideas and other ideas are often repeated only with different wording in later chapters.
- I found the chapter on pitching especially horrible.

This book is called "The Softball Coaching Bible", and indeed, in the sense that The Bible is a collection of stories being retold with a greater purpose, this book holds true. However, if your intent for this book is as a manual, then I recommend you pass on it and check out some of the other books out there.

Great Advice From "The Greats!"
This book is a must for those coaches whom are just starting their coaching journey. You receive priceless advice from todays all time greats of the game. This is the WHOS WHO of todays softball coaching world. ... Read more

Product Description
Numerous coaching books cover the skills and drills of basketball, but very few hit on the tactical skills of the game--the situational decisions players and coaches make that often determine the outcome of games. That's where Coaching Basketball Technical and Tactical Skills stands out.

Written by the American Sport Education Program (ASEP) in conjunction with Kathy McGee, the winningest high school girls' basketball coach in Michigan, and USA Basketball's Don Showalter, this book will prepare you to be a better teacher and tactician of the game whether you coach men's or women's basketball.

Technical skills (such as dribbling, shooting, and rebounding) are examined in depth, as are the tactical skills (such as the give-and-go, backdoor cut, and trapping). More than 195 photos and illustrations bring the basic to intermediate skills to life, while sample season and practice plans will help you in your preparation. You'll find quick tips on how to detect and correct errors in both male and female athletes, cues they need to be aware of in various tactical situations, and key information they need in order to make the appropriate on-court decisions.

Produced by ASEP and endorsed by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), this book serves as a resource for the Coaching Basketball Technical and Tactical Skills online course, a part of ASEP's Bronze Level Professional Coaches Education Program. Numerous state high school associations, colleges and universities, national sport organizations, and national governing bodies of Olympic sports use the Bronze Level in whole or in part to qualify coaches. The Bronze Level prepares coaches for all aspects of coaching and is a recognized and respected credential for all who earn it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Coaching Basketball REview
Order process was easy, quick and delivered and on time.....I have never had a problem ordering on the Amazon website, whether it be a new purchase directly from Amazon or a used book from another retailer. ... Read more

Product Description
Former collegiate basketball coach and esteemed sport psychology consultant Robin Vealey reinvents the mental coaching game with this comprehensive and innovative textbook designed for both students and professionals alike. In Coaching for the Inner Edge, this former Olympic training consultant draws on and synthesizes a wealth of insider‘s material and knowledge into an easy-to-digest, understandable coaching guidebook. She integrates diverse and current literature, adds her own unique blend of anecdotes and insight, and offers experiential learning activities that go one step beyond your average coaching book. Coaching for the Inner Edge is a must-have for those teaching in coaching education programs or psychology of coaching courses, or for anyone just interested in improving mental performance in sport. ... Read more

Product Description
The key to successful coaching is preparing your players to make intelligent decisions on the field. For years, the best-selling Skills & Strategies for Coaching Soccer has helped coaches of every level do just that. Now, soccer's premier coaching resource has been updated and expanded to provide you with more insights into developing individual talent, team tactics, and winning play.

Skills & Strategies for Coaching Soccer provides you with over 125 drills for teaching skills and techniques. You'll also learn how to develop these skills in realistic game situations with beginning, intermediate, advanced, and all-star players.

Essential skills are presented, including collecting and controlling, passing, dribbling, kicking, heading, and goalkeeping. You'll then apply those individual skills with attacking and defensive tactics, team formations, and set pieces. With Skills & Strategies for Coaching Soccer, you'll learn the what, how, and why of soccer through these essentials:

• Over 125 drills for beginning, intermediate, advanced, and all-star players
• Progressing basic drills into realistic, competitive situations
• Tactics in attack and defense
• Tactics in set plays
• Team management
• Mental and physical preparation for games
• Handling problem players and parents
• Fitness and conditioning
• Preparing and developing coaching sessions
• Establishing a coaching philosophy

