Athletics Books

Reading this book was probably one of the best things that I did. In fact, I did eventually by another one as a gift to my friend. I could see lot of things which I have been doing wrong with my son. I learned to put less pressure on him to perform on the tennis court and get him to enjoy the sport more. In fact, it has improved his love for the sport and improve his mental strength as well. It is a must read for all parents.

Although the author clearly thinks they have discovered something new and insightful, they offer minimal advice that any father doesn't already know. The fact that the author is a tennis pro and has the ability and personal skill to make it easy for his kids to take up the game makes this book irrelevant to most parents with normal jobs living in the suburbs. The author is clearly impressed with himself, which is annoying, especially because the good points he makes, could have been spelled out more succinctly and effectively in a couple pages. I would not waste your time with this one.

I didn't read the whole book as I started to gag on the second paragraph (where the author states how he is against pushing children to fulfill their parent's dreams). I've known Mr. Bryan most of my life. He's a tennis teacher and plays in a band. His boys had tennis rachets and guitars in their hands before they could walk. He has about as much expertise about raising children as my pet goldfish. He has succeeded in life because he was blessed with talented, intelligent boys and a wonderful grounded wife.

This is a very good book, and I have been recommending it to other parents, especially with children in competitive tennis. We tennis parents are rather all alone, and we need help. This books is comforting and is a great source of help. However, a reader should take care not take the book too seriously. For example, it is impossible to be positive and praise your child all the time w/o criticizing... there is a limit. Also, I wish Wayne gave more examples of "side door" to inspire. No book is perfect, but this is a great book for parents who want their children to be successful in life and become a champion!

I just have to comment on the review written by R.D.H. It is obvious that this person is envious and jealous of Wayne Bryan's success with raising his sons to be great champions. I also personally know Wayne Bryan and he practices what he preaches. He and his wife Kathy, have raised two incredible sons to be great people and gracious champions! As a tennis parent and tennis enthusiest this book has helped me to be a positive force in my kids lives. I would recommend this book to ALL parents and coaches so they could be a positive force in their kids lives.

Back when I was in high school, Florence Griffith-Joyner was a huge inspiration for me. Since I was also a sprinter on the track team, that makes sense. After high school, I fell out of the habits I had followed and eventually abandoned them. Now I am older, and wiser, and I would like to get back into the walking/jogging routine. This is an EXCELLENT book to use as a refresher or as a starter. Flo-Jo has really wonderful tips and leads you every step of the way. No matter what fitness level you are at, this is a must if you are considering walking/jogging and/or running.

At first I bought this book for my research project for my English class. I chose running as my topic and eventually this book helped me much.
I am personally a noob at running but just think to start it. After reading this book, I know many things i didn't.
I also read many other running book. They are somewhat not easy to be understood, unlike this book. Though running for dummies gives just general explanation, it's simple and easy to understand, especially for the amateur runners.

I found this book extremely helpful when I first started exercising. If you have never run before, I believe you will find it helpful. It is a novice book, but we all have to start somewhere!

This is a great buy if you are a Flo Jo fan.

For everybody else, this is a typical dummies book, it covers all the major areas of a subject, but it by no means comprehensive or in-depth. As with most dummies book, I recommend them for those looking for a quick introduction/reference to a topic.

I feel that this book is full of useful information. Once I picked up the book i didn't set it down. It easy easy to understand and it reminds us intermediate runners about form, nutrition, and staying excited running. This book also has spots for new vocabulary, tips, warnings, and Flo-Jo's encouragement for new runners. This is an excellent book especially for the novice runner.

I bought this book recently for something to do and being from Indiana, im always interested in high school basketball. This book jumped around and gave me infomation about the NBA and different aspects of the game that you can not began to compare to the high school game in Indiana. Yes the high school game in Indiana has changed but no where near the NBA game. I recommend this book for you are an out-of-state person wanting a good basketball book but as far as an in state person wanting to know more about the game we love in our backyard this is not it.

