The inspirational story of legendary coach Herb Brooks comes to life in this heart-warming, motivational biography, celebrating the legacy of a true American hero. As the architect of the fabled 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey "Miracle on Ice," Brooks showed the world that dreams really can come true. Brooks' unorthodox ideologies and philosophies on team-building, leadership and motivation can be applied to the real world just as easily as they can to the business world. Follow along as Brooks' amazing life is chronicled with anecdotes, quotes, funny stories and nuggets of wisdom from Brooks himself.
An uplifting leadership book about a coach who helped transform the nation’s worst high school hockey team into one of the best. Bacon’s strategy is straightforward: set high expectations, make them accountable to each other, and inspire them all to lead their team. When John U. Bacon played for the Ann Arbor Huron High School River Rats, he never scored a goal. Yet somehow, years later he found himself leading his alma mater’s downtrodden program. How bad? The team hadn’t won a game in over a year, making them the nation’s worst squad—a fact they celebrated. With almost everyone expecting more failure, Bacon made it special to play for Huron by making it hard, which inspired the players to excel. Then he defied conventional wisdom again by putting the players in charge of team discipline, goal-setting, and even decision-making – and it worked. In just three seasons the River Rats bypassed 95-percent of the nation’s teams. A true story filled with unforgettable characters, stories, and lessons that apply to organizations everywhere, Let Them Lead includes the leader’s mistakes and the reactions of the players, who have since achieved great success as leaders themselves. Let Them Lead is a fast-paced, feel-good book that leaders of all kinds can embrace to motivate their teams to work harder, work together, and take responsibility for their own success.
Alonzo S. (Jake) Gaither, former head football coach and athletic director of Florida A&M, was named to the Football Foundation Hall of Fame in 1975, the first coach of a predominantly black college to be so honored. It was deserved recognition of an incredible career. "I like my boys ag-ile, mo-bile, and hos-tile," Gaither was fond of saying, and apparently they were. In twenty-five years of coaching at Florida A&M, Gaither won 85 percent of his games and never had a losing season. When he retired in 1973, his record of 203-36-4 was better than that of any active coach in the country. Over the years his teams won six national black collegiate championships and every conference title except three - twenty-two out of twenty-five. He also produced at least one All-America player every years except one, and through the years sent over twenty-five of his players to the pros. Gaither was selected small college Coach of the Year three times - by the Associated Press in 1961, by the American Football Coaches Association in 1962, and by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics in 1969. In addition he was awarded two of the highest honors given for coaching, the Amos Alonzo Stagg Award and the Walter Camp Award. Here, in an absorbing biography of the man who became a football legend, is the story of how he did it. --From the book jacket.
From baked beans to apple cider, from clam chowder to pumpkin pie, Keith Stavely and Kathleen Fitzgerald's culinary history reveals the complex and colorful origins of New England foods and cookery. Featuring hosts of stories and recipes derived from generations of New Englanders of diverse backgrounds, America's Founding Food chronicles the region's cuisine, from the English settlers' first encounter with Indian corn in the early seventeenth century to the nostalgic marketing of New England dishes in the first half of the twentieth century. Focusing on the traditional foods of the region--including beans, pumpkins, seafood, meats, baked goods, and beverages such as cider and rum--the authors show how New Englanders procured, preserved, and prepared their sustaining dishes. Placing the New England culinary experience in the broader context of British and American history and culture, Stavely and Fitzgerald demonstrate the importance of New England's foods to the formation of American identity, while dispelling some of the myths arising from patriotic sentiment. At once a sharp assessment and a savory recollection, America's Founding Food sets out the rich story of the American dinner table and provides a new way to appreciate American history.
Just like the coaching relationship, supervision is most successful when it is a collaborative endeavour, with both parties clear on their roles and the process. Coaching Supervision is an intensely practical book providing guidance on when, why and how to seek supervision, and on how coaches can make the most of the supervision they receive. Written by experienced supervisors who have a deep understanding of the field, and drawing on research into good practice internationally, this book: Explains what supervision is and how it differs from other ‘helping conversations’ Provides a step by step approach to choosing a supervisor Advises on how to structure the coach/mentor development journey Explores a breadth of activities that enhance reflective practice Shows how supervision is an integral element of professional coaching and mentoring This practical guide will be vital reading for all established and trainee coaches and mentors participating in the supervision process, either as supervisors or supervisees.
Eleven of the nation's top coaches from the American Volleyball Coaches Association share the insight that helps build championship teams and Olympians. More than 90 drills reinforce instruction and help players advance.
An autobiographical portrait of UCLA basketball coach John Wooden highlighting his career and personal life and insights on how his top players shaped and changed the NBA.
It’s hard to imagine, but as late as the 1950s, athletes could get kicked off a team if they were caught lifting weights. Coaches had long believed that strength training would slow down a player. Muscle was perceived as a bulky burden; training emphasized speed and strategy, not “brute” strength. Fast forward to today: the highest-paid strength and conditioning coaches can now earn $700,000 a year. Strength Coaching in America delivers the fascinating history behind this revolutionary shift. College football represents a key turning point in this story, and the authors provide vivid details of strength training’s impact on the gridiron, most significantly when University of Nebraska football coach Bob Devaney hired Boyd Epley as a strength coach in 1969. National championships for the Huskers soon followed, leading Epley to launch the game-changing National Strength Coaches Association. Dozens of other influences are explored with equal verve, from the iconic Milo Barbell Company to the wildly popular fitness magazines that challenged physicians’ warnings against strenuous exercise. Charting the rise of a new athletic profession, Strength Coaching in America captures an important transformation in the culture of American sport.
This edited collection brings together an impressive and international array of coaching supervisors to highlight the unique cultural and contextual aspects of coaching supervision in the Americas, exploring current theory, research, and practice. Offering fresh insights into a growing field, Francine Campone, Joel DiGirolamo, Damian Goldvarg, and Lily Seto expertly present the nuances of coaching supervision principles and practices in the Americas. The book is organized into three parts. Part 1 introduces the range of cultures and values that inform approaches to and beliefs about coaching supervision in the Americas, such as racial justice, working with indigenous communities, and providing culturally sensitive coaching supervision. Part 2 presents adaptations of coaching supervision models and methods to align with Americas contexts, as well as uniquely introducing an original model for coaching supervision rooted in an Americas perspective. Incorporating theory with practitioner’s experiences throughout, Part 3 presents chapters that offers avenues for increasing awareness and interest in coaching supervision in the Americas, including chapters on coach wellbeing and the developmental journey of the coach. Coaching supervisors work across borders and boundaries, and this book will extend supervisors’ understanding of the various contexts in which they are working. It is essential reading for coaching supervisors, educators, trainers, mentors, and coaches, and it will be of interest to practitioners and graduate students in organizational development and those who oversee internal coaching programs.
America loves sports. This book examines and details the proof of this fascination seen throughout American society—in our literature, film, and music; our clothing and food; and the iconography of the nation. This momentous four-volume work examines and details the cultural aspects of sport and how sport pervasively reflects—and affects—myriad aspects of American society from the early 1900s to the present day. Written in a straightforward, readable manner, the entries cover both historical and contemporary aspects of sport and American culture. Unlike purely historical encyclopedias on sports, the contributions within these volumes cover related subject matter such as poetry, novels, music, films, plays, television shows, art and artists, mythologies, artifacts, and people. While this encyclopedia set is ideal for general readers who need information on the diverse aspects of sport in American culture for research purposes or are merely reading for enjoyment, the detailed nature of the entries will also prove useful as an initial source for scholars of sport and American culture. Each entry provides a number of both print and online resources for further investigation of the topic.