Skills & Strategies for Coaching Soccer is an invaluable guide for coaching any team in any setting. The best team doesn't always win--but it usually does. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

awsome
I used this book quite a bit this past soccer season.It gave me many ideas to use when coaching my child's team

I wish I'd found this book when I first started coaching
I'm your typical parent/volunteer coach with absolutely zero background in the sport. While I really enjoyed the game and enjoyed coaching, I certainly struggled at first and found it very difficult to gather information from a variety of sources. But, I stuck with it and improved as a coach and moved on to coach my younger kids, too. Then, last year, having moved up to coaching at a slightly more competitive level, I discovered this book. I've been through it several times and it is the foundation for most of my practices.
I can't recommend this book enough to a beginning or slightly experienced parent/coach. The organization of the book is first-rate. Each skill is explained in detail, with plenty of photos and diagrams to get the point across, then the authors present several drills (with progressions for better players) to reinforce the teaching of a given skill. There's information on the basic skills of the game (dribbling, shooting, receiving, etc...), as well as tactics and coaching techniques. I'm currently coaching my daughter's U8 team and son's U10 team. There's definitely a gap in skillset between the two ages, yet this book has plenty of drills for both.

Solid Soccer Book for Beginning to Intermediate Coaches
Solid Soccer Manual for Beginning to Intermediate Coaches.

Good diagrams.
Good explinations.
The coaches progressions are reasonable so that you can see how to "regress" (dumb down) or "progress" (ramp up) each of the drills.

Re-Read-ability: Has good re-readability and is useful as a reference during season and (more importantly) next season. There are some very popular Soccer coaching books that I have read once and then shelved. Skills & Strategies is a book that you can page through time and again, lift drills straight from the book or spark new ideas for training sessions -- the more one coaches the more one "sees" the idea behind a drill or the concept being taught and then creates a new one tailered to your own teams needs. Skills & Strategies has good breadth (technique/tactics/coaching philosophy/team concepts/team management)but not just latest fades.

ie. Set Pieces -- doesn't try to give you the "definitive set-up" for each player but rather tries to diagram the main lanes of attack.

Problems: As with any book w/ the word "Complete" in its title, it is not actually complete -- its more of a, "What every beginning/intermediate soccer coach should know...." But as a large part of soccer coaching is the ability to see and teach re-occuring patterns, this book is worth the money.

This book has everything you'll ever need on soccer coaching.Buy this and you won't need any other soccer coaching book.
Reviewed by Rory, UK - a PE specialist teacher and sports coach

This book is the bible of soccer coaching but it is useful to anyone involved in the game, coaches, teachers and players alike.It covers skills for beginners, intermediate and advanced players with a load of information to help coaches with the progression of their pupils.

The first edition was a best seller and this second edition has been excellently updated.I only wish I'd known of the book whilst at University as it would have been of huge benefit when writing assignments covering the techniques of soccer and how to coach effectively but now that I have found it I am looking to it for advice whenever I coach.

There is plenty of technical information eg on taking penalties and techniques for throw ins, including information covering the tactical benefits of the long throw which I found of particular use as information on this is quite rare.I particularly like the fact that the book emphasises a positive approach to coaching based on skill and fair play and also gives information on good nutrition and diet.The book is arranged in such an easy to use manner that, if my team was weak on attacking, I could easily find the chapter and read up about what was needed to correct the problem.

Hargreaves and Bate clearly have a wealth of experience in soccer coaching; their technique sessions are well illustrated and can easily be replicated on the training field and on the pitch.They don't just assume that coaches will have total obedience from their players and there is an excellent chapter in the book about how to cope with problem players and parents!

Excellent use of colour, diagrams, photographs and layout.Glossary included - so you can really prove that you know what you're talking about!

