How Lucky You Can Be: The Story of Coach Don Meyer


Buster Olney - 2010
    He was about to surpass the legendary Bobby Knight to become the all-time NCAA wins leader in men’s basketball. Then, on a two-lane road in South Dakota, everything changed in an instant.In How Lucky You Can Be, acclaimed sports journalist Buster Olney tells the remarkable story of the successive tragedies that befell Coach Meyer but could not defeat him. Laid low by a horrific car accident that led to the amputation of his left leg below the knee, Coach Meyer had barely emerged from surgery when his doctors informed him that he also had terminal cancer. In the blink of an eye, this prototypical 24/7 workaholic coach—who arrived at the gym most mornings before 6 a.m.—found himself forced to reexamine his priorities at the age of sixty-three. A model of reserve, Coach Meyer had sacrificed much of his emotional life to his program. His wife, Carmen, felt disconnected because of his habitual reticence, while his three children—all now well into adulthood—had long had to compete with basketball for his attention.With sensitivity and skill, Olney shows how Coach Meyer mined his physical ordeal for the spiritual strength to transform his life. In the months that followed his accident and diagnosis, he reached out to family, friends, and former players in a way he had never been able to do before, making the most of this one last opportunity to tell those close to him how he felt about them—and in turn he received an outpouring of affirmation that confirmed how deeply he had affected others. Sustained throughout an often painful recovery by his love of basketball, he would return to the court once more—with a newfound appreciation for the game’s place in his life. The inspirational story of a life renewed by unimaginable hardship, How Lucky You Can Be proves that it’s never too late to start making changes—and reminds us that fortune can smile upon us even in our most trying hours.

The Talent Code: Unlocking the Secret of Skill in Sports, Art, Music, Math, and Just About Everything Else


Daniel Coyle - 2009
    Whether you're coaching soccer or teaching a child to play the piano, writing a novel or trying to improve your golf swing, this revolutionary book shows you how to grow talent by tapping into a newly discovered brain mechanism.Drawing on cutting-edge neurology and firsthand research gathered on journeys to nine of the world's talent hotbeds—from the baseball fields of the Caribbean to a classical-music academy in upstate New York—Coyle identifies the three key elements that will allow you to develop your gifts and optimize your performance in sports, art, music, math, or just about anything. • Deep Practice--Everyone knows that practice is a key to success. What everyone doesn't know is that specific kinds of practice can increase skill up to ten times faster than conventional practice.• Ignition--We all need a little motivation to get started. But what separates truly high achievers from the rest of the pack? A higher level of commitment—call it passion—born out of our deepest unconscious desires and triggered by certain primal cues. Understanding how these signals work can help you ignite passion and catalyze skill development.• Master Coaching--What are the secrets of the world's most effective teachers, trainers, and coaches? Discover the four virtues that enable these "talent whisperers" to fuel passion, inspire deep practice, and bring out the best in their students.These three elements work together within your brain to form myelin, a microscopic neural substance that adds vast amounts of speed and accuracy to your movements and thoughts. Scientists have discovered that myelin might just be the holy grail: the foundation of all forms of greatness, from Michelangelo's to Michael Jordan's. The good news about myelin is that it isn't fixed at birth; to the contrary, it grows, and like anything that grows, it can be cultivated and nourished. Combining revelatory analysis with illuminating examples of regular people who have achieved greatness, this book will not only change the way you think about talent, but equip you to reach your own highest potential.

Mastermind: How Dave Brailsford Reinvented the Wheel


Richard Moore - 2013
    Leading cycling writer Richard Moore's profile of Dave Brailsford, the head of Team Sky and the man who masterminded the British Cycling revolution, gives a unique insight into the psychology of one of the most fascinating figures in world sport.

Atlas: From the Streets to the Ring: A Son's Struggle to Become a Man


Teddy Atlas - 2006
    In sharing his stories, Atlas reveals the philosophy by which he lives.Like Teddy Atlas -- inimitable, tough, honest, and wise -- this book inspires. It is about so much more than boxing. It is a story of overcoming hardships, of compassion for those in need, of tremendous personal integrity, and of personal and professional triumph.