Wetheim's book is told in a series of vignettes, alternating chapters that detail the final season of an Indiana high school coach with chapters that address individual issues that effect the way basketball is played today around the country. Some of the areas covered include: agents, women's basketball, the globalization of the sport, college basketball, professional basketball, violence, and racism. We meet some of the players on the high school team, and see where they come from and why they play. Not all of the chapters are entertaining, but most of them are.

I recommend this for any fan of basketball, whether it be high school, college, or pro hoops you prefer.

I bought this as a gift for my dad. I'm always looking for a good sports book for him for his birthday and I've read Wertheim's articles and his tennis mailbag in Sports Illustrated. But when this book came in the mail I picked it up and I couldn't put it down. I'm not even a basketball fan! I loved the writing- Wertheim is witty and perceptive, and I never realized how fascinating Indiana basketball is from a sociological point of view. When my dad finally got to read his gift (after I finished) he loved it and sent a copy to my uncle in Boston, a big basketball fan. Highly recommend this book!

Sports Illustrated tennis/basketball writer Jon Wertheim spent a winter back in his hometown of Bloomington, Indiana tending to his ailing father. During that time, he re-connected with his high school's basketball program. He was agog at how things had changed in the 10+ years since he graduated. In comparison to the "Hoosiers" he left behind, Wertheim finds that Streetball-fueled athleticism is permeating every aspect of basketball, in every Indiana town.

Wertheim's book juxtaposes this new reality vs. the iconic image of the lone Indiana youth practicing his free throws in a driveway in small town. It's a theme he develops well in this book, but perhaps not as extensively as the eye-rolling sub-title of the book ("How Hoosiers Went Hip-Hop") implies. I imagine Wertheim blanched a bit when he saw that. Rather then deep-diving into hip-hop culture, "Transition Game" takes the reader on a 360-degree view of Indiana basketball - small high schools, big high schools, IU, Purdue's women's team, the legend of Damon Bailey, and the so-called "Crime Against Culture" (Indiana's universally despised move away to four-class basketball in 1998). It's a well-reported travelogue that gives the reader a flavor of how basketball culture is changing in even the most traditional of settings.

No, no, no, this is a great book. Contrary to the opinion of one in San Antonio, Jon Wertheim's book isn't a commentary book so much as it discusses the issues of Indiana's basketball history with more of a backdrop of all the issues that effect life: race, class, gender and political issues. I can't say that Wertheim picks a side in terms of why things are the way they are -- which is great! This book is more of an analogy of the state of affairs of Indiana basketball. He does a great job of putting certain items of discussion on the table, but pretty much lets the reader choose which manner of explanation(s) support the reality that is an ever-changing basketball landscape in the nation's No. 1 basketball state (despite this year's NCAA woes--LOL). Cop this book!

This is a great book that was easy to read, with ideas and workouts that were easy to incorporate into my training, racing and nutrition. Before I had this book, I was frequently injured and I had run a half-marathon in two hours. In the nine months since I got the book, I have run a 1:37:51, and then a 1:24:48 and I believe I'll go faster in the future. If you want to run faster and healthier, you should get this book.

Being new to the whole fitness area, this book is a god-send. I have been quite pleased...it's helping me to train for the 10k portion of a local marathon that my relay team is participating in. I know that by following the guidelines and training schedule, I will be prepared and will not push myself too far and risk injury.

I bought this book to help me train for my first half-marathon. I found it very useful with lots of information. It is very simple and easy to read while still providing good techinical information. I feel that I will be very well prepared for my half marathon in the spring!

I purchased this book to help me train for my first half marathon. There were many tips I'd not thought of, things that really truly helped me. I've done many 5K's - but even that section helped as well for me to do even better for the short races. I recommend this book if you are a beginning marathoner - - even if you have some experience as I had -- to sort of boost that confidence level a bit!

This book provided great information that I could actually apply to my own training and nutrition. It is easy to read and easy to use to plan my workouts. I'm seeing improvement in my running and training is more fun. I'd recommend it for anyone starting out or stuck at a running pace on which they know they can improve.

Seaver gives a training program for an aspiring or experienced pitcher from A to Z.