As I said, everyone involved in soccer would benfefit from this book but, for a practical handbook, as well as a great reference book for those "studying" the game or wanting to have a better understanding of what it is all about, this is a great investment.Buy it!
... Read more

Product Description
This book provides comprehensive coverage of the core and optional units for the Development, Coaching and Fitness pathway of the BTEC National in Sport Diploma and Certificate. Published in full colour and written to cover the new 2007 specifications, BTEC National Sport brings your studies to life with numerous illustrations, exercises, definition boxes, review questions and summaries. Each chapter contains practical activities that put theory into practice and generate data for use in assignments. It also includes a chapter on how to write your assignments. This book covers compulsory and optional units in detail providing you with all you the knowledge you need to succeed in your BTEC National. ... Read more

Product Description
Coaching Science and Coaching Studies courses are appearing in increasing numbers in many universities. The textbooks used in most of these courses are either theoretically based sports science texts or practically based coaching books. The former are generally lacking in application while the latter rarely have any scientific input. The reader is, therefore, left to make the links themselves.

Coaching Science will bridge that gap covering both theory and practice and, most important, showing how theory informs practice. The book will be multi- and, to some extent, inter-disciplinary, as it is not possible to examine the interaction between coach, performer and task from a single discipline perspective.

Each chapter will include overviews of the main theories, but the bulk of the material will be concerned with how such theories can be applied in practice. Good and frequent use of examples will be provided. Throughout, the student will be given problems to solve. At the end of each chapter there will be revision notes, recommended readings and questions on chapter content. ... Read more

Product Description
A primer for organizing the league and for coaching any team sport. ... Read more

Product Description
A volleyball coaching book like none other. Not a list of drills. Not a "How To" of offense or defense. Just practical advice for coaches at all levels of volleyball.EXPERTS ENDORSE THE LITTLE BLACK BOOK:"Building a strong coaching philosophy that complements our unique, lifetime sport is vital to a coach's success. John Betcher's book will help you along the journey to become the best coach you can be."John Kessel USA Volleyball Director Membership Development & Disabled Programs "If you are trying to decide whether or not you should coach a volleyball team, this book can help you make that decision. The insights and anecdotes that John shares in his Little Black Book can help all coaches keep coaching in a proper perspective." Professor G. Thomas (Tom) TaitUSA Volleyball "All-time Great Coach")Founding Father of Penn State Men's and Women's Volleyball Programs ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

not for experienced players/coaches
I have played volleyball at the college level. I have also done some coaching as a student assistant in college and an assistant coach for high school. I have been around volleyball for awhile and this book just told me everything I already knew. Some ideas were interesting, but it was just different ways of saying things I already knew. More catchy phrases. Overall I'm looking to return it, it was a waste of money for anyone who knows anything about volleyball. If you haven't played in awhile and are about to start coaching, it would be a good read. However, I graduated college a year ago and it was uninformative to me.

"Little" descibes this book in more than one way.
I would strongly discourage purchasing this book.The actual book itself is approximately 5.5 inches by 8.5 inches and the standard page is full of awkward spacing, double spaced, and large font.Not to mention the book only has 102 pages... I'd be very curious as the overall word count.The book doesn't cover anything new or "insightful".It discusses the fundamentals of volleyball, a volleyball rally, and tosses in a quote here and there.

My background is I've played volleyball through college and have been an assistant at the high school and collegiate level, as well as being a head varsity coach for 4 years at the high school level.

must read for beginning coaches
Mr. Betcher's book should be required reading for beginning coaches of all sports.It is well written, concise and has a vast store of information that would help coaches who are just beginning their journey.

volleyball insights
Very readable and insightful book about the game of volleyball.We gave this to our high-school aged niece and she feels it has improved her game!
A must read for those you play and follow the game of volleyball.You will learn alot.

Great little book!
This book is a "must read" for every new coach, regardless of the sport.It's a small book, but addresses crucial issues every coach needs to learn, or remember.Highly recommended. ... Read more

Product Description
The Handbook of Sports Medicine presents basic clinicaland scientific information in a clear style and format as related tospecific sports events drawn from the Olympic Summer and WinterGames. Each handbook is written by a small team of authorities andcoordinated by an editor who is internationally respected andrecognized in the particular sport activity. The Handbook on StrengthTraining for Athletes presents both the basic concepts and theoreticalbackground for sports-specific strength training as well as thepractical consideration in designing the overall program. Separatechapters deal with periodization, gender differences, detraining andover training. Sample programs are presented for soccer, volleyball,wrestling, endurance running, swimming, and shotput and discus.

