Coaching Books

FYI presents a comprehensive list and description of competencies needed for leadership, according to the Lominger Group. This model may differ in some respects from the one used by your organization, but it won't be far off.

The competencies in this book are organized into six factors: Strategic Skills, Operating Skills, Courage, Energy & Drive, Organizational Positioning Skills, and Personal & Interpersonal Skills. The authors add the two negative factors Trouble With People and Trouble With Results. Nested within these factors are clusters and individual competencies. One might quibble with the details, but this map covers the terrain.

Readers are skillfully guided through this territory. The initial chapters provide solid advice for deciding which competencies to develop, recognizing that sometimes it is more useful to compensate for a weakness with other strengths and that it is possible to unproductively overuse one's strengths. The authors' willingness to deal seriously with negative issues such as overapplication of strong competencies and barriers to success is valuable--and often lacking in competency publications.

Individual competency chapters have a predictable and useful structure. Each chapter begins by locating the competency within its factor and cluster and "inspires" the reader with an appropriate quote. The reader encounters concise lists of the behavioral indicators of unskilled performance, skilled performance and overuse of this competency. These lists cross-reference other competencies that can either substitute for unskilled peformance or compensate for overuse. Then, following a list of some causes underlying poor performance, comes an extended discussion of several strategies for developing the competency and sources for further reading.

You can find the best competency chapter for your needs in under two minutes. This competency chapter can then be read and understood in under 10 minutes. Developing the competency will take longer, of course. But this book helps the reader diagnose and begin remediation with some confidence that the right disease is being treated--and treated effectively.

This book is worth having--and using.

A very good overall guide for self discovery, and a great tool for coaching and developing others - a great leadership resource. This touches at a high level a lot of behavior and development topics, but does not get into the details. If you're looking for a book that dives deep into a specific behaviorial area, this is not the book for you. But what it gives is 3-4 pages on a behavior or skill, hitting it fast and hard, with guides and advise on development (covers overuse of a skill, as well as adressing gaps in a skill). It links topics/bahaviors to each other which is very helpful, and the book even leaves space in its categorizing/numbering for future skills and behaviors that may come in future editions. I've purchased this book for all the managers on my team.

If you want to advance your career, you must know how to professionally evaluate people, give & receive feedback, recognize talent, and compensate. These are titles HR personnel use to evaluate YOU, and YOU must learn these skills if you want to supervise people.

This is a CORE TITLE for any professional Manager which should also include FYI for Performance Management, Broadband Talent Management, Flawless Consulting, Successful Manager's Handbook, and The Science Behind Best People Practices.

Lominger really does have the best leadership development system out there. I would never consider using anything else.

Not only a succinct guide for improvement in itself, many references to detailed research on improvement of individual traits.

My Team members each have a copy. Works well with 360 degree review approach.

Well written, concise - thanks for sharing your experience with other soccer moms and dads!

If I had one wish for all the adults out there who watch and coach kids playing soccer, it would be for them to understand and abide by the topics covered in the chapter "They Play to Have Fun." It might seem obvious but adults sometimes forget that everyone, especially kids, learn faster, easier, and better when they're having a good time. The entire book is full of excellent information (the best I've read) but this chapter alone makes it worth buying.

My 7-year-old son has been playing soccer for 2 years now and I'm just now getting the hang of soccer. Not having grown up with it, like most of the parents I know, I didn't even know the basics of the game. Goal has just what I needed. Information about rules, appropriate skills for each age, how to find a great coach, what to feed my kid so he doesn't tire out, how to find a camp, the best clothes to wear. This book has been a godsend. Now I know when to cheer at his games.

Youth soccer is great - for kids and families! This book put into words so many of the benefits of youth soccer. You'll be a better soccer mom or dad just because you'll be more excited about the sport and all it offers you and your child!

The information is well organized and enjoyable to read. And, like us, you may realize that you want to be more that just a soccer parent.

Last year, I signed up to be an assistant referee because they needed some help....this year I can't wait! I enjoy watching my daughters' dance recital and my son play baseball, but I LOVED being a referee on the soccer field! It was great to really be a PART of what my kids were doing.

After reading GOAL!, we both decided to start coach's training this year. Our kids are estatic that we want to do this with them, and we want to do what we can to provide a great program.

If you're not a soccer mom or dad or fan, you will be after reading this book!