The best parts of this book are the beginning and the end: He describes workouts at the beginning of the book, some of which I have used, but even better is his "join me" chapter at the end of the book. In this chapter, he takes the reader with him in a game against the Cards, shows how he pitched, complete with a chart, and shares with us his thought processes during the game. This last chapter was worth a star by itself.

However, there is one critical fatal flaw in the book: He did not describe what makes a pitch move (ball rotation and rotational direction).

I am a softball pitcher, and these chapters helped me as well.

Just because someone is a great pitcher does not necessarily make them a good coach. What many athletes say they are doing and what they in fact intuitively do are often quite different. Similarly what the eye thinks it is seeing and what pitchers actually do are also quite different. The ideas in this book have been largely refuted by newer scientific research using computer analysis and high speed video playback analysis. I am amazed that a book could still be in publication that continues to advocate the "dip and drive" hypothesis, and the idea that the glove arm should drive down. If followed literally this is the sort of misguided information with which coaches can ruin a good pitching talent, or even cause serious injury.
The book was good for its time but is now superceeded by more scientifically based ideas such as those advocated by Tom House.

The only interesting aspects of the book are those related to how to throw the curveball and change-up pitches. However the didactic lecture about the first and second most important pitches being the fastball was pendantic to a fault.

Tom Seaver completely breaks down the technical aspects of pitching. I've used the techniques explained in the book to improve little league players I have coached resulting in success.

It was my first book on pitching many years ago. Here is my conclusion as compared to other books. 3 points : 1) A balanced physical preparation is emphasized. The small weight training is explained and shown even if it is now commonplace in every pitcher program. 2) The description of fastball, curve and grip biomechanic... is far superior to and more complete than anything I have seen since then. More important, experiment is emphasized with great method. 3) Tom Seaver approaches the mechanic of pitching on a two-fold way : first it breaks classicaly the motion, giving a lot of tips and second it fills it with piching absolutes that give a frame for players and coaches. This principle of a limited number of biomechanical absolutes that rules the motion is now emphasized for instance by Tom House. However, this book remains insufficient on practice examples in term of quantification over a season, on tools to evaluate a pitcher and its improvement. A lot of live examples are given on pitching strategy but a summary table depending on the count and/or the hitter weaknesses would have been more useful. I think the same for pitching preparation (amount of aerobic exercices, abdominal training....?) where criterias on age and weight, on pitching volume, would have helped establish a program. A book to read as well as a pitcher or as a manager, not a practical tool for a pitching coach program.

TOM EXPLAINS THE MOTION OF THE PITCHER EXCELENTLY.TOM SEAVER WITHOUT QUESTION HAD THE GREATEST WINDUP,PITCHING MOTION FOLLOW THROUGH IN THE HISTORY OF THE GAME.HE SPECIFACLLY GOES OVER EACH PART TO ALLOW YOU TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE FOUNDATION IS AND TO ALLOW YOU TO DEVELOP THE IDEAL PITCHING MOTION TO ACHIEVE MAXIMUM POTENTIAL ON ALL YOUR PITCHES.HE COVERS ALL THE PITCHES AND THE ARM ANGLES AND CONDITIONING.IT IS WHAT ALLOWED HIM TO LAST 21 SEASONS AND FINISH HIS CAREER WITH A 2.86 ERA 3,600 K'S

