Book picks similar to
Heads-Up Baseball: Playing the Game One Pitch at a Time by Ken Ravizza
baseball
sports
sports-recreation
psychology
The Card: Collectors, Con Men, and the True Story of History's Most Desired Baseball Card
Michael O'Keeffe - 2007
First identified as valuable in the 1930s, when the whole notion of card collecting was still young, the T206 Wagner has remained the big score for collectors who have scoured card shows, flea markets, estate sales, and auctions for the portrait of baseball's greatest shortstop.Only a few dozen T206 Wagners are known to still exist. Most, with their creases, stains, and dog-eared corners, look worn and tattered, like they've been around for almost a century. But one—The Card—appears to have defied the travails of time. Thanks to its sharp corners and its crisp portrait of Honus Wagner, The Card has become the most famous and desired baseball card in the world.Over the decades, as The Card has changed hands, its value has skyrocketed. It was initially sold for $25,000 by a small card shop in a nondescript strip mall. Years later, hockey great Wayne Gretzky bought it at the venerable Sotheby's auction house for $451,000. Then, more recently, it sold for $1.27 million on eBay. Today worth over $2 million, it has transformed a sleepy hobby into a billion-dollar industry that is at times as lawless as the Wild West. The Card has made men wealthy, certainly, but it has also poisoned lifelong friendships and is fraught with controversy—from its uncertain origins and the persistent questions about its provenance to the possibility that it is not exactly as it seems.Now for the first time, award-winning investigative reporters Michael O'Keeffe and Teri Thompson follow the trail of The Card from a Florida flea market to the hands of the world's most prominent collectors. They delve into a world of counterfeiters and con men and look at the people who profit from what used to be a kids' pastime, as they bring to light ongoing investigations into sports collectibles. O'Keeffe and Thompson also examine the life of the great Honus Wagner, a ballplayer whose accomplishments have been eclipsed by his trading card, and the strange and fascinating subculture of sports memorabilia and its astonishing decline.Intriguing and eye-opening, The Card is a ground-breaking look at a uniquely American hobby.
The Coach
Patrick Mouratoglou - 2017
The Coach is Patrick Mouratoglou's hugely motivational and inspirational story. As a child, he was full of suffering, enduring anxiety attacks at night. In his own words "puny and very timid, paralysed by the shame of not being able to do better". Now, as one of the world's leading tennis coaches he is responsible for transforming the career of Serena Williams and helping her become the greatest of all times. His story is a great example of trial over adversity.
Foundations of Sport & Exercise Psychology
Robert S. Weinberg - 2003
Written by internationally respected authors, it provides students and new practitioners with a comprehensive view of sport and exercise psychology, bridges the gap between research and practice, conveys principles of professional practice, and captures the excitement of the world of sport and exercise. A supreme effort has been made to meet the increasing needs of professors, practitioners, and students. To further improve the total learning experience, the new edition features-an online study guide that provides an interactive learning experience for students; -thoroughly updated material that reflects the latest research and practice in the field to keep students aware of recent findings and hot topics in the field; and-more contemporary practical examples, case studies, and anecdotes to help students understand various theories and concepts.Foundations of Sport and Exercise Psychology, Fourth Edition, allows students to gain an understanding of the field while learning how to apply sport and exercise knowledge. The book contains seven parts that may be studied in any sequence. Part I introduces students to the field, detailing its history, current status, and the various roles of sport and exercise psychologists. Part II focuses on personal factors that affect performance and psychological development in sport, physical education, and exercise settings. In part III, the authors focus on two major classes of situational factors that influence behavior: competition and cooperation, and feedback and reinforcement. Part IV focuses on group interaction and processes, while part V discusses how psychological techniques may be used to help people perform more effectively. Part VI addresses the various roles psychological factors play in health and exercise. The final section, part VII, deals with main topics of psychological development and well-being that are important to both society and sport and exercise psychology, including children's psychological development through sport participation, aggression in sport, and moral development and good sporting behavior in sport and physical activity contexts.
Includes an online study guide!
