Athletics Books

This is must reading for parents and athletes. As a former high school coach I've seen many kids that struggled with not only the attention they receive as a top athlete, but with decisions they must make regarding their future education and/or career. This book will give the athlete and his/her family a step by step approach to the future. I really think that this book should serve as required reading in college. I don't believe that the NCAA or the professional leagues do enough to help prepare athletes for the future. Many of these athletes will make more money coming out of school than any CEO. Why don't we consider this education? Another thing this book does is teach that not everyone is going to make it to the big time, and all athletes need to prepare for the day the cheering stops. My hope is that every potential college or pro athlete takes the time to understand the lessons that Mr. Smith teaches.

This is must reading for parents and athletes. As a former high school coach I've seen many kids that struggled with not only the attention they receive as a top athlete, but with decisions they must make regarding their future education and/or career. This book will give the athlete and his/her family a step by step approach to the future. I really think that this book should serve as required reading in college. I don't believe that the NCAA or the professional leagues do enough to help prepare athletes for the future. Many of these athletes will make more money coming out of school than any CEO. Why don't we consider this education? Another thing this book does is teach that not everyone is going to make it to the big time, and all athletes need to prepare for the day the cheering stops. My hope is that every potential college or pro athlete takes the time to understand the lessons that Mr. Smith teaches.

Great look into the world of college athletics that you don't see on ESPN.

Gives the readers a real look at what goes on; what's really involved in the world of college sports and the "student athlete".

Great reading.

You think that college athletics have become more show than competition? Well, read this book and come away with what really goes on. Excellent read.

The book offers a great read on the history of intercollegiate athletics. The specific stories about universities and conferences allow the reader to connect to what is current in the world of college athletics. It is gives a good story of what was going on behind the scenes. It is a good book for policies concerning college athletics.

Tom Waddell is more than just the creator of the Gay Games, he is someone who has dedicated his life to making people feel welcome, making them feel accepted, no matter what is different about them.
This is the heartwarming story of a young man who knew the feeling of being "different" and decided to dedicate to fight intolerance and AIDS until the very end, his death.
After hearing about the Gay Games, I decided to write a paper for one of my classes about this. I interviewed people who had worked with Tom Waddell, and people who still worked for the Gay Games, that were held that year in my home country, the Netherlands.

The story of the 60 year old woman who had never participated in a sports contect before, who wasn't particularly athletic, who didn't win an official prize but who won the prize of being part of something fantastic. The story of the swimmers not getting out of the water to collect their medals, but to cheer for those still in the water.
These stories truly touched my heart, and I can't do anything but recommend this story to everyone. Gay or straight, "normal" or "different", Tom Waddell's will teach all of something about the true spirit of sports and games, love and acceptance.

Tom Waddell always planned on writing a book on his life. He thought he had more time, in life, to write about his life. However, his life was abruptly ended at the age of 49, before he could complete his journal about his life. ABC Sportscaster Dick Schapp completes Tom's dream of writing a book. Schapp first became interested in Waddell's life at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. Waddell competed against U.S. Decathalon Champion Bill Toomey. While Waddell didn't win a medal, his time at the Mexico City Olympics was somewhat controversial. Waddell campaigned against the opression of African-Americans, in the Southern United States, and drew fire from the U.S. Olympic Committee. In his personal life, Waddell was also making news. After coming out of the closet, Waddell organized what was to have become the "Gay Olympics". However, the U.S. Olympic Comittee would not allow Waddell to use the word Olympic in the title of the games. That litigation began an ongoing legal battle that would not be solved until Waddell's death. In his personal life, Waddell was also controversial. He wanted a child so much, that he and a lesbian conceived what would become his daughter Jessica. He and Sara, another Olympic Athlete, later married. Waddell's dream of seeing his daughter grow up never materialized. He was one of the first to become infected with the HIV virus, and died in 1987. "Gay Olympian" is a moving account of Waddell's life. his love of life, sports, medicine and his daughter. Dick Schapp combines Waddell's Journal to his daughter with the story of Waddell's life. It also paints a disturbing picture of the vindictiveness of the U.S. Olympic Committee, and the pain the organization caused in his life. I highly recommend this book

George Toma has inspired so many people with his great work ethic and dedication. This book does a fine job of detailing the life of a great man.

I don't think I've ever read any biography that did a better job painting a picture of a person. I laughed. I cried. I couldn't believe with which the art that Goforth used to paint his words. I especially liked reading about Toma's tales about getting the football field ready for the Super Bowl. That's probably why I liked this book--there was something in it for everybody--sports fans, George Toma fans, or anybody else who just wants to read a colorful, delightful book. This is one tome that should make any Toma lover happy. There should be more books out there by Goforth and other journalists like him. What a talent!

This is a wonderfully strange and inticing little book. I came to the running revolution in the mid 70's with all the other boomers. 30 years, 23 marathons, hundreds of road races and 20+ years of coaching and I'm still addicted. My heroes were Ryun, Liquori, Prefontaine, Shorter and Rodgers. There was always this myth of a man named Gerry Lindgren who may have been the greatest high school runner ever. Legend had it that he ran ungodly mileage 150, 175, 200 miles a week. 50 mile runs, 80 mile runs. Lindgren has given us a special little book that recounts his high school years and his emergence as a world class runner. It is a beautiful window into his world. Writing it as his shadow allows him to use the third person which, in this case, works very well. His replays of his races and his internal dialogue are worth the price of the book. This is a great little read.

