Books Every Coach Should Read

Being an active athlete or having past accomplishments in a given sport does not guarantee success as a coach. Too many former athletes who excelled at a high level mistake athletic ability with the capability to teach and inspire; in fact, many highly regarded athletes make the worst coaches because they cannot adequately communicate what they do instinctively. They struggle to teach not only the concepts of the game, but also the smaller skills that need to develop if a coach wishes for individual progress that leads to team success.

Conversely, the best coaches end up being those special people who have the gift to both teach and motivate. With reflection and planning, these coaches break skills down and instruct players how to perform. Then they transition that individual knowledge into the larger game sequence, making the player see his overall role in the team concept. Finally, the coach gives the players a reason to play; he inspires them to perform beyond what they believe.

Most good coaches do the above, but the greatest ones work incessantly. They seek the intelligence and opinions of others, and they never stop learning. In fact, one primary way a great coach continues his professional development is through reading. Learning from the immortals such as John Wooden, Dean Smith, and Pat Riley forever expands a coach's repertoire, allowing him to not necessarily gain tactical understanding, but rather increase his philosophical base on why and how he coaches. Every coach must have a personal philosophy, and the easiest and most effective way to not only generate one but also to sharpen it is to consult those who have more success than you.

Below is a list of six books than can force a coach to reflect on his practices and beliefs. The books all possess a sound philosophical foundation, and each profiled coach is a far greater man than he is a tactician, which should represent the ultimate goal of any person coming into contact with maturing, young athletes.

1. Catch Them Being Good by Tony DiCicco and Colleen Hacker, Ph. D. DiCicco, head coach of the 1996 Olympic Gold Medal and 1999 World Cup Champion United States Women's Soccer Teams, and Hacker, a sport psychology consultant to those same teams, detail an approach grounded in positive thinking and feedback. The shared philosophy, along with a string of activities and concepts to implement, helps a coach understand how to not only construct a winning team, but also, and more importantly, build tremendous human beings. The book often defies the rough, hard-edge coaching style of the past and allows a view into a world that is both refreshing and effective.

2. The Winner Within by Pat Riley. Riley, one of the National Basketball Association's most prolific coaches, uses game reflections and a business model philosophy to reveal how a coach should create a game plan for life. He focuses on inspiring change, building a positive hierarchy, and motivating teamwork, all in an effort to enthuse the winner that exists in each person. His expressed style relies on a tough approach that demands individual production that fits into the all-important team construct.

3. They Call Me Coach by John Wooden with Jack Tobin. The immortal Wooden, owner of ten NCAA national championships in men's basketball at UCLA, gives invaluable insight into the life and development of his coaching soul. Calling upon an upbringing of sound morals and ethics, Wooden communicates the need for coaches to be remarkable people and role models long before athletic powerhouses. He shares commentary on the everyday basics that go into building a man and player as well as the critical life lessons each man must learn if he is ever going to become something beyond the present.

4. The Carolina Way: Leadership Lessons from a Life in Coaching by Dean Smith, Gerald D. Bell, John Kilgo, and Roy Williams. Through the eyes of Dean Smith, one of the winningest basketball coaches in men's NCAA history, the book shows the wisdom imbedded in teams that revolve around unselfishness and preparedness. Smith teaches the coach how to manage both winning and losing, and how to build confidence while setting goals. In essence, Smith makes the perfect relation between sports and real life, all the while knowing that the parallels between the two are nearly inseparable.

5. Training Soccer Champions by Anson Dorrance with Tim Nash. Dorrance, the legendary women's soccer coach at the University of North Carolina, breaks down player development to microscopic levels. Possessing an astute theoretical understanding of athletes, Dorrance stresses the need for an aggressive approach to success, and he highlights the challenge within training in one-on-one settings. His sessions force players to comprehend the game, not just react to it, and his intensity drives them to handle pressures associated with both games and life. In the end, Dorrance emphasizes the significant nature of team chemistry and cohesion as well as the positive effects of camaraderie between teammates.

6. The Art of War by Sun Tzu. Written more than 2,000 years ago in ancient China as a reflection on military strategy and battle tactics, the book unearths Sun Tzu's tremendous knowledge in regards to analyzing an opponent, defining its weaknesses, and tactically maneuvering to defeat it. While showing a logical breakdown of tactics, Tzu dives deep into the psychological side of battle, and how learning what the opponent's mental state is can be of immense value. The book teaches a coach how to respectfully and maturely treat competition.

Each and every coach who wishes to have a positive impact on his players should read all he can grab. Possibly driven by insecurities or egos, too many coaches believe they do not need to consult outside sources-this is a coach's fatal flaw, one that will not only lead to a coach's inevitable downfall, but also, and worse, the negative influence on countless youngsters. Educating one's self must top a coach's priority list, and the above books represent a great place to start.