A Season of Loss, a Lifetime of Forgiveness: The Dan Snyder and Dany Heatley Story


John Manasso - 2005
    That’s hardly the stuff that NHL careers are made of. But Snyder earned his spot on the NHL’s Atlanta Thrashers roster through sheer force of will and strength of character, even though scouts thought the odds were against him. Those who knew Snyder describe him as the kind of person others naturally gravitated towards. One of those people was Dany Heatley, college star, All-Star, and marked one of the nhl’s next great players. On September 29, 2003, while driving down a treacherous Atlanta road with Snyder, Heatley lost control of his car. Snyder was injured, and died in hospital six days later. The lives of his family, friends, and teammates changed forever, as they searched for meaning and healing. Meanwhile, authorities in Atlanta charged Heatley with vehicular homicide. Snyder’s family, however, took a path of forgiveness and reconciliation — a path that is ingrained in the Mennonite tradition from which they hail. While some might lash out against an easy target, the Snyders invited Heatley and his parents into their lives in an effort to make peace with their grief. This paperback edition contains an afterword by the Snyder family.

Finding Murph: From First Overall to Living Homeless in the Bush - The Tragic True Story of Joe Murphy


Rick Westhead - 2020
    In 1986, he became the first college-educated hockey player ever selected first overall in the NHL entry draft. He won a Stanley Cup in Edmonton alongside Mark Messier. But since then, his life has taken a tragic turn as a result of mental illness, substance abuse and the untreated head injuries he suffered as a player.Murphy’s life didn’t begin on a track that would take him to poverty, addiction and illness. He was smart, dedicated and put his hockey life on hold to complete his education before joining the NHL. He once scored eighty-two points in a season and was a key player for the Oilers, Red Wings and Blackhawks, among other teams. But one vicious bodycheck during a game started him down a road to ruin. Murphy was clearly shaken by the hit, but he was never treated and he never missed a game. His entire life was about to change.Murphy became a journeyman, moving from team to team, and all along the way, other NHLers said they witnessed a change. Murphy was becoming more different by the day. He took to drugs and alcohol and soon found himself out of the NHL entirely. He and his wife divorced. Murphy eventually became homeless and, in the spring of 2019, he made his way to Kenora, Ontario, where he lived in the bush, spending his days outside a local convenience store, muttering to himself. The player who had once set the NHL aflame slept by the side of the road in the unforgiving North.In the vein of Playing with Fire and Boy on Ice, Finding Murph tells the tragic story of Joe Murphy and examines the role of the NHL in the downward spiral of one of the league’s most promising players.

The Battle of Alberta: The Historic Rivalry Between the Edmonton Oilers and the Calgary Flames


Mark Spector - 2015
    Sports writer and on-air personality Mark Spector pays tribute to the province's hockey heyday with a unique blend of humour and homage.     "I hated every single guy on the Oilers, 'cause they all hated me." --Tim Hunter, the Calgary Flames     In the 1980s, the province of Alberta was home to the two best hockey teams in the NHL. Aptly dubbed "Death Valley" due to the sheer talent and ability of its players, the province not only begat rivalry with other NHL teams, but also sparked fierce competition within its own borders. Thus began The Battle of Alberta, the historic struggle between the Edmonton Oilers and the Calgary Flames.     In The Battle of Alberta, veteran sports journalist Mark Spector presents homage to Albertan hockey, and the two teams that inspired one of the most bitter competitions in NHL history. Through exclusive interviews with coaches, trainers, and players, Spector provides an unbiased, often hilarious look at the brawls, the clashes, and the schemes.      A chronicle of an unforgettable time in hockey history (filled with never-before-seen photographs), The Battle of Alberta is guaranteed to entertain fans and educate newcomers alike.

