Coaching Youth Soccer- A Baffled Parent-s Guide

5 stars (extremely helpful) - I am coaching my daughter's U-8 AYSO soccer team this season and was in desperate need of an easy overview of rules as well as age and skill appropriate drills for practices. This book was very helpful and I am using it as a resource. 5 stars (Very Good Beginners Book) - This is a very good book for the beginner coach or parent who wants to work with their child. I bought this to learn the basics of soccer and work with my 4.5 year old. I knew nothing of the sport and this book was a great resource for me. Plus, it has tons of great games to make practice fun on top of learning the skills. 5 stars (Coaching Bible!) - This should be mandatory reading for ALL youth team coaches, at all levels! This is the BIBLE for coaches...and many other youth sport coaches would gain a lot of wisdom reading Clarks ideas!!! ...
International Marine-Ragged Mountain Press :: Sports & Recreation & General :: Sports & Recreation :: Sports :: Soccer for children :: Soccer :: Parenting - General :: Coaching - Soccer :: Coaching :: Bobby Clar :: Coaching Youth Soccer- A Baffled Parent-s Guide

 

If Football-s a Religion- Why Don-t We Have a Prayer- - Philadelphia- Its Faithful- and the Eternal

If Football's a Religion, Why Don't We Have a Prayer? : Philadelphia, Its Faithful, and the Eternal Quest for Sports Salvation...
HarperCollins :: Sports & Recreation & General :: Sports & Recreation :: Sports :: Prayer :: General :: Football - General :: Football :: Jere Longman :: :: If Football-s a Religion- Why Don-t We Have a Prayer- - Philadelphia- Its Faithful- and the Eternal

 

The New Toughness Training for Sports - Mental Emotional Physical Conditioning from 1 World-s Premie

1 stars (So-so, look at others before you buy) - This book was so-so. It contained a lot of highly basic material. I was not really impressed with Dr. Loehr's theories about sport. It seemed that he did not have much access to sport himself. The examples that were given were very modest and could have used some help. I would only reccommend this book to someone who has rarely particiapted in sports...too basic for the advanced. 2 stars (A little over the edge...) - This book has a lot of terms and things that don't make a lot of sense. The intentions in this are great, but I want a book that is straightforward. The exercises aren't bad, but the talk isn't all that motivational. 5 stars (excellent book. Motivated me to walk the appalachian trail) - excellent book. Motivated me to walk the appalachian trail ...
Plume :: Sports & Recreation & General :: Training :: Sports Psychology :: Sports & Recreation :: Sports :: James E Loehr :: Chris Evert :: Dan Jansen :: :: The New Toughness Training for Sports - Mental Emotional Physical Conditioning from 1 World-s Premie

 

The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding - The Bible of Bodybuilding- Fully Updated and Revised

5 stars (To be the best you got to train like the Best) - this book is with out a doubt hands down the only resource you will need on bodybuilding and weight training. Why? Because this book covers it all from correct movements to common mistakes this book not only gives you a great foundation but a great program to follow. i hope you dont think these guys didnt take shortcuts on lifting weights. it also has posing, diet nutrition along with wonderful anantomy pictures to show you what you going for when you get your lift on. i have run in to many of lame books from some of our famous friends that sell magazines but all they do is chop this book up and make multiple books to sell to poor guys that forget that to be the best you got to train like the best. i mean honestly ask you rself this question. do you ask your barber to perform open heart surgery on you? thats because he doesnt have the educational background or credintials to prove other wise. then why would you wanna get buff from a whimpy magazine thats biggest section every month is about abs? just buy it and save yourself the money and time. 5 stars (Simply Amazing) - 800+ Pages on how to workout with one of greats at the helm of it. A+++ Info without a doubt a MUST have for any aspiring weight lifter / bodybuilder. 5 stars (Must have) - This is a great book that touches everything you need to know for bodybuilding. Great for reference on muscle groups and excercises. ...
Simon - Schuster :: Sports & Recreation & General :: Weight training :: Sports & Recreation :: Reference :: Massage & Reflexotherapy :: Exercise :: Bodybuilding & Weight Training :: Bo :: The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding - The Bible of Bodybuilding- Fully Updated and Revised

 