I am a serious 14-year-old player. Ever since I was four or five, my parents have attended every one of my games, whether it was a scrimmage, or an important State Cup match. They would holler their lungs out, yelling instructions to me from the sidelines. At halftime they would bring over the snack for the team, and after the game they would talk to me about how I could improve. As pretty involved soccer parents, of course our bookshelf at home was full of books about soccer skills, tactics, and drills. It wasn't until about a week ago when my dad came home with Goal! The Ultimate Guide for Soccer Moms and Dads, that I had seen a soccer book designed to teach adults how to be good soccer parents. Both of my parents read the book and already I could see major improvements. There was no more hollering instructions from the sidelines, we had lots of drinks and fruit at halftime (which did help us play better), and best of all, my parents began giving encouragement rather than telling me what I did wrong. Seeing the total change in my parents, I decided that I would have to read the book also. After completing the book, I realized why my parents were acting so differently. Goal! has opened their eyes about not just soccer, but parenting also.

Goaltenders seem to be loners on a team, however the position is very simple...One needs to build a strong foundation of skills that are developed in a structured and logical manner. Francois addresses these areas, and provides an A-1 training and development guide to be applied on a season long and year long basis. He also addresses the mental aspects that are so critical to a person playing goal. The one area he does not address adequately is females, ie., different physological builds and some the protective equipment is different. He tends to cater the text to the rep and travel level of team and does not cover the parent/coach/goalie relationship to any degree, however it is a very good book !!. I have read about 10 other books on goaltending, I am writing one for adult beginners as I teach adults 18 to 55 how to play goal...it is a treat!!!

I bought this book for my son who has been a goaltender for 8 years. He has absorbed everything he could on goaltending and found this book to teach a vast amount of information that he had never heard of, techniques that were immensly helpful and positive for goaltending.

After reading the book he attended the goalie camp which was awesome. Francoise and hs staff were very personable and charismatic, taught the attendees with alot of patience and with a system where they could understand and retain the information easily.

This family is highly behind Allaire on his books, videos and teachings!

Thanks Francoise for sharing your knowledge and giving so much of yourself to the goalie minded youth of today!

This is an excellent book for goalie coaches & coaches at the rep or house league level who require assistance in establishing a training and development program for young player and can be applied to adults as well. I have written a guide for adults as we are built differently. email if u r interested and is for both men & women

I've been a hockey goalie during 18 years. Now it's time for me to get involved in a different way... as a coach. The young goaler has a lot to learn and a coach can do a lot of damage if he doesn't communicate properly the techniques. The book is a very good tool for the coach. It describes clearly the basic techniques and there are a lot of pictures that illustrate them. I coach 9 yo kids, and I've been able to use many of the drills described in the book.

This is a very good book for non goalies (parents, coaches & kids starting out to play goal. It provides a good plan for developing skills over a three to four year plan. It is geared for the serious coach (rep) & young goalie, but not for adult beginners. After teaching goaltending for 15 years , I developed a guide for adult beginners men &n women and you can contact me at the email below for other info. The Allaire book is an excellent technical starting point and have used it myself, HOWEVER ADULT BEGINNERS ARE DIFFERENT

From Basic Fundamentals to building useable skills, this book outlines in a simple constructive fashion "how to make youngsters better ballplayers". The drill sections provide practice methods to teach budding little leaguers the foundations for future success.

There have been many books that have attempted to simplify teaching this wonderful game, but this book is the first one that actually accomplishes the task, and puts it in a repeatable, useable format.

Thank you for making my job as a coach and instructor easier!

This is a great book for a complete step by step approach to coaching baseball! Very useful for coaches and parents!!

I bought this book after the youth baseball season started as a way to help my son improve his skills. I wish I would've bought it sooner. However, I will continue using these drills to help him improve his game before next season starts. The drills are formatted in a way that anyone can understand and follow. It is obviously that the authors know the sport and know children well. I highly recommend this book.

This book is very detailed and organized yet easy to follow. You could have never coached baseball before and be prepared by the time you finish this book.

There certainly is a need for GOOD how-to youth coaching books, and this is one of them. The book is well written and organized with an easy-to-follow format and lots of photos and diagrams. A new coach can't go wrong in following the user-friendly book to cover all the basics of baseball.

But perhaps more important is the emphasis on YOUTH and dealing with kids, a skill that does not come automatically to everyone involved with youth sports. In other words, the book helps to shape a coach's attitude as much as how to improve skills in young players. Ideally, the coach learns and grows throughout the season as well as the kids.