To assist students using the text, Foundations of Sport and Exercise Psychology, Fourth Edition, has a companion online student study guide. Completely integrated with the text, the study guide allows students to experience content through multiple dimensions. Students will receive free access to the study guide with the purchase of a new text or it may be purchased as a separate component. The online study guide is a trend-setting addition that will allow the subject of sport psychology to come alive to its users. The study guide is written to work directly with the text; mentions of the study guide appear in each chapter to encourage readers to take advantage of the study guide's learning tools. This online study guide features more than 90 individual and small-group learning activities that may be printed and handed in or e-mailed to instructors for assessment. These activities require students to -use actual sport and exercise psychology instruments to assess their skills,-determine how to respond to real-life scenarios (with short answers or essays),-review and design research studies and experiments, search the Internet for relevant information, and apply and test their -understanding of sport and exercise psychology principles and concepts.Audio clips feature esteemed experts from the field discussing key course concepts that they have studied and refined during their professional careers. Students will hear from experts such as:-Robert C. Eklund, PhD, FACSM Professor at Florida State University-Diane L. Gill, PhD Professor at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro-Rainer Martens, PhD President of Human Kinetics-Judy L. Van Raalte, PhD Professor at Springfield College-Robin Vealey, PhD Professor at Miami University in Ohio-Craig Wrisberg, PhD Professor at the University of Tennessee These and other experts offer a great deal of insight on the issues being discussed in the text, and most chapters contain at least one expert audio clip. In addition, each chapter of the study guide opens with an audio introduction by Dr. Daniel Czech, the mentor throughout the online study guide.Video clips provide students with a realistic look at how sport psychology consultants interact and communicate with athletes to improve athletic experiences. In these video clips, students will watch as Dr. Czech interacts with a basketball player who is having trouble shooting free throws and a softball team that isn't connecting on or off the field. These videos offer an opportunity for students to peer into the “real world” of a practicing sport psychology consultant.These audio and video clips help students understand the research and practice of sport psychology in today's society. In addition to the inclusion of the new online study guide for students, the instructor ancillaries have also been improved. Updates have been made to the presentation package containing more than 900 PowerPoint slides, the test bank of more than 800 questions, and the instructor guide. Foundations of Sport and Exercise Psychology, Fourth Edition provides a powerful learning tool for understanding human behavior in sport and exercise settings. This new edition continues to ensure that future researchers and practitioners in the field are well equipped and enthused about the possibilities and challenges they will encounter.
The Fall of the Roman Umpire
Ron Luciano - 1986
Illustrated with 16 pages of photographs.
Money & Mindfulness: Living in Abundance
Lisa Messenger - 2015
But, let's be honest, you need the means to make it all happen.In her latest book, she tackles a topic with a stigma - money! What would you do if money was no object, how can anyone find profit in the impossible and - her personal bugbear - when will 'gunnas' stop using lack of money as an excuse for not stepping out of their comfort zone and pursuing their purpose?Mixing advice from mentors, experts and famous role models, with lessons learned in her own entrepreneurial journey, Lisa reveals how she built a global brand, and launched a magazine sold in 37 countries, without having to borrow a single cent from a bank.This is from a woman who, years before, could barely afford to buy toothpaste.In the self-deprecating manner that has become her trademark style, Lisa shares her own journey, clearly stating she is not a guru when it comes to finances, but has used fresh thinking and creative ideas to fuel a burgeoning business.She will help you appreciate your real value, amplify your self-worth and find the means to achieve everything you dream of.Many of us are raised to believe it’s rude to talk about money.But as a self-proclaimed disruptor, this entrepreneur wants to put a bomb in the bank vault and blow it wide open...