The Last Season- A Team In Search of Its Soul

3 stars (Zen, Ego, Fame) - Good book. Subject matter is interesting. Coach Jackson is likeable but his writing is lacking. This was the author's inward look at a season filled with surprises, peaks, and valleys. The irony is that he is returning to coach the Lakers next season and this book will act as the giant elephant in the room that nobody will want to talk about. Outside of the obvious issues: Kobe's ego, lockerroom dissension, etc... This is your typical "a season in" diary of a sports team, with all the ebbs and flows that playing in the NBA provides. Jackson offers few poignant observations about the league that a serious fan doesn't already know or suspect. Still valuable as a worthy document of a popular and polarizing sports franchise. 4 stars (Good Book) - If you like reading about grown men act like a bunch of whiney women this is your book.This book should be call "Phil Jackson my last year of babysitting" 5 stars (The BOLD truth) - First of all this books kicks ass, for any real lakers/shaq fan. What else can I say other than, Phil and Kobe wont get along...again. Kobe is EVIL! ...
The Penguin Press :: Sports & Recreation & General :: Sports & Recreation :: Los Angeles Lakers (Basketball team) :: Los Angeles Lakers (Basketball :: General :: Biography&Autobiogr :: The Last Season- A Team In Search of Its Soul

 

The Golfer-s Mind - Play to Play Great

4 stars (Good, but....) - This book is very similar to the other Psyche books. Very easy to read, not so easy to implement. 5 stars (A necessity for all serious golfers) - Buy this book, read it once, twice, three times... then read it again. If you have high expectations on the course and get frustrated when you fall short of these expectations, this book will be a great help to you. ...
Free Press :: Sports & Recreation & General :: Sports & Recreation :: Sports :: Psychological aspects :: Golf - General :: Golf :: General :: Bob Cullen :: Bob Dr Rotella :: :: The Golfer-s Mind - Play to Play Great

 

Winning Ugly - Mental Warfare in Tennis--Lessons from a Master

5 stars (Excellent book.) - This is a great book. The stories about playing days are getting a little dated, but the concepts are timeless. There are several sections that I'm going to re-read. The only people who shouldn't read this are my opponents. :D 5 stars (An excellent title for players with sound strokes) - I remember picking up this book from a bookstore a few years back. Then, I didn't have sound strokes and a pathetic serve. The book was humorous and excellent tips on how to beat power players, moonballers, net players and more. Unfortunetly, the book didn't do any good for me. Until now, I have improved my groundstrokes and serve greatly and I'm starting to go the net. I now play strategicily in singles and doubles in competition and now a plan of action in each game. Read this book. It is your essential key to winning matches. Treat it like your tennis bible! It will only work if you can play a decent game of tennis. The better you play with your strokes, the more you can get out of this book. 5 stars (great book) - Somebody here said - "But if you are 3.5 or below don't bother with this book"...Man, think before you utter nonsense like this. This book is great, there are very few club players who think on the court. After reading this book, I guarantee they'll be thinking more about their game, analyzing, and getting better results. Congrats, Brad. It's not hard to beat someone who's worse than you, but someone who's better. This book can help you do that. ...
Fireside :: Sports & Recreation & General :: Tennis :: Sports & Recreation :: Sports :: Psychological aspects :: Steve Jamison :: Brad Gilbert :: :: Winning Ugly - Mental Warfare in Tennis--Lessons from a Master

 

Hey Rube - Blood Sport- the Bush Doctrine- and the Downward Spiral of Dumbness Modern History from

4 stars (When the Going Gets Weird) - Reading "Hey Rube" is a bit of a disorienting experience. Doc narrates his gambling-man take on parts of four different football seasons, and it all starts to run together long before the paperback concludes on page 243. Honestly, by the end, I couldn't keep track of who had won which Super Bowl, and whether or not HST beat the point spread. Are the Raiders still in the league? Reading a collection of ESPN.com colums covering November 2000 through October 2003 in something far quicker than real time is perhaps not the way Hunter S. Thompson is meant to be read. The columns that stuck in my memory, oddly enough, were not the Gonzo columns (except for the stories about Prince "Omar" running through the 2001 World Series). The single column take on Dale Earnhardt's death at the Daytona was the first reprint in the book to grab me by the lapels of my T-shirt. The discussion of the Honolulu Marathon raises a point so amazing I can't believe I hadn't read it elsewhere before -- in what other sport do professionals and amateurs compete on the same course and the same time? I wish the editing of "Hey Rube" had been a bit tighter. The back cover blurb promises "critics' favorites, and never-before-published columns"... without identifying inside the book which is which. The first "Hey Rube", from November 2000, is printed out of sequence and highlighted on a gray background.... and that's the only column in the collection to be given special treatment. Finally, the paperback ends in mid-October 2003, not compiling the balance of HST's columns through February 2005. We thus miss his take on the 2004 Presidential election. Did Kerry win? Did Doc cover the 3-point popular vote spread? ESPN.com still has these final columns archived. Read more than a year after the release of the hardcover, the paperback edition of "Hey Rube" is a book without an ending. 3 stars (Not what I expected, but I didn't know what to expect) - I've n...
Simon - Schuster :: Sports & Recreation & General :: United States :: Sports & Recreation :: Sports :: Politics and government :: Literature - Classics & Criticism :: General :: Essays :: Hey Rube - Blood Sport- the Bush Doctrine- and the Downward Spiral of Dumbness Modern History from