It seems to me that this book is equally valuable to experienced coaches, in helping them to get the most out of all their players, not just the most talented. Many coaches come to youth sports as successful athletes themselves, and sometimes do not recognize what it takes to bring along kids who may be having difficulties. If the point is to keep more players playing, improving, and having a good time, here's a way to strengthen a team as well as individual players.

A great investment toward a good season.

At the intro chapters, book delivers history of basketball offense. Fantastic experience for every reader. Then, applying historical modification of rules - modification of offensive play tactics are modified too.

Very nice, concise and understandable logic, excellent video material makes this edition very valuable.

Any basketball coach will be able to learn valuable skills from one of the NCAA's top coaches. Teach your team the UCLA offense.

Excellent book, well organized, great instruction, and very useful for anyone coaching basketball. Very humble and articulate, knowledgeable authors.

This is the best basketball book & DVD I have ever had. THE COACH of UCLA is the best. The book and the video are very easy to use and describe with full detail the UCLA offense. YOU MUST HAVE THIS TOOL IN YOUR LIBRARY....

WHEN THE BEST COLLEGE COACH OF ALL TIME TELLS YOU HIS OFFENSE AND THEN SHOWS YOU IN DETAIL HOW TO USE IT - IT'S PRICELESS. WATCH THE DVD FIRST AND THEN READ THE BOOK.

This book reminds me of Tuesday With Mory. I own a large café in Hollywood, California, and I have purchased copies of Lucky Every Day for all of my employees. I also purchased the book for my daughter's graduation. The inspirational messages and life lessons from Diane Geppi-Aikens appeal to people from all walks of life.
Kudos to Mr. Silverman!!
René Castillo

Life lessons learned and tested; on and off the lacrosse field.

A great inspirational book for yourself and better shared as a gift to your family and friends.

"Lucky Every Day," written by Chip Silverman, should be read by all. Diane Geppi-Aikens is a true inspiration. Her principles for living can be applied to every aspect of my life, every day of my life. This book is not to be missed!

I followed Ms. Geppi-Aikens final season at Loyola last year through articles in national publications along with television coverage such as the Today Show, ESPN, and Good Morning America. Her accomplishments as a lacrosse coach, and as an individual dying of brain cancer were awe-inspiring. Because of that I bought her book "Lucky Every Day"; and, after reading it in one sitting I now understand why she was such a remarkable individual. Author Chip Silverman has put together an outstanding series of stories from her former players that are motivating and truly inspirational; and relate not just to sports, but to every facet of humanity. Interestingly, I found this book quite a departure from two other books that I have read by Silverman: Diner Guys which follows the lives of the guys immortalized in Barry Levinson's film "Diner"; and "Ten Bears" an account of the first and only black college lacrosse team and its exploits as told by Silverman, the white coach of the black team. I would love to give ten stars to "Lucky Every Day", but you limit me to five.

I enjoyed reading this book. It was very fast reading and most enjoyable. One does not have to be a lacrosse or sports fan to be inspired by the lessons of Diane Geppi-Aikens. The anecdotes from her former players and the format of each chapter can inspire and motivate people from all walks of life be it business, social, etc. It also makes a great graduation gift, and I am buying my mother one for Mother's Day.

"This book goes where other management books always seem to skimp.
Ron gives practical advise in critical areas of management, but most of all he
give managers good ideas, concepts and specific techniques that enable you to
foresee difficulties, and how to take appropriate action to prevent them
from becoming serious setbacks. To me that's a book of value and worth the read."
Paul Schween, Owner / PS Seminars

I LOVED THIS BOOK, IT SHARED THE EXPERIENCE FROM A LEADER TO A LEADER THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAYS TO LEAD A TEAM BY EXAMPLE NOT JUST IDEAS. THIS WILL WORK FOR YOU AS IT DOES FOR ME BY APPLYING THIS MATERIAL DAILY TO YOUR TEAM THAT YOU LEAD. RON MARKS IS A LEADER AND EXCEPTIONAL IN MY MIND IN THIS FIELD. READ IT SO YOU CAN GROW AS I HAVE. SETH AT MORTGAGE ADVANTAGE LENDING LLC.

Quoting Ron Marks, "To frustrate is to thwart, to foil, to circumvent, to interfere with, to check, to make an effort come to no avail, to nullify, to defeat ..."

I am in the throws of starting my own company and growing an effective sales team. This book was referred to me by a business associate. I can't even begin to tell you the many ways in which my own frustrations have been minimized since reading this wealth of information, let alone what it's done for my salespeople! I love the way he writes--it's easy to read and it makes a LOT of sense. I think this book would be a godsend to any size business, not just entrepreneurs like me! I was so thankful to my friend for the recommendation that I took her out to lunch!