The NHL: A Century of Trials and Triumphs


D'Arcy Jenish - 2013
    Millions of fans from Montreal to Miami and Edmonton to Anaheim attend NHL games leach year, millions more watch on TV and the league pays its best players multi-million annual salaries.Over the course of its first century, the NHL's fortunes have ebbed and flowed. It has experienced setbacks and triumphs and innumerable crises. The league has awarded many franchises only to see some of them falter, fail and fold. The board of governors - which has included rich eccentrics and at least one future convict - has sometimes been fractured by men who loathed each other. How on earth has the NHL survived? The answer lies in the remarkable fact that it has had only five presidents and one commissioner. Two of these chiefs were stop-gaps. For the balance of league's ninety-plus years, four men have shaped and guided its fortunes and controlled the tough, hard-nosed, sometimes unruly owners who constituted the board of governors.      This is the story of two perpetual struggles -- the one on the ice and the one going on behind the scenes to keep the whole enterprise afloat. D'Arcy Jenish was granted unprecedented access to previously unpublished league files, including revelatory minutes of board meetings, and conducted dozens of hours of interviews with league executives, including commissioner Gary Bettman and former president John Ziegler, as well as well as owners, coaches, general managers and player representatives. He now reveals for the first time the true story behind some of the most significant events of the contemporary era.     This is a definitive, revelatory chonicle that no serious hockey fan will want to be without.

Herb Brooks: The Inside Story of a Hockey Mastermind


John Gilbert - 2008
    S. hockey team’s victory at the 1980 Olympics was a “Miracle on Ice”--a miracle largely brought about by the late Herb Brooks, the legendary coach who forged that invincible team. Famously antagonistic toward the press at Lake Placid, Brooks nonetheless turned to sportswriter John Gilbert after each game, giving his longtime friend and confidant what became the most comprehensive coverage of the ’80 team. This book is Gilbert’s memoir of Brooks. Neither strictly biography or tell-all exposé, Herb Brooks: Born to Coach is the story of an extraordinary man as it emerged in the course of a remarkable friendship.Gilbert, writing for the Minneapolis Tribune, first met Brooks during his coaching days at the University of Minnesota, whose hockey program he resurrected in the 1970’s. The two became fast friends, and here, for the first time, Gilbert relates anecdotes--his own and former players’--that illuminate Brooks’ oftentimes hard-nosed coaching methods, his dramatic successes, and his incomparable character. From Brooks’ beginnings in East St. Paul and his stint with the 1960 gold medal-winning Olympic team (from which he was famously the last player cut), Gilbert goes on to dissect the coach’s tenure with the Gophers (including three national titles) and the Lake Placid story, from the selection process and yearlong barnstorming tour to the Games themselves. Throughout this and later chapters of Brooks’ career--including coaching turns with St. Cloud State University, four NHL teams, and the 2002 U.S. Olympic squad--readers are treated to impossibly colorful quotes, rare photographs from Brooks’ playing and coaching careers, and pertinent sidebar pieces that originally appeared in the Minneapolis Tribune.

The Jersey: The All Blacks: The Secrets Behind the World's Most Successful Team


Peter Bills - 2018
     'Extremely well written. Compelling, accurate, insightful and brilliant in the way it captures the New Zealand way. - John Hart, former All Blacks coach.With a better winning record than any other sports team in history, they stand head and shoulders above their nearest rugby rivals, and go to the 2019 World Cup as back-to-back World Champions. How did a country of just 4.8 million people conquer the world?Peter Bills, who has reported on international rugby for more than 40 years, was given exclusive access to all the key figures in New Zealand rugby as he set out to understand the secrets behind the All Blacks success. From Steve Hansen to Beauden Barrett, Richie McCaw to the late Sir Colin Meads, Peter Bills talked at length with over 90 people, both in New Zealand and around the world, with intimate knowledge of what makes the All Blacks tick.This is a story of the first settlers, and the 'Originals' who forged the All Blacks legacy, right through to modern times. It draws heavily on the contributions made by all New Zealanders: players, coaches, officials, supporters and those who have worn the most recognized jersey in the world. Intrinsically, The Jersey goes to the heart of the All Blacks success. It is also an epic story of not just a rugby team but a nation, whose identities are inextricably linked. Additionally, it debates a question, terrifying for any of their opponents. Could the All Blacks get even better?