311 WINS A HIGH WINNING PERCENTAGE AND VERY FEW WALKS.THE DROP AND DRIVE STYLE OF PITCHING IS THE BEST OR I SHOULD SAY THE ONLY PITCHING MOTION THAT SHOULD BE USED.IT ALLOWS THE WHOLE BODY TO BE USED FOR MAXIMUM VELOCITY AND EFFECTICENESS.SEAVER'S KNEE TOUCHED THE GROUND AND THE FRONT LEG MUST BEND TO ALLOW ALL YOUR VELOCITY TO GO TOWARD THE PLATE,RYANS ALMOST TOUCHED THE GROUND.DISCIPLES ARE CLEMENS,RYAN,KOUFAX,CONE.IF YOU FOLLOW ANY OTHER STYLE YOU WILL NOT LAST AS LONG.MY FRIEND TOSHI IS WRONG THIS MOTION ALLOWS YOU TO PITCH WITHOUT,INJURY RYAN,CLEMENS
CARLTON.HE INSINUTATION THAT THIS WILL CAUSE INJURY IS RIDICULOUS BECASUE ALL THE PITHCERS THAT HAVE USED IT HAVE LASTED THE LONGEST AND PITCHED THE MOST.CLEMENS(281 INNINGS 1987 MOST SINCE CARLTON)RYAN CARLTON(LAST PITCHER TO THROUGH 300INNINGS 1980) BOTH PITCHED OVER FIFTEEN STRAIGHT YEARS OR LONGER WITHOUT EVER GOING ON THE DISABLED LIST.HE QUOTES TOM HOUSE BUT WHAT HAS HOUSE EVER DONE IN THE BIG LEAGUES,HIS BIG THING IS THAT HE WORKED WITH NOLAN;WELL NOLAN IS A DROP AND DRIVE PITCHER DUH!!!TOSHI ALSO TALKS ABOUT WHERE THE GLOVE HAND SHOULD BE AND SEAVER HAS IT CORRECT RIGHT ON THE LEFT KNEE.SEAVER CREDENTIALS ARE IMPECABLE AND HE USED THESE MOTIONS HIMSELF SUCCED NUFF SAID

The message is all there in this book but finding it is a treasure hunt. There is some excellent advice, excellent exercises, and great information on how to progress. In order to put it together logically, I needed to create my own index and map to the information.

of great usefulness for riders of any level and discipline. The author discusses manege patterns that help achieving correct athletic development of your horse and help remedie faults such as crookedness. Too often, riders resort to use of equipment, such as draw reins, to control their horse. After reading this book, these people will realize that that is completely unneccessary and, moreover, is inhumane and has adverse effects. This book is more to the point than some of the other books by the same author.

With all the books on dressage out nowadays, this is one that emphasizes developing the horse with daily exercises that he explains and then shows in lots of photos. The instruction is good and really helpful to a dressage rider.

very disappointing book. The writing is poor, the book is disorganized, and consists primarily of repetitive statements about the author's philosophy on dressage. I wasn't able to read more than half the book before giving up in disgust.

At the risk of repeating what everyone says about every book that they like, you must be this book and digest it thoroughly if you are at all serious about dressage. I have nearly every training manual that has been published about dressage, but this book deals more with the theory of gymnastic training of the horse that is so vital if we are to understand why we do all the things that we do. It will also save you many hours of frustration and anguish as you are trying to perfect movements. I would write a proper epistle about more of the merits of this great book (get 'The Ethics and Passions of Dressage', too) but to tell you the truth, I'd just as soon get back to Chapter 10 right now!

I love listening to Frank Deford on NPR. He gets to the heart of the matter and uses such great vocabulary. I am not a sports fan but, as a High School teacher and Wife & Mother of 2 sports aficionados, I am interested in the History and modern day controversies that go on in sports, so I can periodically speak with some credibility with my constituents.

I bought this book for my 15 year old son, who had never heard of Deford, but is a fan of Rick O'Reilly. He loved this book and could not put it down. He has added Deford to his list of favorite writers.

For anyone who enjoys Deford's witty, literate commentaries on sports and society-or those who haven't had the pleasure of reading his work-this book is a great introduction!
I have to agree that Deford's best work is found in his longer magazine articles. His work for 'Sports Illustrated' alone could fill a few volumes, and the best pieces in this volume are those 'SI' stories already mentioned by other reviewers. Personally, I would have preferred more articles and fewer NPR essays. The shorter, 'intended for broadcast' commentaries are sort of a 'Reader's Digest Condensed' version of Deford's wit and wisdom-tantalizing glimpses that leave the reader wishing he had more room to elaborate!
I especially recommend "When There Were Still Elusive Barriers"(about Bannister and Hillary), and "Got to Do Some Coachin'" (the brilliant play that encapsulizes the turbulent personal life of Arkansas basketball coach Nolan Richardson).