Covers periodization, gender differences, detraining, and overtraining

Sample programs presented for soccer, volleyball, wrestling, endurance running, swimming, and shotput and discus

Endorsed by the International Federation of Sports Medicine ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

Best coaching book to start you off on the right foot (pun intended)
I bought this book before my first year of coaching youth soccer and am now in my second season and I still use it every week.I have played soccer for years but this helped a lot getting myself organized for coaching.After looking at many books, in my opinion this is the best overall youth soccer coaching book.It includes soccer basics, warm ups, drills, and tips on coaching youth soccer at all age levels.If you're looking for lots of drills then maybe a dedicated book with just drills will suit you but this includes tactics and practice plans and everything in between and is a very good one stop reference. ... Read more

Product Description
Reach your playing speed potential! As an athlete or coach who knows that faster is better, you’ll appreciate the advice offered in Sports Speed.

Learn all aspects of speed development, including
-tests and assessment,
-strength base building,
-ballistic and plyometric training,
-speed endurance training,
-running technique,
-footwork drills,
-overspeed training, and
-program planning and periodization.

All-new techniques and drills will help you improve starts and stops, changes in direction, and acceleration. Boost your performance to its highest level with Sports Speed. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Practical & Direct Sports Training Info
This is a much needed training reference, not only for pure running athletes, but also for any sports training requiring speed training and running drills. That would pretty much be every sport I can think of, aside from the non-sport competitive video gamers of today.
*
I have used this book in training miltary personnel and police cadets, as well as my martial arts students, since I got my first copy back in 1998. Finding that some of my MA students could not be trusted to simply run around the block without direct supervision, I switched to having them run sprints. Therefore, the subject of speed became more important to our training. This book helped me to be a more knowledgeable and intense instructor to all the different students that I had.
*
I have been a runner, competitively or personally, for 30 years now. This is one of the best resources that I have found, and one of the few quality books that has stayed on the market this long. AS long they keep updating it, it will continue to be a powerful resource for each new generation of runners and trainers.

Confusing with some good drills
The book does have some good drills which can be helpful.Unfortunately, the text based descriptions of those drills are hard to understand, and only a few pictures are provided to support those poorly-written sentences.It's obvious that different authors wrote different portions.For example, in the early portion, we are told that an athlete who wants to gain a pound of muscle only needs around an extra five grams of protein per day, since 70% of muscle weight is water.Later on, when the Advocare (TM) system is being promoted, the number goes to the more standard .8 grams of protein per pound of lean body weight.

It covers plyometrics drills, increasing stride length, increasing stride frequency, and other essential areas.However, as others have noted, it does not give any information about how to really integrate this into the training program.As well, some of the tables are just plain confusing.

Bottom line, read through it, (and this is going to be some dry reading), copy some of the drills down, and then read other books which cover a more integrative training approach towards periodization and hitting peak cycles.

Overrated
This book is mostly a kitchen sink approach to speed training methods and is a sure fire perscription for overtraining.And as previous reviews have pointed out, the book does not provide an overall logic that helps the athlete or coach properly integrate the training elements.The book does not properly explain how the components of its sytem interact with each other and how they should be balanced against each other when determining the needs of a given individual athlete.In addition, many of the techniques, most notably overspeed training, are highly dubious and most likely counter productive.For those interested in proven speed training methods, I highly recommend Training for Speed by Charlie Francis, which is light years ahead of SportSpeed.Also be on the lookout for Charlie's new training manual which should be released by the end of 2002 and will make every other book on speed training obsolete.

Great Book for Runningbacks
This is an excellent book for backs who need more speed, like me. There are many, manyways to improve speed.All of which are helpful. Any athlete needs to read this book, it will take them to the next level of performance.