Coach to Coach: An Empowering Story about How to Be a Great Leader


Martin Rooney - 2020
    Most likely, some were good, others not so good. Maybe one or two were great. One thing is undeniable: Coaches can influence your life in ways that can be negative or positive. A coach can either build you up or tear you down. The world needs better coaches in all walks of life--if you're a parent, a teacher, a co-worker, or a leader, you are also a coach. Which kind of coach do you want to be? Coach to Coach helps you answer this question and shares the secrets to bringing out the best in a person, both on and off the field.For more than twenty years, author Martin Rooney hascoached professional sport stars, Olympic champions, and business leaders to high levels of performance, analyzing thousands of real-life examples of what works and what doesn't. Reading like a simple parable, this engaging book gives you an easy-to-use yet highly effective formula for becoming a better coach for your teams, in your business, and in your personal life. Packed with valuable insights and expert advice, this appealing book helps you:Learn how to be a great leader by being a great coach Create positive lives for your children and the people you work with Inspire and motivate the people around you Turn your natural skills and talents into your own unique coaching style Use proven, time-tested coaching strategies to get results Coach to Coach: An Empowering Story About How to Be a Great Leader is an ideal book for coaches, leaders, managers, entrepreneurs, educators, parents, and anyone wanting to bring out the best in those around them.

On Thin Ice


Jennifer Hayden - 2016
    A bad break up leaves her broke and up to her eyeballs in debt. Moving to Portland, Oregon to be near her sister, she accepts a job with world champion hockey organization, the Oregon Grizzlies. Enter Griffin Dodge. The star forward for the Grizzlies is used to being the center of attention and having things his way. He and Sam immediately spar—until a long afternoon trapped in an elevator together. Sparks fly and soon Sam and Griff are fighting a growing attraction. But being with Griffin Dodge comes with a dangerous price tag. When Sam is attacked by a man hellbent on destroying Griff, the stakes are raised. Terror follows them both. Before long they are in trapped in a web of evil, with only each other as protection against the nightmare that lies in wait.Contains Alternate Cover

Every Moment Matters: How the World's Best Coaches Inspire Their Athletes and Build Championship Teams


John O'Sullivan - 2019
     Great coaches realize something that others do not: every moment matters! You must be intentional about everything you do. Whether you are coaching your local youth soccer team, leading your high school football program, or competing for an NCAA championship, Every Moment Matters will give you the tools and strategies to become the coach you always wished you had, and the coach today's athletes are craving. Get ready to have your best season ever!