 

The Encyclopedia of Surfing

5 stars (A top pick for any interested in the fine art of surfing) - Matt Warshaw's Encyclopedia Of Surfing is a top pick for any interested in the fine art of surfing. From different surfboard developments and the history of different cultures involved in the surfside sport, to legendary surfers and their achievements, the Encyclopedia Of Surfing is packed from cover to cover with "user friendly" A-Z reference material. 5 stars (Like Surfers Journal... almost) - I surf almost every day and can never seem to quench my thirst. My favorite read, by far, of all books and periodicals is The Surfers Journal. It truly captures the many angles of the sport. This book is somewhat in the same vein. It's exhaustive, comprehensive and true to the roots. If you love the history of the sport buy it. If you read Surfing, have never ridden more than one type of board or never traveled to pursue a new wave... don't (do those things instead... THEN buy it). Good bedside book... alongside my Bible. 2 stars (Really IS and Encyclopedia) - For the record, let me state that I've been surfing for 20 years and got the bug, along with most others my age, watching The Endless Summer and getting captivated by the energy and beauty of the sport. This compilation, while very complete, really IS an encyclopedia...page, after page, after page. There are some useful tidbits of information strewn among the lengthy volume but a large majority of the book seems filled with fairly uninteresting, small, black and white photos, and biographies of just about anyone in the world who ever attempted to stand up on a board. Avoid this snore-fest and put your money into a nice hardcover coffee table book filled with glorious color shots of the world's tube riders...and leave all of the trivia to the wannabes. ...
Harcourt :: Sports & Recreation & General :: Water Sports :: Surfing :: Sports & Recreation :: Sports :: Reference :: General :: Encyclopedias :: Aquatic Sports :: William Finnegan :: The Encyclopedia of Surfing

 

Lance Armstrong-s War- One Man-s Battle Against Fate- Fame- Love- Death- Scandal- and a Few Other Ri

1 stars (Lance is A Star, This Book Is Not!) - The writer spends time with Lance Armstrong during the 2004 season, but spends most of his pages covering other racers, and nothing that I can recall about Lance's struggle with cancer, his early racing years, etc. I did find some of the statistical information interesting - eg. there are about 5 serious injuries/week during cycling season, spread among the approximately 400 professional cyclists. In comparison, for NASCAR 2002, there were only 5 serious injuries the entire year. Lance's maximum heart rate is 185 beats/second, and can sustain an output power level of almost 500 watts for 30-60 minutes. (Try one of those 100 watt light-bulb power displays - damn tough, though only arms are used.) According to the author most can only sustain 500 watts on a bicycle for about ten seconds. A TV report stated that Armstrong's heart was about 10% larger than average upon birth, and is now about one-third larger than average; still another source stated that his lungs can consume more than double the amount of oxygen of a normal, healthy man. "Losing weight is the most important thing you can do," according to Lance. Each ounce adds about a second for an eight-mile climb. Trek sponsors Lance, and builds his bicycles - the new one for that year involved about $250,000 in expense, and it didn't help him so he threw it on a trash-pile. His tires are glued to the rim after being aged two years in the darkness of a basement. Finally, I'd always heard that riding behind someone takes less energy - the author reports that its about 30% less. Quite a lot, and hence the logic of bicycling teams. Armstrong's "It's Not About the Bike" is a much, much better and more interesting work 5 stars (Inspiring and Captivating) - I began this book with very little knowledge regarding professional cycling and the Tour De France. I was unaware that competitive cycling is to Europe what boxing is to the United States; a sport where most ...
HarperCollins :: Sports & Recreation & General :: United States :: Tour de France (Bicycle race) :: Sports - General :: Sports & Recreation :: Sports :: General :: Cyclists :: Cycling :: Lance Armstrong-s War- One Man-s Battle Against Fate- Fame- Love- Death- Scandal- and a Few Other Ri