There are two aspects that sales executives have some control over; that is, the way their salesforce sells and the way it's managed and motivated. Ron Marks' must-read of valuable messages and techniques is right on target for companies aiming to create a sales team that soars!

My only beef about this book is its title. It should be "Leading for Sales Results".

It is rare with all the "me too" books out there to see something that delivers. Mr. Marks does just that. It's a book I simply couldn't put down.

Leadership has become quite the buzz word lately. You can't pick up any business magazine without seeing a relevant article. But most of it just transposes the word leadership for management. While Mr Marks book is still a top down management style vs my training in Dynamic Governance--it brings some of the concepts to light.

I won't go through the book on a one by one line item--but a few ideas will entice you to purchase.

Ideas on where to find salespeople using "Guerrilla" tactics are not new but bear repeating. Prospecting is very important to me. I often cold call an office to receive not an inquiry for a product, but an interview. If cold calling is important to you, and you are cold called upon--there you go. Look for places where people use this skills but may be underpaid and opportunity challenged. The author suggests Nordstroms, where they probably not only have the skills but a professional wardrobe.

In interviewing, evaluate how the person thinks about his/her purchases. If you market a product with a one time close cycle and your candidate is a slow, think it over, take your time kind of sales buyer--they may have trouble pushing a prospect to purchase differently than their own style. The Japanese have a saying, "as above so below". Its amazingly basic but I never thought of it that way.

A recent blog entry on my website was a article on dread. Salespeople live their lives in dread because of prospecting, yet managers pick their battles and don't push it. As the author points out, prospecting is discussed during the interview and is given lip service by the candidate, but no follow through. As a manager if you allow that to happen, you are more at fault than the salesperson. Marks "call to action" is so simple and step by step, you don't have any more excuses.

Nothing here is hard to implement. One easy "take away" I will implement in my sales training and coaching is the C-Letter or commitment letter. It simply says as manager you agree to give the employee all the tools they need to succeed. The employee agrees to use those tools. This letter becomes a talking point in follow up evaluations.

Follow up evaluations are explained in wonderfully simple detail. This is a great read and one of the very few I'd heartedly recommend.

The first chapter, about seeing the ball, makes this book worthwhile for anybody. The author makes a good point about hitters worrying too much over minor mechanical details when tracking the ball is so important.

Having said that, this book is about the mental aspects of hitting and assumes that you already have decent mechanics. If you are a high school level player or beyond, there will be useful information here.

If you're a coach of youth teams, reading this book will help you better coach your hitters. There arent many specific swing techniques, but the book is full of advice from the mental aspect of the game. Similarly, there arent many detailed practice plans, but rather a good discussion of attitudes and how to approach practice time. You, as the youth coach, should be using these mental techniques to help your young hitters cope and adjust.

Hitting a baseball is one of the most difficult things to do in sports. That requires both physical and mental skills to perform at peak apacity.

For some hitters the battle against the pitcher and the defense is lost well before the ball is pitched. As a former head coach and now a hitting instructor at the semi-pro level, I have always been on the lookout for keys and prompts to give to my hitters to clear their mind of everything but a concentration on the ball and solid contact. This book gives me those cues in a simple to understand, and more importantly, a simple way of presenting those mental reminders. I particularly like the three simple questions to ask the hitter after every at bat. "What were you trying to do?", "What went wrong?" ,"What will you do next time?". The techniques suggested to get across to players the oft-repeated theme of this book - "see the ball and be easy!" are easy to understand and implement. I have been much more confident in my ability to get that message into my players heads after reading this book.

Best book on the subject I have ever read - very usable.

For the player who wants to excell at a high level, the information in this book is critical to that success. Easy to read & understand.

Chuck Schumacher
Owner-- Chucks Gym
Baseball & Martial Arts
Training & conditioning

Until I read this book I was throwing helmets, tossing bats, and swearing after every at-bat. The Mental Keys to Hitting gave me confidence to go to the batter's box with a plan and execute to the best of my ability. A must-read for any player.

For any player who wants to improve or enjoy the game more, Jak's book is a must.It offers many practical tips for singles and doubles. The sections on developing topsin,effective breathing during a match, club competition doubles strategies and practice routines are alone worth the price.

I have played for more than 30 yrs, have had many lessons and gone to tennis camps from Vermont to Florida. Jak's book has given me more stuff to work on, and to look forward to using in a match, than a lot of these other instructions.