A Season on the Mat: Dan Gable and the Pursuit of Perfection


Nolan Zavoral - 1998
    One pair of hands--reaching up and out, as if to seize their observer--belonged to Danny Mack Gable, the greatest figure in the history of American wrestling. Gable's place in the university's pantheon was earned through his remarkable coaching career; for the past twenty-one years, Dan Gable's Iowa Hawkeyes have dominated wrestling to an extent rarely seen in any sport. In "A Season on the Mat," award-winning reporter Nolan Zavoral explores Iowa's storied wrestling program and Gable's record of excellence in an unprecedented, intimate look at the man and his methods. Gable grew up in Waterloo, Iowa, and quickly became a wrestling legend in a place where there was no higher aspiration. He charged through his high school years unbeaten--64-0--and then won 117 straight matches at Iowa State University before losing, in a shocking upset, in the NCAA finals of his senior year. Gable used the memory of that defeat as a spur to greater glory in the 1972 Olympics, when he won the gold medal by winning six matches in which he was not only unbeaten but unscored upon. But as great as his accomplishments were as a wrestler, they pale next to what he has achieved as a coach. In the twenty one years Gable has been head coach, his teams have won the Big 10 title every year and the NCAA championship fifteen times.As Gable approached the 1996-97 season, he was a mere shell of his usual, vigorous self. A dozen back and knee surgeries had reduced his proud athlete's walk to that of a stooped, shambling old man. Hecould no longer get down with his wrestlers and demonstrate holds and escapes. But with speculation rife about whether this season would be his last, Gable persevered--despite a midseason hip replacement operation--aiming toward the NCAA championship to be held in Cedar Falls, Iowa, right next door to Waterloo, where Gable had spent his wrestling youth."A Season on the Mat" chronicles this dramatic season, in which Gable led his team--far from his most talented--to the national title. Zavoral takes the reader behind the scenes, into the stifling heat of the wrestling room where young men from places like Rock Falls, Iowa, or Philip, South Dakota, sacrifice everything they have just to be a part of the Hawkeye program. We watch strongwilled athletes like Mike Mena, whose struggle to make weight almost cost him a shot at the national championship; Lincoln McILravy, who overcame persistent severe headaches to win his third national title in his four-year career; and all the other wrestlers who contributed to a record-breaking performance at the NCAAs, scoring the most points in collegiate wrestling history.But most important, we see the man behind the Gable legend. From his difficult upbringing, interrupted by the tragedy of his sister's brutal murder, through the single defeat that haunts him to this day, to the ups and downs of his phenomenal coaching career, Gable has come to symbolize to many all that is special about this demanding, elemental sport. Part biography, part chronicle, part portrait of this unique subculture, "A Season on the Mat" is the best and most thorough look at one of the most important and most overlooked figures in American athletics.

Wild Nights


Dantessa Stone - 2017
    So what? I’m a cocky, rich hockey player with more pucks than sense. A Game-player, a heart-breaker. I take what I want and never look back. I hadn’t expected in a million years to be back in this town. But hey, shit happens, especially when you got a temper like mine. My plan was to spend a season padding my stats and breaking in my mattress. I’d be out of here before the Zamboni finishes resurfacing the rink. Then one night Sasha fell into my arms. She’s been running through my mind ever since. She's changed something in me, that’s for sure. But will these changes last? Sasha Good girls shouldn’t fall for bad boys like Troy. I knew better. But I fell all the same. After losing my husband to the war I thought I’d never love again. My life revolves around family and running my own business. But life has a way of throwing a curve ball when you least expect it. Bumping into Troy was a chance encounter, two strangers passing in the night. A warm body to stave off the loneliness. I should have left it at that. But a one night stand turned into a string of secret, steamy rendezvous and I found my world spinning upside down. I want to believe he's the one, but I don't know. Am I making a big mistake? WILD NIGHTS is a Steamy Standalone Romance Novel with a Happy Ending (HEA)

Oh, shift!


Jennifer Powers - 2009
    Powers, a self-described self-reflection junkie, challenges readers to create a more joyful life by using an easily adapted process outlined in Oh shift! Drawing on her New Jersey upbringing, Powers couples a provocative approach with fearless humor and wit to provide readers with the inspiration to become true shift heads. Powers shares both personal vignettes and client success stories to drive the Oh, shift! message home and to showcase the benefits of shifting in today's world. Chapters aptly titled to fit the Oh, shift! message include: Shift or get off the pot, Why take a shift?, Shift happens, The f'n shift, Let's shoot the shift, Scared shiftless and many more. This is not your everyday self-help book. The title may be funny, but the content is powerfully life-changing. The book utilizes a specially designed layout to emphasize important points and to make it a quick and enjoyable read. It guarantees to get the reader totally shift-faced.