The Next Level!!
I'm a defensive back (6'2, 205) who has been trying to take it to the next level and find a team. I don't have the luxury of trainers and fancy equipment. All I have is all I get. This book helps me get more than I know I have.

I never knew why all that stuff was important until I read this book. Now when I work out, I know what's happening to me and what I need to do in order to make it happen more. They even get down to the mental aspect of training as well as breathing techniques. The exercises they illustrate are definitely speed and agility powerhouses! Believe me I know!

This book proves that sprinting isn't just running, but a complex science and it has "Dumbed It Down" for all who read. They say that sprinters are born not made, well this book proves that sprinters are born on the track as well and not just in the womb. The scouts are going to love me come May 13th in Atlanta. Thanks for the insights fellas!! ... Read more

Product Description
With extraordinary candor, passion, and insight, basketball legend Larry Bird talks about the incomparable sport that made him an international superstar and one of the most respected figures in the game.Larry Bird captured the imagination and admiration of basketball fans throughout his 13-year career with the Boston Celtics with his trademark style of creative, intelligent, exciting, and hard-nosed play. And last year, in just his rookie season as head coach of the Indiana Pacers, he remarkably managed to turn around a slumping franchise, lead the team to the conference finals, and was subsequently named the NBA's Coach of the Year. Now, this beloved sports legend shares his thoughts on the game he loves: From dissecting offensive and defensive strategies to assessing the talent of NBA players and coaches to describing how he manages today's temperamental and overpriced players, it's all here, a must-read for every fan.Larry Bird's autobiography, Drive (Doubleday, 1989), sold more than 300,000 copies in hardcover and more than 350,000 copies in paperback. It spent over two months on the New York Times bestseller list, and foreign rights were sold in six countries.Before Michael Jordan, there was Larry Bird. Arguably the best player of his generation, Bird led the Boston Celtics to three NBA titles, was a 12-time NBA All-Star, and a 12-time member of the ALL-NBA First Team. He was also a member of the original Dream Team which won the Gold Medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.Also available as a Time Warner AudioBook.Amazon.com Review
The first sentence of Larry Bird'scandid post-player memoir begins blandly enough: "On August 18, 1992,I announced my retirement from the Boston Celtics." It's the one thatfollows--"It was one of the happiest days of my life"--that sets thetone for the book. Most stars have to be pulled off center stage, butas Bird Watching makes clear, the former Celtic legend whoreturned home to eventually coach the Indiana Pacers is certainly arare bird. He's not afraid to ruffle feathers. And he's not afraid totell his truth.

Perhaps the most striking revelations concern hisheart. On top of the back pain that plagued him through much of hiscareer, from time to time Bird experienced the feeling--anddisorienting flush--of an irregular heartbeat, which he kept hiddenfrom the Celtics. Even now, in the stress-filled world of coaching,Bird has almost passed out on the bench a couple of times--but heremains a fierce competitor. "I'm not going to be stupid about thisheart condition, but I'm not going to live my whole life in fear ofthis thing either. If it goes, it goes."

Bird Watchingspendsvirtually no time with Bird the player; he's not one for lookingback. He's more interested in explaining his evolution and thinking asa coach, examining the current state of the NBA, and picking apart thePacer's disastrous 1999 playoff loss to the Knicks. He does, however,reminisce about his amazing connection to Magic Johnson, comparing itto the bond between Ali and Frazier. "I knew it was going to be likethat forever after I played him in college for the nationalchampionship," Bird writes. "I never came up against anyone, otherthan Magic, who could challenge me mentally. Magic always took me tothe limit." From Bird, it's hard to imagine a more heartfeltcompliment. --Jeff Silverman ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

Good book on life and times of Larry Bird
Good behind the scenes insights on Larry Bird. Easy read. Well worth your time and money. Lots of laughs, too.

Good read
This is a follow-up to Bird's book Drive.It takes up at the end of his playing career and focuses on his post-playing career.He goes into the Olympic experience and the back pain that ended his career long before his skills had eroded.