Hockey Tough
Saul L. Miller - 2003
Hockey Tough provides players and coaches proven methods for mastering the mental side of the game. Author Saul Miller shares the psychological training and emotional management techniques he has successfully taught individual hockey players and teams for over 20 years.Throughout the book, NHL stars such as Mark Messier, Pavel Bure, Chris Pronger, and Markus Naslund offer insights and tips on a variety of topics related to achieving a winning mind-set for the sport. These players explain how to focus and score, how to deal with personality conflicts on and off the ice, and how to bounce back with confidence after a subpar performance.Miller, one of North America's most prolific and sought-after sport psychology consultants in hockey, presents mental exercises and assignments to help players-develop a winning attitude on and off the ice, -stay focused to execute skills and tactics, -maintain the mental stamina required in this physically demanding sport, -overcome emotional fatigue and physical aches and pains to perform at the highest level throughout the season, -manage their anger to avoid costly penalties in crucial game situations, and-develop the discipline and tenacity to force and capitalize on opponents' mistakes.Miller presents many other topics of interest, such as the intangibles that coaches and scouts look for in players and what it takes to make it to the top level of competition.Motivation, teamwork, leadership, and poise are essential factors to successful performance. Hockey Tough will strengthen each of these areas and help players achieve a mind-set to excel on the ice.
Learn Better: Mastering the Skills for Success in Life, Business, and School, or, How to Become an Expert in Just About Anything
Ulrich Boser - 2017
But this approach to learning isn’t nearly enough for the world that we live in today, and in Learn Better journalist and education researcher Ulrich Boser demonstrates that how we learn can matter just as much as what we learn.In this brilliantly researched book, Boser maps out the new science of learning, showing how simple techniques like comprehension check-ins and making material personally relatable can help people gain expertise in dramatically better ways. He covers six key steps to help you “learn how to learn,” all illuminated with fascinating stories like how Jackson Pollock developed his unique painting style and why an ancient Japanese counting device allows kids to do math at superhuman speeds. Boser’s witty, engaging writing makes this book feel like a guilty pleasure, not homework.Learn Better will revolutionize the way students and society alike approach learning and makes the case that being smart is not an innate ability—learning is a skill everyone can master. With Boser as your guide, you will be able to fully capitalize on your brain’s remarkable ability to gain new skills and open up a whole new world of possibilities.
Teach Yourself Speed Reading
Tina Konstant - 2001
Following a unique five-step system, this practical guide teaches readers the basics of speed-reading in less than an hour. It includes tools and information on a variety of reading and memory techniques that allow readers to start using and practicing the techniques as they read--and therefore finish this book in a fraction of the time they would have taken previously. The book shows how to read effectively under pressure and concentrate in today's noisy, distracting environments.
Put It In the Book!: A Half-Century of Mets Mania
Howie Rose - 2013
Millions of fans have listened to Rose’s trademark calls over the years, and now, with his patented honesty and humor, he gives a firsthand account of the Amazins’—from the greatness of Tom Seaver to Johan Santana’s recent no-no. In addition to a personalized look at the rich history of the of the team, this work also features Rose’s thoughts and opinions on the current Mets team and roster and his thoughts on the future of the club.
Hygge: The Danish Secrets of Happiness: How to be Happy and Healthy in Your Daily Life
Maya Thoresen - 2017
This book is meant to lead you on a path to the very beginning of that true happiness that we are all searching for, taking from the Scandinavian concept of hygge. This concept is sweeping through the Western world because it is changing the lives of people like you. Find out why the Danish people are the happiest one in the world and how to join their ranks.
The New Toughness Training for Sports: Mental Emotional Physical Conditioning from 1 World's Premier Sports Psychologis
Jim Loehr - 1994
Loehr has been training world-class athletes, from Olympic gold medalist speed-skater Dan Jansen to tennis stars Monica Seles and Jim Courier His bestselling book, Mental Toughness Training for Sports, is a classic. In The New Toughness Training for Sports, he offers a toughness program that allows you to play at the very top of your game--every time. You'll learn how to trigger you Ideal Performance State (IPS) on demand and gain the heightened physical, mental, and emotional mind-body toughness so vital to sports.
