Do sports build character? An anthropologist and a sociologist explore the underpinnings of school sports and examine the evidence to support the prevailing assumption that sport is an ennobling experience. They find that participation has little effect on positive character development. Far from building model citizens, their research shows that competitive team sports may foster selfish motives and antisocial behavior. Rather than learning self-sacrifice and dedication, athletes often pick up the message that "winning isn''t everything - it''s the only thing."
NFL head coach Mike Smith lead one of the most remarkable turnarounds in NFL history. In the season prior to his arrival in 2008, the Atlanta Falcons had a 4–12 record and the franchise had never before achieved back-to-back winning seasons. Under Smith’s leadership, the Falcons earned an 11–5 record in his first season and would go on to become perennial playoff and Super Bowl contenders earning Smith AP Coach of year in 2008 and voted Coach of Year by his peers in 2008, 2010 and 2012. You Win in the Locker Room First draws on the extraordinary experiences of Coach Mike Smith and Jon Gordon—consultant to numerous college and professional teams—to explore the seven powerful principles that any business, school, organization, or sports team can adopt to revitalize their organization. Step by step, the authors outline a strategy for building a thriving organization and provide a practical framework that give leaders the tools they need to create a great culture, lead with the right mindset, create strong relationships, improve teamwork, execute at a higher level, and avoid the pitfalls that sabotage far too many leaders and organizations. In addition to sharing what went right with the Falcons, Smith also transparently shares what went wrong his last two seasons and provides invaluable lessons leaders can take away from his victories, success, failures and mistakes. Whether it’s an executive leadership team of a Fortune 500 company, a sports team, an emergency room team, military team, or a school team successful leaders coach their team and develop, mentor, encourage, and guide them. This not only improves the team, it improves the leaders and their relationships, connections, and organization. You Win in the Locker Room First offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at one of the most pressure packed leadership jobs on the planet and what leaders can learn from these experiences in order to build their own winning team.
The authors believe individual educational goals should be complemented by athletic experiences, and desirable social ethics should be expressed through sports participation, instead of the "win-at-all-costs" mentality that pervades most of today's locker rooms. They make predictions about what sport will look like in the future if we can get beyond the myth that it builds character.
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.
Life is full of ups, downs, highs and lows. It is also replete with game changing moves that can shift a situation in your favor and impact your journey. Sometimes that impact is realized immediately, and at other times the awareness comes later. Either way, game changing moves are powerful. Throughout this book, you will learn life lessons from the locker room and beyond. Chad Parks will share valuable wisdom he has acquired through sports. He provides valuable principles that will inspire and give you confidence for the road ahead so you can experience your own positive game changing moves.
In the tradition of Harvey Penick’s classic Little Red Book, golf instructor Mark Steinbauer documents a lifetime of incredible experiences and life lessons from the world of golf. He learned to play the game from Penick, his longtime mentor and friend, and has since played alongside pros such as Bobby Locke and Jack Nicklaus. 18 Game-Changing Lessons reveals the strategies and techniques that these pros have shared with Steinbauer throughout his 30-year career. Each chapter begins with a colorful narrative recounting a lesson learned from one of the sport’s greats, and sums up with instructional pointers for three skill levels. A perfect gift for a golf enthusiast, this small guide offers a fresh, insightful look at some of the biggest names in golf and what makes them masters of the game.
Life constantly changes the shots it throws at us. Do you know what to do when life’s on a breakaway to your open net? Or, do you know how to face a major roadblock in your career? Furthermore, are you looking for gold medal-winning strategies to help you get the edge in your field? Lessons Learned: My Journey to the Podium is the real-life story of three-time gold medal winning Paralympian Josh Pauls on his adventure to achieving his dreams. This inspirational book takes readers through Josh’s life, from having his legs amputated at ten months old to becoming the youngest team captain of the US Sled Hockey Team. In Lessons Learned: My Journey to the Podium, you will learn: • inspiration and strategies on how to reach the top of your field through unique stories and humor, • valuable lessons you can apply to your everyday life and overcome the challenges you face, • what it is like to be behind the scenes at some of the world’s greatest sporting events, • the real reason why Josh Pauls can honestly say, “I can guarantee if I had come out with fully functional legs, I wouldn’t have had the great life I have now.” A story of triumph over challenges, Lessons Learned: My Journey to the Podium demonstrates that success can be measured not only by the end goal, but also on the journey it took to get there. Success isn't something that happens overnight. Josh Pauls shows how hard work, determination, and persistence can positively affect one's life. "My biggest asset is the positive attitude I carry along with me wherever I go." —Josh Pauls
Do you want to change your life, be successful, and live a peaceful life? Then this book is for you. The empirical knowledge and techniques in 7 Biblical Life-Changing Lessons will change the lens through which you see this world. It identifies and discusses seven little-known themes that weave their way through the Bible. These ancient themes, should you dare to read, examine, and follow them, will change your life and significantly contribute to you living a successful and peaceful life.
What can one of the most successful coaches in the history of professional basketball tell CEOs, executives, entrepreneurs, and managers about leadership? Everything! In this fascinating account of his nearly seven decades as a player, coach, general manager, goodwill ambassador, color commentator, and NBA analyst for ESPN, basketball legend Dr. Jack Ramsay reveals the guiding principles and best practices that make for outstanding leadership both on and off the court.
A detailed and unique training resource, Lessons with the Master is a meticulous account of the teaching methods and lesson strategies of world-famous karate master Hirokazu Kanazawa, chief instructor and president of the Shotokan Karate International Federation of Japan. Author and karate instructor Paul Walker spent three years studying karate under the direct guidance of Master Kanazawa and his expert instructors and has now compiled his diary entries of those years into this easy-to-understand reference for all students and instructors of Shotokan karate. Lessons with the Master offers ideas, tips, and guidance on the use of authentic Shotokan karate-do to supplement and improve current training and drill-teaching. Using the database of lessons, the additional explanations on lesson components, and the many other instructional tips, students and coaches can design an endless number of coherent and effective workouts and incorporate them seamlessly into their regular karate training. Detailed lesson notes, a glossary, and Walker's engaging anecdotes make Lessons with the Master an indispensable resource for all karate practitioners.