He goes into detail about his figurehead jobs with the Boston Celtics and what ultimately led him to leave and eventually take up the head coaching job with the Indiana Pacers.Most of the book revolves around his first year coaching: he dispels myths and propaganda about his coaching and his life and h explains how he selected his coaches and his coaching philosophy, and his team.

The book was just a very enjoyable read.

Bird Watching - Larry Bird
Bird Watching (by Larry Bird)
Reviewer: Known as one the of the best basketball players to have ever stepped foot onto a NBA court, Larry Bird's book will teach you many things about himself as well as the game. Larry brings the reader into some of his most personal things that he has never shared with anyone. He gives you a first class view on all of his experiences of playing professional basketball in the NBA. He shows you the downsides, positives, but most of all the victories. You'll find out first hand all of the injuries Larry has encountered that until now he has kept as a secret.

Through this book Larry will share with you information of his hometown, French Lick, Indiana. You'll learn about his family, about his fathers' death and the way up to his mothers' death. Larry talks about more than just his parents he introduces you to his wife, Dinah and his two children, Conner and Mariah.

Larry will walk you through his entire career. All the way from his high school career, where one of his favorite coaches, Jim Jones coached him. Jim Jones was the coach who really taught Larry all of the fundamentals of the game. Larry didn't seem to have that many coaches that he didn't care for. Larry is also a very hard worker, he really appreciated it when coaches made him run hard. He believed that every basketball player should be conditioned to play the game. Then later on in his career when he ends up becoming a coach he incorporates all of the coaching skills that he has gathered from his previous coaches and uses them on his players. He brings you through some of his most exciting journeys and some of his most famous friends and players.

Just about everything in this book flows together. Larry explains everything that you know about him and a lot of things that you have no idea of. The only thing that I disliked about the book is that none of it was put in order from the beginning of his life to the end of his career, it seemed to jump around a lot. Another big thing was that each chapter was long in itself, but it seemed to talk about the same thing and just ramble on and on. For example one of Larry's biggest problems was his back and he talked about it for a whole chapter then he talked about it more in a few different chapters. Although there some very good and interesting chapters in the book that taught me many things about Larry Bird.

Overall I thought the book was very good, but somewhat long for me, but if you read often then it will be just fine. I would recommend this to anyone who has a great liking of either Larry Bird or basketball. You also need to have a pretty good understanding of basketball to be able to understand some of the topics Larry teaches you.

Celtics Rule
I think that this book is good for those who are fans of the Boston Celtics and that of the NBA.This book is a biography; it has a little bit of everything.With a foreword by Pat Riley (Head Coach of the Miami Heat) the book could not more complete.

This book begins in a small town in Indiana.Larry Bird was a star basketball player for his high school and the rest of the state.Larry left high school to go to Indiana University on a full basketball scholarship and play for the one and only Bobby Knight.Larry was not on the campus very long before he became overwhelmed by the great amount of students.Larry would then leave the school and transfer to Indiana State University.After college Larry entered himself in to the NBA draft and was selected 6th overall by the Boston Celtics.

Bird Watching: On Playing and Coaching the Game I Love
Bird Watching, an autobiography by Larry Bird, is a story for any lover of sports. Bird Watching is a detailed account of the life of Larry Bird, from his NBA career with the Boston Celtics to his coaching position with the Indiana Pacers. After reading the first page of the book, the reader realizes there is more to this NBA legend than meets the eye.
Unlike most professional basketball players, Larry Bird never regretted the day he left the NBA and even says that the day he retired was "one of the happiest days of [his] life." Faced with chronic back problems and an irregular heart, Bird was happy to see the day when he no longer had to endure the pain of playing the sport he loved more than anything. Coming from the man himself, the story describes Bird's life in a detailed and personal manner. From beginning to end, the reader easily notices the uniqueness of this man's character and not only sees, but feels the impact this incredible man left on so many fellow players, fans, and loved ones.
I thought this was a great book, especially for a sports fan. I felt that for a sport's book, it was particularly well written. The author's style allows the reader to get a personal glimpse of the life of Larry Bird and causes the reader to feel as if they knew this NBA legend. Because of the story's subject, the author employs very few literary devices. However, the author uses many similes in describing Bird's injuries, allowing the reader to appreciate Bird's choice in leaving the NBA. The book lacks an overall dominant theme, but simply wishes to convey the story of one of the greatest and most unique basketball players of all time. ... Read more