 

Total Immersion - The Revolutionary Way To Swim Better- Faster- and Easier

5 stars (Great Book) - I wish I had this book when I was growing up, I would have been a much better swimer-faster and less stress on the hips and back muscles. This book has it all.The concepts are easy to understand and well written. for all fitness levels,improve yours and your kids swimming methods.Also recommend The Backsmart Fitness Plan By Dr. Adam Weiss, a great book that helped with strengthening and stretching the muscles I used in the pool.Seen great changes using these books. 5 stars (Excellent place to learn how to swim) - I was in training for a triathlon, and began to work on my swimming. I was not getting anywhere, and purchased this book to see if it could help me with my technique. I read this book, and literally within two sessions at the pool I was being complimented on my swimming. The stroke began to feel effortless. I started to "glide" through the water as opposed to flailing through the pool. It was miraculous. And I honestly did not even do any of the suggested drills. I simply tried to mentally apply the principles. I must admit, that for all I know this could be swimming 101 and could be what every high school or college swimmer learns. However, for someone like me, who just swam with no formal instruction, this book is revolutionary. If you have been swimming and want to start learning to glide, this book is for you. (Just the other day I crossed the pool using only 15 strokes, after each stroke it was like I was just floating through the pool with ease!) 2 stars (Oh gee, not buying this.) - Well lemme me say I have been swimming since I was 7. I am a teenager of 14 and what he says about injuries is not very much so true. Yes it is very true you use your muscles and joints but you can have an extremely high injury. I have gotten alot of injuries. I have extreme shoulder problems and my neck is horrible. He states that you have a minimal chance of getting injured and if you are you can hop right back in. I would like to info...
Fireside :: Sports & Recreation & General :: Training :: Swimming And Diving :: Swimming :: Sports & Recreation :: Sports :: General :: John Delves :: Terry Laughlin :: :: Total Immersion - The Revolutionary Way To Swim Better- Faster- and Easier

 

ChiRunning

5 stars (Some excellent information ) - This could have been a much shorter book. Much of what is contained in chapters 1 - 3 is a sales pitch for the book which makes no sense since you already bought it. Chapter 4 is where most of the good information is. Danny's core ideas are excellent and they have helped my running substantially. I would have prefered to have seen more Chi theory in general included although some of the ancedotal information provided regarding his two Masters defies my belief. It is a book that belongs in your library if you are a runner. 5 stars (Great book) - This book was so insightful. It gave great advice on proper running techniques. I am trying out what i have learned and running is becoming enjoyable and easier. 3 stars (Pretty good, but only for serious runners.) - This book has a lot of good information it - probably too much. Unless you are really going to focus on something, it's very hard to remember more than two or three core ideas. I am a casual runner - maybe two or three runs per week of three to five miles - and I really hoped this book would give me a couple areas of focus that would make my running safer, more comfortable and perhaps faster. Instead, I got overload. There is a single 2-page spread in this book that lists about 50 points to focus on in your running. Come again? That doesn't sound very Zen to me (I know it's a different Eastern philosophy, but you get the idea). Dreyer ackowledges the length of the list and suggests picking out two or three of these ideas to focus on for each run, but you still need to be pretty serious to do that. I don't want to consult a checklist before each run and I want to plug into my iPod and relax a little while I'm running. In addition, Dreyer gives a pre- and post-run routine that would add about an hour to any run you wanted to do - again, more than I'm able to commit to this portion of my life. If you are a very serious runner or want to become one, this is a gre...
Fireside :: Sports & Recreation & General :: Training :: Tai chi :: Sports injuries :: Sports & Recreation :: Running & Jogging :: Running :: Prevention :: Martial Arts - Taichi :: :: ChiRunning

 