One of the more boring and ill-thought out books I have read this decade. Deford is somewhat of a moron, yet thinks he is the gift to planet earth. I would not recommend reading this at all. I can't believe I gobbled it up at a used book store.

Frank Deford is a brilliant writer, not to mention, probably the single greatest sports' writer on the planet. He just takes sports' writing to a higher level. The Best of Frank Deford will prove this.

This book showcases some of Deford's best work as a journalist. Although some of the articles are a little dated, his style and amazing use of language still shines. The pieces included in this book are easily some of the best writng available. Any inspiring journalist could learn a great deal from this collection of writings.

Deford never holds anything back, and he is never afraid to speak his mind. I personally enjoyed the in-depth look at Bobby Knight. But, there are many other treasures in this candid book.

Overall, this is an excellent book and quite a fast read. Deford's witty and extremely articulate writing style allows you to flow right through the book. This is a masterpiece of writing, and a true pleasure for any sports' fan. The Best of Frank Deford is simply the best.

Frank Deford is a most articulate, persuasive, engaging writer---perhaps the finest sports journalist writing today.

The collection of articles and commentaries contained in "I'm Just Getting Started" are from 1980 to 1999 and touch on every aspect of sports.

You get insight, irony, humor, commentary, entertainment, nostalgia and optimism as you turn the pages---all delivered in a most literate manner.

The essay on Bill Russell alone is worth the price of admission. "Frank Deford Goes Bowling" is an intriguing take on a subject seldom written up in sports pages.

Enjoyable for more than sports fans.

As a former teammate of Brads, I enjoyed reading of his antics and career moves in the sport. He writes well and conveys his message nicely. I'm looking forward to the sequel. Keep up the good work Brad!

A wild man!! The best years of my life were with Brad.

Well, one third of the book was written about his childhood, his junior life experience in high school and university which are .... nothing but common growing up experience to every one. Writing style is nothing exciting to write about.... 2 stars...

As with most books written by athletes, this book reeks of self-obsession. I had to put it down multiple times because I got so tired of reading about how good, smart, deserving, etc., he was. Contrary to many of the reviews on this site, it doesn't reveal anything particularly hilarious, stunning, or even that insightful. I'm not sure what I was expecting to get out of this book, but on the whole it was quite a disappointment. Buy it used or make sure you can sell it to someone else for a few bucks.

Sick of being told how to do this or that? This book is for you. Brad tells hilarious stories of his training, racing and traveling. You'll find yourself laughing out loud. Brad is one of the true characters of the sporting world.

I thought the book as a whole was very good. My expectations are kind of high for books like these, since a lot of the physiological knowledge is out there and available to people already. A book like this has to go the extra mile to inform its readers well. There is a more updated version available but I've read through both and didn't feel like it was missing anything. Plus it's now going for very cheap!

The explanations of the science behind exercise were enlightening, I've read Clyde Soles' Training for Peak Performance and there was a lot of overlap on the concepts. Clyde gives better information on heart rates, but this book definitely has more information altogether, diving for pages and pages into nutrition, aerobic, anerobic, periodization, etc. The training plans are excellent goal-based programs, although some seem too aggressive w/ comparison to the activity. The authors are striving, however, to make sure they give the right advice, so they advocate a balanced workout to prevent chronic tightness and injuries from neglecting antagonist muscle groups and from lack of stretching. The information on warming up and treating one's weaknesses makes it worth buying the book. Since it's so inexpensive, if you don't know much about the fundamentals (as understood by current sports science) then get this book.

Love the book and it's advice but yes, it IS technical and there is alot to go through. Great for general guidelines and specific advice on particular sports and exercises. Plenty of stuff you can do at home if you don't have access to a gym. I'd recommend it to anyone in training!

This book is an excellent reference and strategy resource. There is tons of information ... almost overwhelming. You need to be able to sift through it to fit your goals. The books helps you to define and articulate your goals - this is a CRITICAL step if you want to get the most from this book. Without your goals, you will be overwhelmed with the wealth of information.