Once in a Lifetime: The Incredible Story of the New York Cosmos


Gavin Newsham - 2006
    In the summer of 1977, entrepreneurial Warner Brothers chairman Steve Ross assembled the best soccer players from across the globe to play for the Cosmos. Pele, the German superstar Franz Beckenbauer, Johan Neeskens, Giorgio Chinaglia, Brazil's 1970 World Cup-winning captain Carlos Alberto, Werner Roth, Roberto Cabanas, and many others all donned Cosmos jerseys and became instant celebrities in the process. The Cosmos quickly became the hottest ticket in town and the Cosmos players soon became enmeshed in a world of millionaires, gangsters, groupies, glamour, power struggles, alcoholic excess, drugs, and fistfights.Published to coincide with the World Cup in June 2006, Once in a Lifetime is the thrilling story of America's first flirtation with the world's most popular game.

How to Build Self-Discipline to Exercise: Practical Techniques and Strategies to Develop a Lifetime Habit of Exercise


Martin Meadows - 2016
    You've probably even put some money down before, vowing that THIS was the year you'd get in shape, lose that extra weight, and become the energetic person you know is hiding inside you. Unfortunately, life happens, and you fall into the habit of "I'll start tomorrow." Your motivation drops, and your self-discipline fails to push you through to achieve your goals. You begin to make excuses: you'll be really sore after working out, it's been too long since you've last exercised, you don't have willpower, your friends and family tell you to be happy with how you are, you think you're too weak, inflexible or otherwise unfit for exercise, and many more. There was that one time you started a program, but you couldn't keep up with the weekly or monthly goals, so you got frustrated and gave up. All of that has added up to make you think you're incapable of starting and continuing an exercise program. You're afraid you aren't mentally or physically strong enough, but still hold out the hope that someday a magic pill will change all that. The magic exists today, but it's not as easy or fast as swallowing a pill. However, it can be simple and enjoyable. How to Build Self-Discipline to Exercise is a concise, practical guidebook on how to introduce and keep exercise in your life. Inside, you'll learn: - why the most common type of motivation people use to exercise is usually ineffective (and which types of motivation are much stronger) - the wrong "P" that will lead you to giving up when you face obstacles - how to overcome procrastination and finally start exercising – including a slightly uncomfortable trick that will ensure you'll get plenty of exercise - how to find time to exercise despite a hectic schedule (and surprising math that shows you actually lose time when you don't make time for exercise) - practical tricks and tips to stay motivated forever, even when you encounter obstacles - how to enjoy exercise while still getting the most powerful benefits of it (hint: if your workout involves "work," it's not a good workout) - how to prevent injuries, improve recovery, and handle the inevitable muscle soreness so you stick to exercise even if your body acts against you - how to deal with other people, wrong expectations, and negativity (from both your surroundings and yourself in the form of self-criticism or self-doubt) When put together and acted upon, the six chapters in this book – supported by over 80 references to scientific studies and credible experts – will help you form a new habit and make one of the most important changes you'll ever make in your life. Purchase the book now and let's embark on the journey to learn how.

The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women


Valerie Young - 2011
    It's only because they like me. I was in the right place at the right time. I just work harder than the others. I don't deserve this. It's just a matter of time before I am found out. Someone must have made a terrible mistake. If you are a working woman, chances are this inter­nal monologue sounds all too familiar. And you're not alone. From the high-achieving Ph.D. candidate convinced she's only been admitted to the program because of a clerical error to the senior executive who worries others will find out she's in way over her head, a shocking number of accomplished women in all ca­reer paths and at every level feel as though they are faking it--impostors in their own lives and careers.While the impostor syndrome is not unique to women, women are more apt to agonize over tiny mistakes, see even constructive criticism as evi­dence of their shortcomings, and chalk up their accomplishments to luck rather than skill. They often unconsciously overcompensate with crippling perfec­tionism, overpreparation, maintaining a lower pro­file, withholding their talents and opinions, or never finishing important projects. When they do succeed, they think, Phew, I fooled 'em again. An internationally known speaker, Valerie Young has devoted her career to understanding women's most deeply held beliefs about themselves and their success. In her decades of in-the-trenches research, she has uncovered the often surprising reasons why so many accomplished women experience this crushing self-doubt.In The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women, Young gives these women the solution they have been seek­ing. Combining insightful analysis with effective ad­vice and anecdotes, she explains what the impostor syndrome is, why fraud fears are more common in women, and how you can recognize the way it mani­fests in your life.