We all pretty much know what we want to accomplish on the court. More Than Just The Strokes however, teaches you how really "seeing it" leads to "doing it". Whether you're battling a small technical glitch, self induced demons on your court, or an ineffective strategy, Jak's professional experience and insight teaches you how to strike the perfect merger between a technical mind set and mindful technique. The result: winning play instead of playing to win. The content is easy to understand and a welcome alternative to the traditional just hitting yet another thousand balls to maybe get the same result. Your time on the court will never feel more satisfying. A delightful, inspiring "must read" for all levels of players.

More Than Just The Stokes Is absolutely the best tennis insructional book I have ever read.It is not a fancy book in terms of glossy and impressive pictures but the "meat and potatoes" of tennis instruction is there in SPADES!

I particularly enjoyed and my game has benefited from the areas of the book covering volleys,singles strategy and watching the ball.

This book is an absolute must read for anyone trying to improve their game. I believe that tennis instuctors would benefit from buying this book in bulk for their students.

Give it a try.You won't be disapointed!

Barrie Cox

4.0 Toronto,Canada

I started playing tennis 10 years ago after a lifetime of playing "other" sports, including competing at the collegiate level in football and wrestling. I am currently a 4.5 NTRP level player. I have become addicted to tennis, probably as a result of the marked need for contrasting physical and mental perspectives which I find so challenging and (potentially) rewarding. This book addresses that contrast more vividly than any book on sports to which I have ever been exposed. The ongoing internal battle to control your emotions in tennis is, in my opinion, the most difficult struggle one encounters on the court. Beardsworth is the Zen master of tennis, as he helps all us warriors become more focused and masterful on the courts. This book is worth every penny for those who are interested in improving the satisfaction they get from the sport (and it will generate a lot more wins as well!). It is chock full of specific tips that I have been using again and again on the road to improvement. I highly recommend it!

I've been playing tennis my whole life and have read over 30 tennis books. I can say with absolute confidence that this book is the most user-friendly, concise, readable tennis guide I have ever read. Beardsworth makes the painfully abstract elements of stroke mechanics easy to visualize. [I should add that I own nearly every technique manual on the market and have never been inspired to write a review].

The author does not stop at stroke production, he has a remarkable ability to unpack the mental elements of the game and he provides entertaining information about the current tennis culture (at the club and pro level).

What makes this book truly unique, however, is the author's voice. He has a charismatic, snappy prose that makes for effortless reading. One can tell that this guy has been in the tennis business forever (he has seen it all). His anecdotes and insights are priceless; his understanding of the game -- the whole game -- is remarkable. Buy this book.

Chris Freytag knows her stuff. I have many of her workouts on dvd and so knowing how good of an instructor she is, I knew she'd have good stuff to say in her book. She does. She is well educated in health and she is certified by the American Council on Exercise. While she doesn't really add anything new to what we all already know, she does add insight to what she sees with her clients. She talks about their motivation or lack thereof and how to deal with all of that. Then she goes on to talk about ditching myths, excuses, building better body images, and then goes into the nitty gritty about diet and exercise.
It is a good read. It's choc full of information and hopefully enough motivation for people as they struggle with doing workouts and eating right.

Move to Lose is well written, organized and includes all the necessary components to getting and staying fit and healthy. The program is such a common sense approach to eating, exercising and living well that it is easy to understand and implement. I purchased this book after dealing with a medical crisis. This book motivated me to eat healthier, exercise daily and create a plan to reach my fitness goals. I have lost weight, become more tone, have more energy, confidence and strength. I highly recommend this book!!!!

I highly recommend this book, especially if you have previously purchased the Video Tape or DVD. Excellent instructions and illustrations so you can practice them slowly on your own in the beginning, without having to keep up with video. Lots of other excellent information regarding nutrition, etc. Great Book alone or to compliment the Author's video.
JMW - Orlando

I loved this book! After reading it I felt motivated to go do something about those 20 extra pounds I am carrying around. It is filled with great ideas for getting moving and for the first time ever I think I am going to try a new exercise like pilates. I liked the charts and pictures that were included. Overall I would highly recommend it--especially if you are like me and have been lacking motivation to get started on a healthier path.

Chris Freytag has taken all of the complicated fitness and diet programs out there and traded them in for some common sense! She spells out things that ANYONE can do to improve their health and fitness and does it in a way that is not intimidating or too complex. Her exercise and diet ideas are so helpful (and not hard to do). This book taught me a lot about healthy eating habits and how your body responds to exercising. I highly recommend it!