Mind Gym - An Athlete-s Guide to Inner Excellence

2 stars (Not well written, rehashes other books.) - I have just about every book on the topic of sports performance. I've read others that were more impactful and helpful. Granted, this book is good if you're just looking for some inspiration that might eventually lead you to results. For immediate results to use on one's game, however, this book isn't it! As another reviewer said, it's clumsily written. For my hard earned money, I'd like something that I can actually use on my game right away. If you're a couch potato athlete that only watches a game, this book is probably good. My brother-in-law loves it. He's never played a sport in his life, but is a big fan. For competitive athletes who are more interested in RESULTS and can get their cliches from TV announcers, this book isn't for them. I'd give it one star, but those who've met the guy seem to like him enough to log onto amazon and write a review. Nothing personal, but I can't give this anything like the rating the others did. 5 stars (Excellence for all life's pursuits) - Mind Gym is one of my favorite books to pickup whenever I need a little inspiration and encouragement. While the many stories and quotes are derived from the world of professional athletics, the book is really about creating excellence in one's life with applicability to any pursuit and any profession. The main theme is that once one reaches a certain level of competency, the level he achieves in performance will be determined by how well he learns to utilize his mind. With this, the author takes us on a fascinating tour of the minds of some of the world's greatest coaches and athletes; their successes, their challenges, and the mental tools they employed to succeed. To borrow a line from the book, "it takes years of hard work to become an overnight success", Mind Gym is an excellent coach along the way. 5 stars (A great book from a great author) - I had the fortune of knowing Gary Mack personally when I was playing for the...
McGraw-Hill :: Sports & Recreation & General :: Training :: Sports Psychology :: Sports & Recreation :: Sports :: Athletic Training And Conditioning :: David Casstevens :: Gary :: Mind Gym - An Athlete-s Guide to Inner Excellence

 

Great Soccer Drills - The Baffled Parent-s Guide

5 stars (Comprehensive, not just drills) - As a great follow-on to the original "Baffled Parent" beginner book from Bobby Clark, this one is much more than just practice games. It contains the type of wisdom you will hear in the USSF "D" and NCSAA Regional Diploma courses, so that the novice coach has more to go on than simply doing some game because it's in the book. It should help him/her to structure practices that make the players think, keep them active, and work towards a theme. It goes beyond telling them not to do the three "L"s (laps, lines, lectures) and gives them some tools so they know what they should do instead. I'm buying 150 of them for the coaches in our rec program. Also recommend the McAvoy and Luxbacher books. 5 stars (Great stuff!) - Don't let the title fool you. This is a great book for coaches who want to have fun at their practices and games that teach skills. Use the games at the beginning of practice and the kids will have fun, pay attention and improve. ...
International Marine-Ragged Mountain Press :: Sports & Recreation & General :: Training :: Sports & Recreation :: Sports :: Soccer for children :: Soccer :: General :: Coaching :: Ronald W Quinn :: Thomas Fleck :: :: Great Soccer Drills - The Baffled Parent-s Guide

 

How Soccer Explains the World - An Unlikely Theory of Globalization

4 stars (Good writing and reporting, though the title's a stretch) - Reader Derrick Peterman's review here on these pages nails it squarely on the button for me: while these 10 essays by Franklin Foer are good writing and reporting, to say for each of them "How Soccer Explains..." is really quite a stretch. Who knows if Foer himself came up with this hook or whether it got foisted on him by editors and PR types, but it really doesn't do the book or its well-meaning author justice. For example, in the chapter "How Soccer Explains the Jewish Question," we get some good reporting on the anti-Semitic overtones of some teams and well as the Jewish roots of others. But to say, therefore, that soccer 'explains' the 'Jewish Question'? Ummm...No. But don't let that dissuade you from picking up a copy of Foer's work. Again, there's terrific reporting here - standouts include chapters on "The Black Carpathians" (my personal favorite) which focuses on a Nigerian import to a top Ukranian club team, and "The New Oligarchs," an excellent overview on soccer's shift from paternalistic industrialists like the Agnellis (owners of Juventus) to new-styled "oligarchs" like Silvio Berlusconi (owner of AC Milan). By using a term like 'oligarch,' I was hoping for some red meat on Chelsea's Roman Abramovich. The oligarch's oligarch, he gets only passing mention in "The Sentimental Hooligan" chapter. Still, Foer's discection of the machinations and interactions of Italian media, business interests and the game are fascinating. And, for those of you wondering: yes, Franklin Foer is the brother of novelist Jonathan Safran Foer, author of "Everything Is Illuminated." 4 stars (The book I wish I had written!) - This is a work based on an interesting concept and complemented by well-researched journalism, with the exception of a few overt inaccuracies such as this one: "Celebrations for Romania's 1990 World Cup qualification carried over into the Bucharest squares, culminating in a firi...
HarperCollins :: Sports & Recreation & General :: Sports & Recreation :: Sports :: Sociology Of Sports :: Soccer :: International Economic Relations :: Globalization :: General :: Fra :: How Soccer Explains the World - An Unlikely Theory of Globalization

