Positive Coaching: Building Character and Self-Esteem Through Youth Sports [Paperback]

Jim Thompson (Author), John W. Gardner (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1995

Positive Coaching is jam packed with information for coaches in any sport. The book includes over 200 coaching recommendations on specific psychological, motivational, and behavioral situations. There is a special focus on the coach as storyteller -- 50 motivational stories can be used to develop strong communication with athletes.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Any book that uses movie and book characters in coaching analogies gets my vote for a must read. Read it and enjoy it." -- Warren K. Simpson, Hardin Simmons University

"Positive Coaching has some wonderful words of wisdom to parents and coaches. It fused a lot of my thoughts about coaching and about being a parent of young athletes. I recommend it wholeheartedly for all coaches. In the book, Jim Thompson states that his positive coaching tactics may not work on a professional level. Being a believer in motivation through sport and praise, I know it works on this level too." -- Phil Jackson, Head Coach, Chicago Bulls, World Champions 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Warde Publishers; 1st edition (January 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1886346003
• ISBN-13: 978-1886346000
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #382,678 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #59 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Coaching > Children's Sports

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Turn your coaching career around like this book turned mine., July 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Positive Coaching: Building Character and Self-Esteem Through Youth Sports (Paperback)

I coach volleyball in grade school and junior high school, and I usually get the "B teams" (the leftovers who are not as talented as the girls on the "A" team.) Therefore, if there ever was a crying need for a book on how to coach these types of athletes, this book more than served its purpose for me. Actually, this book had a positive effect on me since it saved my coaching career.

Don't get me wrong, though, this book will turn around any coach's career whether he has an A or a B team. I coached a group of 13 and 14 year old softball players the year that I purchased this book. At the beginning of the season, the only team these girls could beat was themselves; in fact, that was primarily the reason they were losing was the fact that they were beating themselves! Well, after one mediocre game, I sat the girls down on the bench and instead of reading them the riot act, I took to heart a suggestion by the author. I emphasized all the positive aspects of the game they played just to show these girls that they were capable of doing some positive things. I did this after each game from then on, win or lose. Wouldn't you know it, these same rag tag girls lost the last the last game of the season: the city championship game by one run (to a team that annihilated them by 12 runs in the first game of that season.) This was an example of positive coaching, and I've used everything in this book to my advantage to become a successful POSITIVE coach. Thanks Mr. Thompson for turning my career around!

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An important guide for influencing kids in sports., April 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Positive Coaching: Building Character and Self-Esteem Through Youth Sports (Paperback)

The reader from Trenton, Michigan missed the point of this book. Readers of that review should carefully consider the source and its use of hateful ideas and language. This is an excellent book for amateur coaches of kids. It teaches how to interact with kids and how to motivate them to do their best without resorting to screaming and put-downs. If you are a coach or parent, this will be both fun to read and useful to learn from.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Profound, January 28, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (White Plains, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Positive Coaching: Building Character and Self-Esteem Through Youth Sports (Paperback)

You wouldn't think "profound" is a word to use in connection with a book on coaching youth sports, but Jim Thompson's "Positive Coaching" left me deeply affected. And for the right reasons. There is so much practical information on how to be a great coach that I have just finished it and cannot wait to reread some key chapters. Of course Mr. Thompson will help me win more Little League girls softball games, but, much more important, I will be better able to communicate with my players, and help build their character and self esteem, lofty but eminently appropraite goals for any coach. The capper for me was one of the final chapters where Mr. Thompson examines his personal motivation for coaching in terms of his own unfullfilled dreams. We all have demons. By sharing his, Mr. Thompson made me better able to deal wiht mine. The difficult part of coaching is not the plays and the stratigies, but how to deal effectively with the people - the players, their families and the league - to this area Mr. Thompson brings a wealth of reading, years of experience and deep and sensitive interest.. He is beyond expert.