The Fix Is In: The Showbiz Manipulations of the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL and NASCAR


Brian Tuohy - 2010
    At least that’s the spin. But could it be a massive showbiz operation filled with greedy owners, crooked referees, and coddled players, all with the unstated goal of grabbing as much money as possible?Author Brian Tuohy provides a full-sourced saga of the corruption that has infected the storied histories of the NBA, MLB, NFL, NHL, and NASCAR.With reality obscured by a complacent and often complicit sports media, The Fix Is In shines a light on a hidden history of clandestine arrangements between television networks and sports leagues, all against a background of drinking, drugging, and crime.Finally, here’s a book that unflinchingly examines the sordid underbelly of the American sports industry.Brian Tuohy maintains the website thefixisin.net and is a frequent contributor to the CBS Sports website bleacherreport.com, where he chronicles sports scandals and conspiracies as the stories break. Brian has been interviewed by The New York Times, ESPN, Fox Sports, and The Power Hour radio program.

Law of Averages: A Hilarious Love Story-Filmi Ishtyle


Kshitish Padhy - 2012
    Ritwik's amazing love story starts with a drab bus journey from Meerut to Delhi, until he meets Shubhangi and falls head over heels in love. Determined to marry Shubhangi, Ritwik goes all out to impress his prospective father-in-law, but only ends up messing his personal and professional life. Will he win the biggest gamble of his life by risking his career and embarking on a wild goose chase simply to appease the eccentric professor? With the odds stacked against him, Ritwik, a born loser is hoping for the Law of Averages to finally catch up with him.Get set to enjoy this romantic, funny, whimsical and outrightly crazy journey undertaken by Ritwik to win the love of his life!

The HeART of Laser-Focused Coaching: A Revolutionary Approach to Masterful Coaching


Marion Franklin - 2019
    Learn rarely taught tips and concepts that will immediately elevate your coaching while avoiding the common pitfalls. New and experienced coaches alike will benefit greatly from the detailed strategies and wisdom shared from Marion’s years of experience. —Cheryl Richardson, NYTimes Bestselling author of Take Time for Your Life Marion Franklin, the Coach’s Coach, has been training and mentoring coaches for more than 20 years. Every student she has mentored or taught who sought ACC, PCC, or MCC has gotten their credential using the material in this book designed for all levels of coaches. No matter where you are in your coaching journey, this book has something for you. This book is different because it: • Includes brilliant tools for beginner-to-seasoned coaches •. Offers advanced techniques for developing powerful questions without any lists • Provides principles of human behavior that help you quickly identify what’s really going on • Contains the 25 Themes that underlie every coaching situation and make coaching and questioning much simpler • Shares a step-by-step, easy to follow, way to create a shift in perspective • Presents 17 strategies that clients unknowingly use that actually work against, not for them Begin using even one or two of the concepts and principles in this book and notice your coaching immediately elevate to a new level. Your clients will notice the difference! You will experience this innovative approach to masterful coaching with two full laser-coaching sessions with commentary — much like eavesdropping in on the mind of a master coach. Marion shares unprecedented concepts that will help new coaches and even the most experienced coaches gain new insights and ideas, including a deeper understanding of what they already know. • Automatically improve your coaching by applying one rarely known principle. • Never feel stuck around what question to ask. • Feel more confident by quickly identifying what’s really going on. • Know exactly what to listen for in every conversation. • Discover a simple “2 inquiry” approach that instantly enables you to deepen your curiosity. This book will not only boost your confidence and mastery as a coach, it will enable you to produce sustained results for your clients. I designed this book to not only show you what laser-focused coaching looks, sounds, and feels like, but to show you HOW TO coach for permanent, life-altering change. When using the Laser-Focused approach, you’ll be able to: • avoid getting seduced by the story • ask questions that get right to the heart of the matter • have the client do all of the summary • know how to create the shift and what to do afterwards • recognize the client’s underlying pattern and know how to address it and so much more The HeART of Laser-Focused Coaching –– A revolutionary, unprecedented approach makes coaching easier while also enhancing your ability to help clients create deep and profound change. Transform your coaching into something so powerful and life-changing that your coaching consistently flows and becomes effortless.