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Jul
24

Summer Reading For Sport Coaches

Summer reading?  You are probably muttering, “…doesn’t Hickey know half the summer is gone…” Yes, I am tardy with this blog. But plenty of reading time left in July & August. I have three books to recommend for you.

  • Sport Psychology for Youth Coaches by Ron Smith & Frank Smoll
  • Coach Like A Mother by Helen Williams
  • Coaching Myths: Fifteen Wrong Ideas in Youth Sports by Rick Albrecht

Sport Psychology for Youth Coaches appears to be an update of the very popular and good Way to Go, Coach! by Smith and Smoll. This book covers many topics for youth coaches and I highly recommend it for rookie coaches and those working with youth under 14 yrs old.  I really enjoyed their chapters on the mental aspect of the game where they provided simple ways to teach mental sport skills. You can order a copy via Amazon here. Just in case you did not know–between the two of them, Smith and Smoll have trained over 40, 000 coaches in the Pacific Northwest through their outreach work at the Univ of Washington over the past 30 years.

I met Helen Williams a few years ago when she was transitioning from coaching college basketball to sport administration. Her book, Coach Like a Mother, is written through the lens of her own sports and coaching journey, provides great insight for a new college coach on how to build a successful program and moreover maintain a balance in their lives. A Kindle version of her book can be ordered here. Williams, now a Harvard athletic administrator, is a great example of a coach who continually learns just as she challenged her athletes to. I recommend this book for anyone thinking about coaching at the college level and those who have just started their college coaching careers.

There are lots of books in print regarding issues that coaches face and the advice/strategy to deal with them. In his book, Coaching Myths, Rick Albrecht, a professor at Grand Valley State and formerly with the Center for Study of Youth Sport @ Michigan State Univ, weaves a great book mixing stories, examples from all levels of sport and scientific-based studies to inform coaches of the best approaches to coaching rather than the myths that have been passed down through the years. You can follow Rick on Facebook with his Coaching Myths page and buy a copy via Amazon here. I recommend this book for any coach looking for new ideas and ways to improve their coaching by shedding habits learned from others.

Enjoy!  Love to hear from you regarding your sport summer reading.

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