Overview

"High school coaches shape millions of lives. These 30 short and inspiring stories show the diversity of approaches by coaches nationwide in building athletes' hearts, minds and bodies to form successful teams, strong individuals and future leaders. The coaches profiled in this book come from every corner of the nation and every socio-economic setting, highlighting how they combine imagination, a selfless commitment to their athletes and a strong internal compass. In this book, you will find true stories of coaches who lead male and female athletes in a wide variety of sports. ""From these interviews and vignettes come narratives that will keep coaches going-even on days when players are ready to quit. They will quench the thirsts of professionals eager to drink from a well of peers' stories. They pack practical insights for how to build the trust and confidence that teenagers deeply crave and need,"" writes veteran journalist G. Jeffrey MacDonald in this book's Foreword. ""Although the book is explicitly about coaching high school sports, it delivers many a transferable insight for parents, teachers, pastors and others who'd like to engage the teens in their lives more effectively. Who couldn't use more of that?"" Duncan Newcomer, the Lincoln scholar who wrote the first volume in this series, Thirty Days with Abraham Lincoln, also emphasizes this book's broad and timely appeal. ""There is an audience of good people doing deep work with young people, their bodies and their spirits, that is character building, virtue raising and soul-making. They will find in this book and its stories the truths they live and would want told, and they will tell others. "" That's because Martin Davis so thoroughly understands the challenges high school coaches, players and their families face every day, writes University of Denver professor Brian Gearity in his Preface to this new book. ""I'm a hardcore professor of sport coaching. I write a lot of long research papers with big words, which most people don't read. For over a dozen years now, I've taught college students what, why and how to coach. Now, I'll be using the stories in this book to show what sport coaching is all about. We will discuss the culture, time period, and psychology of the coaches and the storytellers in this book."" Thirty Days with America's High School Coaches also comes with a complete Discussion Guide, which breaks down the book into themes and sections readers can discuss with friends, colleagues in sports, and people across the community."

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9781641801171

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Reviews

Martin Davis has written a book that highlights the impact that high school coaches have on the lives of their athletes. The key to success both on and off the field are the relationships that each of these coaches have with their players, which extends well beyond a student's high school career. This is a textbook on the value that high school coaches bring to a school community. This is a great read as well as a valuable resource for all coaches, athletes, parents and administrators. Steve Young, CMAA, Director of Athletics, City School District of New Rochelle, New Rochelle, NY. Coaches and athletic administrators nationwide will find that this book can generate helpful conversations about how to hone our crafts and identify best practices in our profession. Although the stories behind the successes of the coaches profiled in this book are unique, they are nevertheless equally inspirational. Reading about these coaches, it becomes very clear how they have made a difference in the lives of the young people in their charge. Davis clearly illustrates the importance of relationships, program culture, community involvement and investment, and program philosophy in guiding these coaches. At its core, Davis's work reveals that the true essence of coaching is teaching and that the most effective coaches are those who forge connections with their student-athletes. The impact of each of the coaches described in this book extends far beyond the playing fields and courts; they are purveyors of lessons and skills that have transformed lives. Gary Stevens, Athletic Administrator, Thornton Academy, Saco, Maine, and Assistant Director of the Maine Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association. I once knew a coach who failed-at swearing. When he got angry, he'd often blurt out this: By damn ... By damn? Instead of paying attention to what we players had just done wrong, we had to work hard to hold in our laughter. What this man needed was this new book by Marty Davis. Not that it would have taught him to swear. But it would have reminded him why he was a coach in the first place: Not to win games but to give healthy, generative direction to young lives. Any coach who can learn that from this book will-no matter his or her final won-loss record-be a great coach, by damn. Bill Tammeus is the author of Love, Loss and Endurance: A 9/11 Story of Resilience and Hope in an Age of Anxiety and is a past president of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. Martin Davis has a deep understanding of the lasting impression, both positive and negative, that a high school coach can have on teenage student-athletes. There is something to be learned from each coach Martin includes in this collection of 30 true stories. These are gems that show us how coaches can come to love and inspire their student-athletes. If you want to be inspired, this is a must read! Michael J. Groves is the President of EMC Planning Group, a land use and environmental planning firm and is Head Baseball Coach for Monterey High School.

"Martin Davis has written a book that highlights the impact that high school coaches have on the lives of their athletes. The key to success both on and off the field are the relationships that each of these coaches have with their players, which extends well beyond a student's high school career. This is a textbook on the value that high school coaches bring to a school community. This is a great read as well as a valuable resource for all coaches, athletes, parents and administrators. Steve Young, CMAA, Director of Athletics, City School District of New Rochelle, New Rochelle, NY. Coaches and athletic administrators nationwide will find that this book can generate helpful conversations about how to hone our crafts and identify best practices in our profession. Although the stories behind the successes of the coaches profiled in this book are unique, they are nevertheless equally inspirational. Reading about these coaches, it becomes very clear how they have made a difference in the lives of the young people in their charge. Davis clearly illustrates the importance of relationships, program culture, community involvement and investment, and program philosophy in guiding these coaches. At its core, Davis's work reveals that the true essence of coaching is teaching and that the most effective coaches are those who forge connections with their student-athletes. The impact of each of the coaches described in this book extends far beyond the playing fields and courts; they are purveyors of lessons and skills that have transformed lives. Gary Stevens, Athletic Administrator, Thornton Academy, Saco, Maine, and Assistant Director of the Maine Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association. I once knew a coach who failed-at swearing. When he got angry, he'd often blurt out this: ""By damn ..."" By damn? Instead of paying attention to what we players had just done wrong, we had to work hard to hold in our laughter. What this man needed was this new book by Marty Davis. Not that it would have taught him to swear. But it would have reminded him why he was a coach in the first place: Not to win games but to give healthy, generative direction to young lives. Any coach who can learn that from this book will-no matter his or her final won-loss record-be a great coach, by damn. Bill Tammeus is the author of Love, Loss and Endurance: A 9/11 Story of Resilience and Hope in an Age of Anxiety and is a past president of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. Martin Davis has a deep understanding of the lasting impression, both positive and negative, that a high school coach can have on teenage student-athletes. There is something to be learned from each coach Martin includes in this collection of 30 true stories. These are gems that show us how coaches can come to love and inspire their student-athletes. If you want to be inspired, this is a must read! Michael J. Groves is the President of EMC Planning Group, a land use and environmental planning firm and is Head Baseball Coach for Monterey High School."

Author Information

Martin A. Davis Jr. is a journalist who covers sports for national publications. He's also a high school football coach and teacher. His writing has appeared in PGA Tour Magazine, US News & World Report, The Christian Science Monitor, Philanthropy Magazine and The Washington Post, among many others. When he's not writing, you can often find him on the football practice fields of Riverbend High School in Fredericksburg, Virginia. For more than two decades, journalist G. Jeffrey MacDonald has focused his reporting on religion, ethics and social responsibility. His stories have appeared in TIME, The Washington Post, USA Today, The Boston Globe and The Christian Science Monitor. You can learn more about his work at gjeffreymacdonald.com. Dr. Brian Gearity, PhD, CSCS, FNSCA, ATC, is a coach and a tenured professor at the University of Denver, where he also is the director of Online Graduate Sport Degrees and Undergraduate Kinesiology and Sport Studies.

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