Rock 'n' Roll Soccer: The Short Life and Fast Times of the North American Soccer League


Ian Plenderleith - 2014
    More than just Pelé and the New York Cosmos, it lured the biggest names of the world game like Johan Cruyff, Franz Beckenbauer, Eusebio, Gerd Müller and George Best to play the sport as it was meant to be played-without inhibition, to please the fans.The first complete look at the ambitious, star-studded NASL, Rock 'n' Roll Soccer reveals how this precursor to modern soccer laid the foundations for the sport's tremendous popularity in America today. Bringing to life the color and chaos of an unfairly maligned league, soccer journalist Ian Plenderleith draws from research and interviews with the men who were there to reveal the madness of its marketing, the wild expectations of businessmen and corporations hoping to make a killing out of the next big thing, and the insanity of franchises in scorching cities like Las Vegas and Hawaii. That's not to mention the league's on-running fight with FIFA as the trailblazing North American continent battled to innovate, surprise, and sell soccer to a whole new world.As entertaining and raucous as the league itself, Rock 'n' Roll Soccer recounts the hype and chaos surrounding the rapid rise and cataclysmic fall of the NASL, an enterprising and groundbreaking league that did too much right to ignore.

Triphasic Training: A Systematic Approach to Elite Speed and Explosive Strength Performance


Cal Dietz - 2012
    That's not hype. Cal Dietz, strength coach at the University of Minnesota, has the results to back up this claim - a Hobey Baker Award winner, two Big Ten Athletes of the Year, over 400 All-Americans, 28 Big Ten/WCHA championship teams, 7 NCAA National Team Champions, and 13 teams that finished in the top four in the nation.Over the past decade, Coach Dietz has worked with thousands of collegiate and professional athletes, incorporating the latest scientific research into developing his Triphasic Training method. His approach breaks down athletic movements into their three components -- eccentric, isometric, and concentric -- allowing for the continuous development of athletes, maximizing their strength, speed, and power.In this easy-to-understand book, Coach Dietz has teamed up with exercise physiologist, Ben Peterson, to explain the physiological foundations of Triphasic Training and how they can be applied to training, making athletes bigger, stronger and faster than ever before. The authors give examples of complete programs, as well as examples of how to incorporate the Triphasic method into existing programs, with descriptions on adapting it to virtually any scenario.The digital edition of this book contains over 3,000 hyperlinks to video clips that demonstrate how to properly perform every exercise, as well as six hours of video lectures by Coach Dietz from his national speaking tour. In this book, these hyperlinks are indicated by words or phrases that are underlined. In order for you to take advantage of these features, included in the book is a web link to a downloadable PDF that contains the hyperlinks and videos from the original digital book.Included in the book: - 5 complete 24-week training programs designed for 6-day, 5-day, 4-day, 3-day, or 2-day training models.- Over two dozen tables showing when and how to modify exercises to ensure continuous improvement in athletes.- Peaking programs for football lineman and skill players; swimmers; baseball, volleyball, and hockey players (among others).- A complete 52-week training program for football."Awesomeness! Finally someone has done it right. If you want to challenge yourself, open your mind and just get better at your craft, I suggest you read this book." - Kevin Ziegler Former NHL Strength Coach for the Phoenix Coyotes and Tampa Bay Lightning"Triphasic Training is a down-to-earth, raw, bare bones book on training. No B.S., just honest facts. It gives you methods and ideas that have been proven to make athletes better. A must have book for any coach's or athlete's library."- Buddy MorrisWorld Renown Performance Coach"Triphasic Training is a game-changer! I integrated the Triphasic Method with many collegiate and professional athletes at IMG. The results were outstanding! It's a "must have" for anyone trying to get better!"- Jeff DillmanDirector of Strength and ConditioningUniversity of Florida Football"Amazing book! One of the best books I have read on strength and conditioning. You two have touched upon so many key topics and principles that few discuss to any extent. Awesome work!"- Jonas SahratianStrength and Conditioning CoordinatorUniversity of North Carolina Basketball"I have to congratulate you as Triphasic Training is one of the best books in strength and conditioning I have read. Extremely practical with very well-presented arguments and logic behind your practical tools and templates. A good blend of innovation, science/research and experience throughout."- Scott WilliamsExercise PhysiologistGolf Australia and PGA of Australia