 

The Business of Sports

5 stars (A great resource for anyone interested in this field) - This book is great for anyone who has an interest in learning more about the business of sports. The authors have created a resource that gives important information in an interesting format. The content is extensive and yet easily read. I highly recommend it. This is an ambitious undertaking and I will be curious to see what they do next. ...
Jones and Bartlett Publishers Inc :: Sports & Recreation & General :: United States :: Sports administration :: Sports & Recreation :: Sports :: Professional sports :: Management :: General :: Scott Rosn :: The Business of Sports

 

The Competitive Runner-s Handbook - The Bestselling Guide to Running 5Ks through Marathons

5 stars (Excellent) - I am a college student who doesnt run competitively but I run around 3-5 times per week and have been for years. This book gives great information about how to train for races and improve speed. I have bought a few running books and this is by far the best, I have no need to buy any more running books. The only thing that turned me off a little when first recieving the book is its size, it has almost 50 chapters and is over 600 pages long. However you do not need to read all 600 pages, I would recomend it to get the most knowledge out of the book, but definately not necessary. Highly recomended for anyone who wants to improve their speed and learn how to the proper way. 5 stars (Great resource - don't confuse it though) - This book is a great resource for all aspiring competitive runners. However, don't confuse this book with Glover's other book - which is more for beginning and non-competitive runners. There is a lot of overlap between the two books, so there is not much point in buying both. However, I can see a beginner outgrowing the beginner book and wanting the extra info that the "Competitive" handbook can provide. Both are great. 3 stars (Good Enough) - This is my least favorite running book although it is written competently enough. Too much childish ego on the part of the authors detracts from an otherwise good enough book. The best part of the book for me was the discussion of heart rate training, something that is barely mentioned in many of the other running books. There is also not enough explanation on developing training schedules which wasn't too much of a surprise since the authors sell guess what?... training schedules and coaching. Worth buying but not the best. ...
Penguin (Non-Classics) :: Sports & Recreation & General :: Fitness training :: Cross-country running :: Training :: Track & Field :: Sports & Recreation :: Sports :: Running races :: Running & :: The Competitive Runner-s Handbook - The Bestselling Guide to Running 5Ks through Marathons

 

Season of Life- A Football Star- a Boy- a Journey to Manhood

5 stars (Caught-up in the story) - Jeffrey Marx began to contact "old" Baltimore Colts' players after "saying" goodbye to fabled Memorial Stadium just before its demolition in 2001. One of those players was Joe Ehrmann, the All-Pro leader of the Colts' "Sack Pack" in the 70's. Ehrmann had nicknamed him, Brillo, when Marx was a Colts' ballboy. At that time, Ehrmann was an example of a the stereo-typical fun-loving, hard partying and substance abusing athlete that "graces" the news from time to time. When Marx traced down this former Colt, he found that much had changed. After thirteen years of professional football, Ehrmann's "calling" had finally found him. He had since founded and led a wholistic ministry in Baltimore's inner city for 20 years and was volunteering as a coach at Baltimore's Gilman School. He had founded "Building Men for Others" and was also serving on the staff of a Baltimore area church. As Marx traces Joe's journey and the journey of the Gilman School's 2001 season, he is drawn into his own "journey to manhood." His "side-by-side" story-telling draws in the reader as well. A very good read and must reading for every father, for every father's son and for every woman who wants to better relate to the men in her life. 5 stars (Should be required reading for coaches) - I bought this book as I was told it was an inspiration. It truly is, and I've passed it along to many people, most importantly anyone who works with kids. With such an emphasis on "winning at all costs" these days, this puts being on a "team" into perspective. I then thought it would make a great gift for my daughter's coaches. It is one of the best books I've read, and think it should be required reading for all coaches!!! Lisa 5 stars (You don't have to love football to love this book!) - Loved SEASON OF LIFE by Jeffrey Marx . . . it is the author's account of the Gilman High School football team that is unlike any sports book that I've ever read, in that it is more about ...
Simon - Schuster :: Sports & Recreation & General :: Sports & Recreation :: Sports :: Religion :: Men's Studies - General :: Maryland :: Marx :: Jeffrey :: :: Inspirational - General :: Insp :: Season of Life- A Football Star- a Boy- a Journey to Manhood