What do I mean? For example, this was my goal: To develop a SOLID fitness base (cardio, general strenght, lean-ness). Secondly, I want to also be able to perform successfully and effecitively on my bi-annual hikes to the White Mountains. Thirdly, I want to be in general shape for sports I like (basketball, mountain biking, and martial arts). Finally, I want to have a great build. Although this book does not talk about bodybuilding (you may need to supplement your knowledge with another book on bodybuilding), it implied that I can view bodybuilding as a "sports specific" goal. In other words, when summer is around the goal, this book showed me some ways to plan for this accordingly without sacrificing my general goals, at least from a planning perspective. Either you can wing it, or you can plan for it ... this book is great for the planning, and is very academic.

As a result, I have a plan to get in the best shape I've ever been in about 2-3 months (my Build Base Phase). By Feb/Mar of 2001, I will shift gears to get ready for my spring hike (My Sports Specific phase). When that's done, summer is near, so I'll start building some muscle and size for those hot, shirtless days (My 2nd Sports Specific phase). Again, as fall draws near, I will get back into hiking shape (Sports Specific phase), complete my excursion, and then repeat the cycle, as required, as needed (General Maintenance).

This book gave me practical ideas on how to plan for general fitness, sports specific performance, with a good degree of organization and rationale. But I had to definitely SIFT THROUGH IT ALL AND USE MY HEAD!

Some constructive criticism: I value the information on functional strength, i.e., although you can military press 100 lbs, that exercise does not directly "functionally" transfer to muscular performance needed to lift my bike onto the roof of my car. So, you must practice with more functionally specific exercises to get that performance. However, although many functional exercises are discussed, some of the descriptions don't explain the execution very well.

I would not recommend this to beginners ... it's like a reference guide for the experienced.

The book is clear and describes a lot of interesting exercises but doesn't translate into a realistic program.

For instance, in the chapter on "Backpacking, Hiking and Snowshoeing" you are supposed to work up to a routine of 23 exercises. Since most of these are for 2-3 sets of 12+ reps, if you take six seconds per rep, this works out to 55 minutes of actual exercise time--not including any rest intervals or time to switch weights, etc. Seems like a lot of time to train for, well, walking.

A good book for choosing rehab & injury prevention exercises, but I wouldn't base a whole fitness routine on it.

John

The word "comprehensive" seems very fitting for "Conditioning for Outdoor Fitness" because the volume packs in a lot of background information on physiology as well as specific training regimens for particular outdoor sports. I particularly value the icons for different sports used to identify exercises that are particularly valuable for the sport you are preparing for. The final chapters provide focused training regimens for specific sports, which are cross-referenced to the exercise descriptions found in other parts of the book. The book also provides valuable tips on functional exercises that focus on combinations of muscle groups to achieve more practical training than the muscle isolation process used in many weight training machines. All in all, this is one of the very best I've seen for sport-focused training.

Son used it for college and really thought it was a great book. He now is a long distance runner, so something worked!!!!!
Plus written by Bowerman - Oregon's coach of Steve Prefontaine....well, we know PRE got the benefit from this man!!!!

I'm a hurdler and this book provided me with lots of excersizes and times that I should be running.

A very easy to read and follow book on Bowerman's philosophy of training in track and field. A common sense approach that is refreshing.

When I started coaching track as a graduate assistant at a small Division 3 school, I really needed some help creating workouts for my athletes. I found this book to be extremely useful in its content with regards to workouts, sprint/hurdle/field techniques, etc. Of course, it is esstential that you have some type of track and field experience in order to understand what is being presented in the book. Every coach has their own style of presenting workouts. Fortunately, I have experience running track at a Division 1 level school--so I found it easier to use the workouts in accordance with my own style. Don't forget though--as a coach, you need to take into consideration the level of athlete you are dealing with (ie. no experience, some, elite level, etc). Basically you can use these workouts to fit the level of your athletes. I really liked how the authors incorporated an entire year of workouts for every event in track and field. Overall, I thought it was a good investment for any coach at a highschool or college level.

There are almost no illustrations of the movements described in this book. There is some good information but I think they are assuming you are already an experienced coach and have seen all these complex movements they talk about. if you are a novice looking for some detailed descriptions of the training movements, along with pictures, this is not the book for you.