Improving coaching communication through writing

Elements of style

Coach communication: writing On every coaching course I have attended, the tutor has pointed out the section in the workbook entitled “communication”.  There follows a group nodding of heads where every budding coach agrees that “communication is a good thing”.  If we are lucky, the tutor might divide communication further into “verbal” and “non-verbal”.  We…

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Summer reading recommendations 2018

Summer reading recommendations Half of the year has gone, Britain is currently enjoying (enduring?) a heatwave and my American colleagues and friends are about to have their 4th July vacation. Time to share some of the books I have read this year and that you might want to try. The full list is below which…

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Best books on coaching and teaching 2017

best books for coaches

Reading highlights for coaches and teachers Here are my top 5 books from 2017, plus a synopsis of the other books I have read this year. It is easy to jump on the “It’s new and shiny, you must get it” bandwagon. Hopefully you will find some alternative ideas in this list. Top 5 books…

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Brian Aldiss RIP

Trillion year spree

Britain’s best Science Fiction Author dies I am sorry to hear today that Brian Aldiss has died. My thoughts go out to his family. His books have given me great pleasure over the years right up until the current day (one of his books usually features on my reading review of the year). Aldiss was…

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Cannonball Tennis: Mike Sangster

“Devon has everything to offer that I want in life” Says Mike Sangster in his book “Cannonball tennis”.  Mike took up tennis when he was 13 (yes 13) and went on to become the British #1 player, played in many Davis Cup matches and got to the semi-finals of Wimbledon. Growing up in Torquay, he…

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Summer Reading for Sports Coaches

Book recommendations for sports coaches Summer is here and I have just returned from the GAIN conference in Houston where fellow sports coaches and bibliophiles shared book ideas and recommendations. Here are some of mine from this year, plus a full list of what I have read with a brief summary. Best coaching book I…

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Coaching book reviews

Book Reviews Whenever I work with other coaches and discuss how they develop their own practice, reading books is always high as a favourite.  Unfortunately, a lot of them seem to be “sciencey” such as Syed’s bounce, but actually add to misinformation, rather than informing our practice Here are a few that I have read…

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Coaching Philosophy: Book Reviews

win forever

When delivering strength and conditioning coaching courses, we always discuss coaching philosophy and how to develop a club culture. Two books I have read this year have helped with this process, both by NFL coaches.  Here is a brief review of both. Win Forever by Pete Carroll (recommended by Mike Bahn) A frank and revealing…

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