 

What-s My Name- Fool- Sports and Resistance in the United States

1 stars (Whites Who Think They Know Blacks) - I always have to thank white people for helping us niggers on how to read and interpret Black history. Zirin's book is full of such nonsense. The Jackie Robinson drama is a case in point. The FACT is that a man whose professional function is to hit a cow-covered ball of yarn & rubber with a polished twig ought not be representing the Black race in ANY forum--THAT is the OUTRAGE! Zirin loves Jackie Robinson, but whilst gov't whites imposed apartheid on ALL Blacks in America, Robinson chose to promote the white side against a Black man, Paul Robeson, who openly condemned ALL racism within the American SYSTEM. Robinson was used and abused by his handlers, and to choose white supremacy. And Zirin says nothing of Robinson's role in the demise of the Negro Leagues. Whites, like Zirin, who like to apologize for Blacks who "play ball" with racism just call them "complicated"--apparently too "complicated" for us field niggers to understand. Zirin's assessment of what will solve Black people's problems is irrelevant. Some oblique reference to "multiracial unity" is so facile and glib it is comical. He is as out of place making these comments as Robinson was in front of the HUAC. "Ownership" of sports for whites seems to work for them just fine, thank you. Mr. Zirin's book contains not a single condemnation of the current racist ownership regime. In fact, I'll buy the book that names the names of the racists in the sports world and deciphers their many schemes and acts of white treachery--but it is not forthcoming from Zirin or anyone else who benefits from the status quo. Economic monopoly of Black talent works for them--and it will work even better for us! In any event we'll tell you AFTER we try it, OK Mr. Zirin? We''ll let you know. 2 stars (What gives books by journalists a bad name.) - As one who reads and writes sport, and is a political progressive, I was looking forward to a book that took on the sports establishment. ...
Haymarket Books :: Sports & Recreation & General :: United States - 20th Century :: United States :: Sports & Recreation :: Sports :: Social aspects :: General :: Dave Zirin :: :: What-s My Name- Fool- Sports and Resistance in the United States

 

The Last Coach- A Life of Paul -Bear- Bryant

5 stars (THE LAST COACH - THE END OF AN ERA) - Okay, I'm only half way through this book, but I have to say that this is truly one of the best books I have ever read. It's a funny feeling you get when you read this book. As a man, I don't know if I respect Paul Bryant more or less (as a coach, no one compares). What I do know is that I have learned a lot. I love the game of college football, and I long for the days of men like The Bear. 5 stars (researcher par excellance) - Allen Barra is the finest researcher author in the area of sports books. His ability to delve into Bryant's character and his coaching career speaks volumes on his researching ability. Allen has an interesting writing style that captures the readers attention, and makes the book that much more enjoyable. As a fellow historian/researcher and former college football coach I highly recommend this book. 5 stars (An American hero) - It's hard to believe, but it took more than twenty years after Bear Bryant's death to produce a book worthy of a great American hero. Barra has accurately summed up Bryant's greatness as well as his shortcomings and gives an honest objective look at both. Nitpickers with grudges can criticize all they like, but this book will stand up over the years. Paul Hornung was indeed the most sought after football player to come out of Kentucky in his senior year; I know, I was there, and Barra tells the story of his unsuccesful recrutiment by Coach Bryant with total accuracy. Alan Page was indeed the first black starter on the Notre Dame football player, a fact recorded in many places. As for Coach Bryant's drinking, the subject is handled with fairness and taste. Anyone who doesn't approve of Bryant's drinking would be well advised to remember Lincoln's reply when he was told that General Grant drank; every football coach in the country should be given a case of whatever Bryant liked. ...
W W Norton :: Sports & Recreation & General :: Sports & Recreation & Football :: Biography & Autobiography & Sports :: University of Alabama :: United States :: Sports - Gene :: The Last Coach- A Life of Paul -Bear- Bryant