Product Description
Coaching Youth Football is an excellent introduction to youth coaching and teaching young football players valuable skills. It provides all the information you need to coach effectively and help 8- to 14-year-old athletes learn and enjoy the game.

This third edition features the games approach to coaching football, which makes practice more fun for the kids and teaching more effective for you, the coach. Also included are chapters on communicating with athletes and parents, planning and conducting practice, and coaching during games.

Developed by the American Sport Education Program (ASEP), the nation’s number one coaching education program, Coaching Youth Football provides volunteer coaches with both an explanation of their role and concrete instructions on how to fulfill that role. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Excellent Coaching Book!!
I've found Coaching Youth Football to be an excellent primer for
coaching my son's youth team this season. It includes all the background info a coach might need to build a program and keeps the focus on making the game fun. A positive introduction to this tremendous sport is whatI've found most kids need and most parents want. This book has helped me to teach the boys the game while keeping things fun and safe. A+++.

Recommended!
Teaching skills to first time players can be tricky business, but the ASEP youth football book leaves no stone unturned. Having never been a lineman and having limited playing experience (over 20 years ago), the various blocking drills have really helped with my instruction this season. This book helped get me up to speed and I'd highly recommend it to anyone facing the daunting task of coaching kids football for the first time.

Awful book for youth football
To agree with the other reviewers, these authors have obviously never coached a youth football team. I'm tired of finding all of these coaching youth football books written by college and pro coaches. Its different game, and the sooner they realize it, the better, maybe they can put out a book that worth reading.

[...]

Emphasis on coaching, not football information.
This is a fantastic book for coaches that already know quite a bit about football, but are not sure how to best transfer their knowledge to a bunch of 6-12 year old kids. The book advocates a "games approach" to teaching football. It keeps the kids interested and thinking. It has worked great for me. When it is time to switch to the next teaching drill/game I nearly alwayshave multiple kids asking, "Can we do it one more time?"We worked on kick off and kick off returns for 45 minutes yesterday using the "games approach". The kids learned a lot and they were begging to do it again. It was 95 degrees and these kids are begging to run the full length of the field over and over again!!! If you are fairly comfortable with your football knowledge, but not sure about coaching techniques, this is a fantastic book.Even if you are an experienced coach, you might what to look at this fresh, innovative approach to coaching kids.

A Great Book on Coaching Kids
I agree with the review on the back cover of the book, "It should be mandatory reading for every youth football coach in America." I was lucky enough to see this book at the library and then read it before I read the other Amazon.com reviews, which I was amazed to see were very negative.The emphasis of the book is certainly not the X's and O's of football.Rather, it is on how to effectively coach kids. How to communicate. How to teach skills.How to discipline and deal with misbehavior.How to deal with parents.The proper emphasis to put on winning ("athletes first, winning second").How to make practice fun. The importance of listening and treating each player as an individual.This book is right on the money and is a very valuable book.It written by people who clearly care about our youth. ... Read more

Product Description

With Inside Sport Psychology, you’ll discover the relationship between mind, body, and performance. Learn about the techniques that have proven successful for today’s top athletes and teams and how you can adapt and apply them in both training and competition.

Product Description
The first complete summary of information on undergraduate and graduate athletic coaching majors and minors including contact details and essential references.

There is a tremendous need for quality coaching education programs. These needs are being recognized and more states are beginning to require that interscholastic coaches complete coaching education programs. The primary goal of this directory is to provide a list of colleges and universities in the United States that offer coaching education programs. It should serve as a guide to students interested in the coaching profession; high school guidance counselors and parents advising perspective students; faculty involved in researching and developing coaching education programs; and individuals and organizations involved in coaching education.