Gerry Lindgren is the greatest high school runner in history. In 1964, he was running within seconds of World Records and chasing the fastest runners in the world. He also won the Olympic Trials 10k. No high school runner before or since has come close to his accomplishments. He is also the closest any American has ever come to the World Record in the 3-mile/5000m, coming within 0.6 seconds of the world record in 1966. In 1965, he actually got the World Record in the 6-mile/10,000m. He logged 200 miles a week and inspired a generation of runners to excel. Selfless and tireless, Gerry broke barriers thought impossible and is a hero to thousands. He's finally written the first of two books on his life in running, and it is a treat for any fan of the golden era of American distance running, or for anyone wishing to be inspired to achieve personal excellence in running. A must-have.

I bought this book back in 1993 after listening to Larry North's Saturday afternoon radio show while living in Dallas, Texas. It was an "easy" read and made such perfect sense. Larry North is just simply inspiring.I have referred to this book on and off, rereading parts of it again for almost 10 years now. Each time I am reinspired and more motivated. This is not a fad diet or exercise program, it's a way of life.

I read several newsletters and magazines on health, nutrition, fitness, and longevity every month, and have read dozens of books on health and fitness. GET FIT is the ONLY book I've ever read where I could find NO misinformation. (Believe me, I looked hard!) And this book covers a lot of ground. Granted, GET FIT is no literary masterpiece, but it's easy to understand and enjoyable to read. If you're tired of fads and quackery, Larry North is the real deal.

This book is quite good. The pictures are great and the information is done corretly. If your a fan of gymnastics I think you should get this book.

This book is quite good. The pictures are great and the information is done corretly. If your a fan of gymnastics I think you should get this book.

If there's one thing young girls LOVE to do, it's write in a journal. Rik Feeney's "Gymnastics Journal & Meet Survival Guide" is informative AND great fun. Along with gymnastics backgrounds on the journal pages, he's also included leotard design pages and meet tracking forms. This would make a terrific gift for any gymnast. Wish we'd had something like this when my daughters were involved - now I can send one to my granddaughter, though!

Rik Feeney has created a beautiful book that will keep young gymnasts happily engaged before, during, and after meets. The photo-drawings alone are worth the price of the book. Where was this book when my daughter was competing?

Simply the best book ever on the training system that has probably transformed more runners into champions than any other.

I got a copy of Running the Lydiard Way in 1978 and it went everywhere with me, 24 hours a day for at least two years, while Arthur's way changed me from an average club hack into a county-class runner. I don't know where Keith Livingstone's book is going to take me, but I've already started carrying it around.

Finally, 30 years on, we get an update and a full explanation of what the Lydiard system really is and how it works. Very exciting!

Even better, Keith writes as a New Zealander born and bred right there in Lydiard land, being himself coached by Olympic medallist Barry Magee, one of Arthur's originals. So here is the true word on Lydiard, direct from original sources.

It's become fashionable to bash Lydiard these days; many of us who had direct contact with the "master coach" have tried and failed to correct the complete tosh that is often claimed as being "Lydiard training" - the most common myth being that he advocated a minimum of 100 miles a week at barely above jogging pace. Here at last is chapter and verse on EXACTLY what Arthur intended, with plenty of real-life examples of how Arthur and his runners adapted the basic system to individualise it for runners of different capabilities.

You'll see, for example, how to use sessions of long slow distance therapeutically, to help recover form. Keith has also done a great job of providing the missing science; although Arthur has been hailed as the greatest running coach of all time, Keith reminds us that Arthur was actually a milkman; he worked things out by experimenting on himself and then with trial and error plus intuition. 30 years on, and with the benefit of the latest research, we can see why Arthur's system works so well -- and also what we need to tweak to make it even more effective.
To that end, Keith brings in the research of Dr Jack Daniels on Vo2 and "V dot" pacing that clarifies what some of Arthur's sessions were out to achieve; he incorporates the "mass-specific" model of strength training developed by Barry Ross; and he includes contributions from Nick Bideau, coach of Craig Mottram, and NZ triathlon coach Chris Pilone, who guided Hamish Carter to 2004 Olympic gold.

A brilliant book, endorsed by Barry Magee and marathon great Lorraine Moller, co-founder of The Lydiard Foundation -- this is a must-have.

This book is a must for everyone who is a runner or who wants to be a runner. Keith's way of putting things in a simple no nonsense,from experience way is very refreshing and makes for a "can't put down read".
I finished it at 4.00am and felt like going for a run. Five stars is not enough!

This book was recomended to me by my doctor. I am athleticly cut but no bodybuilder, and have done prior reserch to my regular routine. This book showed me how to pass that plateau I always hit, and made working out more enjoyable. It's all about intensity and not overtraining, so my workouts are much harder yet shorter, and my gains are amazing. I cannot recomend this book highly enough.

Every serious bodybuilder, or even just your average lifter can benefit from the info in this book. It covers everything from what to eat, to how to lift. Inside there is an article about a world renown trainer, in florida, that guaranteed one half inch gain in upper arms, in only two days. Reguardless of the size of the arm or the size of the trainee the results were a given. If you are serious about this sport or are tired of all work with no results, this book will change your workouts forever.