Flip the Script: Lessons Learned on the Road to a Championship
Ed Orgeron - 2020
In Flip the Script you will learn the life-changing lessons of leadership and determination Coach O discovered on the road to a championship. Ed Orgeron, head coach of the record-breaking national champion LSU Tigers football team, tells the inspiring story of reversing the team's fortunes and culture, as well as his own remarkable leadership journey from disappointment and setback to the apex of college sports.The storybook football season for the LSU Tigers in 2019 was the stuff of legend: a team with recently unmet expectations became the undefeated national champion with a Heisman trophy-winning transfer quarterback under the leadership of a coach whose previous coaching stops had been disappointments. Yet that coach, Ed Orgeron, had turned everything around. He flipped the script, transforming a program that lately had not reached its potential into a team of unprecedented dominance. Flip the Script is the story of how it happened, with lessons for anyone who wants to succeed. Telling the story of his own journey that culminated in the Cinderella season, Orgeron highlights the traits he learned are necessary for success:an ability and willingness to learn from mistakes,the necessity of perseverance,recognizing and focusing on what you’re truly good at,building unity, andovercoming hardship.The road to success is never easy, as Ed Orgeron's life reveals. But his life also shows that with determination and a willingness to learn from experience, your trajectory can change--your script can be flipped--and you can achieve more than you ever dreamed.
The Wit and Wisdom of Yogi Berra
Phil Pepe - 1974
New York Times–bestselling author Phil Pepe takes readers along on Yogi Berra’s journey from St. Louis to New York’s Yankee Stadium, including all the stops along the way—from his days as a tack-puller in a women’s shoe factory, to a pre-game tribute in St. Louis, when he coined the phrase, “I want to thank all those that made this night necessary,” to his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Pepe explores Yogi Berra as a boy, player, hero, coach, manager, husband, father, and jokester, including all of the “Yogi-isms,” in an absorbing treatment that is simultaneously comical, thoughtful, and biographical. Famous Yogi-isms: - About a popular restaurant: “Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded.” - On Little League Baseball: “I think it’s wonderful. It keeps the kids out of the house.” - On why the Yankees lost the 1960 World Series: “We made too many wrong mistakes.”
Play Your Best Golf Now: Discover VISION54's 8 Essential Playing Skills
Lynn Marriott - 2011
"The VISION54 approach is far more than just pure golf technique, it allows an individual to unlock their true potential by opening their mind and believing anything is possible to achieve." - David Leadbetter, David Leadbetter Golf Academy Pia Nilsson and Lynn Marriott are Complete Game Coaches, leaders of a new kind of golf instruction that focuses on more than just the grip, the stance, and the swing. Their VISION54 method targets the complete golfer-the whole person-not just the technical aspects of the game. Their coaching philosophy focuses on possibilities, not limitations, with an end goal of MY54-the idea that any golfer can reach their own personalized version of peak performance, scoring nothing but birdies on a par-72 course. Building on the core concepts introduced in Every Shot Must Have a Purpose and the strategic thinking in The Game Within the Game, Play Your Best Golf Now takes the mystery out of the soft skills of golf and shows golfers how to add these skills to their game for peak performance. Players learn to master the 8 Essential Playing Skills: 1. LEAVE YOUR MIND BEHIND and enter the Play Box 2. DECIDE AND COMMIT to your shots 3. FIND YOUR BALANCE both physically and mentally 4. FEEL YOUR TEMPO on the course and dance to its rhythm 5. TAME TENSION to improve your swing 6. BUILD EMOTIONAL RESILIENCE 7. STORE MEMORIES and learn from the past to make a better present 8. DROWN SELF-TALK IN USEFUL THOUGHTS And the 2 Essential Practice Skills: 1. SIMULATE GOLF on the practice range to maximize your time and effort 2. INTEGRATE SKILLS and practice with a plan These Essentials complement the technical anchors of the game-the grip, the stance, the swing-and give players a foundation for achieving their peak performance. MY54 is the vision, and these are the building blocks for achieving a higher level of play.
The Secret Lives of Sports Fans
Eric Simons - 2013
What is happening in our brains and bodies when we feel strong emotion while watching a game? How do sports fans resemble political junkies, and why do we form such a strong attachment to a sports team? Journalist Eric Simons presents in-depth research in an accessible and brilliant way, sure to interest readers of Jonah Lehrer and Malcolm Gladwell. Through reading the literature and attending neuroscience conferences, talking to fans, psychologists, and scientists, and working through his issues as part of a collaboration with the NPR science program RadioLab, Eric Simons hoped to find an answer that would explain why the attractive force of this relationship with treasured sports teams is so great that we can't leave it.