Each entry includes the available program descriptions course offerings practica and internships websites and key contact people for 158 undergraduate programs and 21 graduate programs in the field. The appendices offer the reader the opportunity to review programs by state or by program requirements such as field experience and important information about accreditation and certification. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Coaching as a Major
Physical Education Major with a Coaching Minor is the norm.
Coaching as a Major is welcome, esp. if you are unaware that it is available.

First ever catalog of college-based coaching ed programs
Professor McMillin, a tireless advocate for formal sports coaching education, has created the first ever database of the sport coaching education programs offered at colleges and universities throughout the U.S.Now young men and women who aspire to become quality sports coaches for their profession can use this directory to find schools that offer undergraduate and graduate level sport coaching education programs. If this directory had existed in 1981, my life would have been different!

The directory is easy to use and is cross referenced.Also, his introduction plainly states the case for the need for such educational programs.With the ongoing obesity crisis in the US, the need for quality trained sport coaches is high. ... Read more

Product Description
Coaching kids is a whole different ball game, and this comprehensive guide supplies all the right moves. It's loaded with information, tools, and techniques to help children excel in sports, from helping them choose the right sport to making sure they're having fun.

Foolproof techniques for teaching good sportsmanship include:

Your guide is a Sports Illustrated columnist and nationally recognized expert who knows how to show parents and coaches how to unleash kids' athletic potential. " ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Good for first-timers
I have appreciated the Dummies series as the publisher has some fun with topics that we might not have a clue. Having coached both Little League and softball (ASA), I saw this book on the shelf and decided to buy it to see if there are any hints that I might have been missing. Overall, this book is excellent for those who are just starting out in the coaching world. Handling kids and knowing the sport can be quite tricky, especially when parents are part of the equation. I think looking this over before stepping onto the field (and looking like a "dummy") is a very wise investment of money and time. I pretty much experienced most of what he explained, but Wolff was very straightforward and to the point. I appreciated his insights and will consider using several of the tips that I had not thought of before. Parents, get out of your lawn chairs, quit complaining behind our backs, and help us other parents coach!

How to coach or just be a supportive parent!
I bought this book when I heard the author was going to be on Oprah. I wasn't sure I was ready to let my child participate in organized sports ata young age, but this has helped me figure out what my child should expectfrom her coach and how I can be a supportive parents too, without puttingpressure on anyone. ... Read more

Product Description

Better Coaching provides updated information on the sport sciences, including anatomy, physiology, psychology, biomechanics, and skill acquisition, which are vital for coaches in a range of sports. It features practical guidelines to develop athletes' endurance, speed, strength, power, and flexibility, and also uses of a range of case studies, examples and anecdotes to de-mystify some of the more technical sports science information. Coaching tips at the end of each chapter summarize key messages from each chapter.

This edition also has a greater emphasis on the management, planning and interpersonal skills required of the modern coach. New chapters on risk management, resource management, and coaching methods are important additions to this manual, and emphasize the broad role of the coach in sport. Excellent new chapters include ‘Working with Teams', and ‘Adopting a Balanced Approach to Coaching'.

The welfare of the athlete is another important theme emphasized in Better Coaching. The opening chapter, ‘The Role of the Coach', sets the scene for an athlete-focused approach to coaching. In addition, the chapters on ‘Coaching Athletes as Individuals', ‘Sports Nutrition', and ‘Medical Considerations in Sport' provide information and examples on how best to assist their athletes with the range of issues they may face.

Better Coaching combines the application of training principles and methods with the people skills required to succeed as a coach. The text encourages a balanced approach to training, recovery, competition and life, and illustrates how best to enhance fitness, technique, mental skills and nutrition to minimize injury and illness. In addition, contemporary-coaching issues, such as legal, ethical and behavioral issues, drugs in sport, and information technology developments are addressed.