Peak Performance: Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout, and Thrive with the New Science of Success


Brad Stulberg - 2017
    Whether someone is trying to qualify for the Olympics, break ground in mathematical theory or craft an artistic masterpiece, many of the practices that lead to great success are the same. In Peak Performance, Brad Stulberg, a former McKinsey and Company consultant and journalist who covers health and the science of human performance, and Steve Magness, a performance scientist and coach of Olympic athletes, team up to demystify these practices and demonstrate how everyone can achieve their best.The first book of its kind, Peak Performance combines the inspiring stories of top performers across a range of capabilities - from athletic, to intellectual, to artistic - with the latest scientific insights into the cognitive and neurochemical factors that drive performance in all domains. In doing so, Peak Performance uncovers new linkages that hold promise as performance enhancers but have been overlooked in our traditionally-siloed ways of thinking. The result is a life-changing book in which readers will learn how to enhance their performance by a myriad of ways including: optimally alternating between periods of intense work and rest; developing and harnessing the power of a self-transcending purpose; and priming the body and mind for enhanced productivity.In revealing the science of great performance and the stories of great performers across a wide range of capabilities, Peak Performance uncovers the secrets of success, and coaches readers on how to use them. If you want to take your game to the next level, whatever "your game" may be, Peak Performance will teach you how.

Mensch: Beyond the Cones


Jonathan Harding - 2019
     From the practical aspects on the training ground to the collective strength of the coaching community, some of the smartest minds in the game take you closer to understanding the human aspects required to nurture young professionals. Germany’s model is not perfect and constantly evolving so there’s also a look at what should be the next step for Germany’s coaching after a disastrous 2018 World Cup. As English players look to Germany to further their own careers, Mensch looks at what the wider football world can learn from a country and a coaching culture so clearly in love with the beautiful game.

Base Building for Cyclists: A New Foundation for Endurance and Performance


Thomas Chapple - 2006
    Ultrafit coach Thomas Chapple shows how with this practical guide. Based on the idea that success depends on the extent to which cyclists build their foundation of aerobic fitness, or their "base," for the road ahead, the book explains step-by-step how to build a bigger aerobic engine, work up to higher volumes, and make significant improvements in strength, endurance, and speed.

Leading: Learning from Life and My Years at Manchester United


Alex Ferguson - 2015
    From hiring practices to firing decisions, from dealing with transition to teamwork, from mastering the boardroom to responding to failure and adversity, Leading is as inspiring as it is practical, and a go-to reference for any leader in business, sports, and life.

The Game of Their Lives: The Untold Story of the World Cup's Biggest Upset


Geoffrey Douglas - 1996
    The Americans were outsiders to the sport, the underdogs of the event, a 500-to-1 long shot. But they were also proud and loyal men -- to one another, to their communities, and certainly to their country. Facing almost no time to prepare, opponents with superior training, and skepticism from the rest of the world, this ragtag group of unknowns was inspired to a stunning victory over England and one of the most thrilling upsets in the history of sports.Written by critically acclaimed author Geoffrey Douglas, and now a film directed by David Anspaugh (Hoosiers), The Game of Their Lives takes us back to a time before million-dollar contracts and commercial endorsements, and introduces us to the athletes -- the Americans -- who showed the world just how far a long shot could really go.

Mourinho: Anatomy Of A Winner


Patrick Barclay - 2005
    At 42, many would say he's done that - probably including Mourinho, who has called himself the Special One. From translator and assistant to Sir Bobby Robson at Barcelona, to Champions League-winning manager at Porto and on to (potentially) Europe's most successful football club at Chelsea, Jose Mourinho's ascent has been rapid. Backed by Abramovich's billions, Mourinho has weeded out those not fully committed to his methods, has made several astute signings and has improved the game of many Chelsea stars. The result: in his first season, Chelsea won both the Premier League title and the Carling Cup. Patrick Barclay, award-winning football correspondent of the Sunday Telegraph, has written an intelligent, analytical and concise account of the psychology of Mourinho. To develop this portrait, he has interviewed those who have worked with him, such as Sir Bobby Robson and Louis van Gaal, as well as the players who provide a revealing insight into what has made Mourinho the most successful manager in the world at the moment.