Ball Four, Take Your Base!
What do you do when death threats circulate against you in a prison, and the inmate baseball teams you coach as a volunteer push ordinary competition into the danger zone? Strike Three, You're Out! described Kent Philpott's experiences coaching baseball at San Quentin Prison during the 2010 season during rising turmoil among the team inmates. Ball Four, Take Your Base! continues the story into 2011 and 2012 of how a perfectly wonderful game can be both a joy and ruined by friendly and unfriendly competition and undercover activities. Stories from other visiting teams and photos from several seasons are included.Philpott's previous book, Strike Three, You're Out! took the reader through the making of a baseball team and the 2010 season inside San Quentin, one of the most infamous state prisons in the country. See further inside the thinking, emotions, and stresses that accompany the inmates' involvement in what is often the most important part of their entire incarceration. Understand why inmates will say and do almost anything to get a chance to play ball and how frustration and disappointment derails them. Find out what "payback" is, how power and authority work, why the sports teams are the only integrated groups, and how "reverse racism" plays a role. The payback part is foremost in Ball Four, Take Your Base! expressed through multiple death threats and manipulations and ending with Philpott being banned from the prison.
Pond Birds
The history of the University of Florida basketball program from its beginnings to the arrival of Billy Donovan, told by a former player and longtime Gator sports analystIn the 1960s, the University of Florida football players began calling the long-legged Gator basketball players "pond birds." Bill Koss was one of them. In Pond Birds, Koss tells the definitive story of Florida Gators men's basketball from the program's modest beginnings in 1916, through decades of highs and lows that included 55 years without an SEC conference title, and into the pivotal years leading up to the onset of Billy Donovan's transformative tenure in 1996.Koss takes a deep dive into the moments and personalities that shaped the program, such as the fiery leadership of coach Norm Sloan and the steady, strategic approach of Lon Kruger. Stories of recruitment efforts, both failed and successful, and the arrival of Gatorade make this book both a sports history and a cultural snapshot of college athletics in a bygone era. For diehard Gator fans and college basketball enthusiasts of all allegiances, Pond Birds is a reminder that greatness is built over time with perseverance. Now that Florida basketball has three national championships, Pond Birds invites readers to appreciate the journey from Point A to Point B--and leaves them eager for the next chapter.
We Breed Lions
A hard-hitting and powerful look at hockey's moment of reckoning in Canada, and the ways in which a game that is so universally loved has been rocked in recent years by court cases involving sexual assault and startling incidents of hazing and abuse throughout junior hockey. The allegations read like a scene out of a horror movie. Five National Hockey League players, all of them 18 to 20-year-old Canada World Juniors at the time, were alleged to have sexually assaulted a young woman in a London, Ontario, hotel room in June 2018 over several hours. When the players learned that the alleged victim had reported the incident to the police, they allegedly coerced her to drop the complaint and colluded to make sure their stories lined up. Hockey Canada kept the details of the case out of the spotlight and came to a confidential financial settlement with the plaintiff, paid out of a secret slush fund worth millions of dollars that the organization kept on hand to settle such complaints quietly. On May 26, 2022, TSN investigative reporter Rick Westhead broke the story surrounding the Team Canada junior players and Hockey Canada's handling of the case, immediately sending shock waves throughout all levels of the hockey world. Charges of sexual assault were made against the players; all of whom entered pleas of not guilty. Once the story went live on the TSN website, Westhead's inbox on X filled with messages from people who wanted to share their personal stories on how they had been impacted by hockey's toxic culture. For over three years the story ignited an enormous amount of debate and discussion across the country. Even after the players were acquitted of all charges in July, 2025, the conversation about how broken the national game had become only intensified. In We Breed Lions, award-winning journalist and bestselling author Rick Westhead does a deep-dive into the state of hockey in Canada today. He gives voice to those who have been sexually assaulted by hockey players, revealing the struggles they've had with local police officials in their efforts to seek justice. He also goes inside the dressing room to find out how attitudes of misogyny and homophobia continue to flourish, and speaks to former players who were forced to perform degrading acts of initiation in order to "be one of the guys." Looming large in Westhead's extraordinary reporting are the gatekeepers of the game--league officials, team owners and members of the sport's governing bodies--who are reluctant to impose change from the outside and willing to sacrifice the well-being of their players and the community for profit. Westhead offers hope for hockey's future, profiling those individuals and organizations who are committed to educating players around issues of consent, putting an end to hazing and redefining what it means to be a man on and off the ice. Featuring a Foreword by bestselling author Stephen Brunt, We Breed Lions is must-reading for parents, players and all of those who love the game of hockey and want to see it get to a better place.
War Year Champions
The fact professional football was even played during World War II was a feat unto itself. Teams throughout the NFL struggled to field enough quality players for the 1944 season because of war-caused manpower shortages. Green Bay Packers star Tony Canadeo was a case in point as he played in only three games while on leave from the army for the birth of his son.Former Green Bay Press-Gazette reporter and editor Tony Walter guides you through 1944 month by month as the residents of Green Bay, Wisconsin, attempt to live as "normal" of a life as possible during the height of the war. The Packers provided a few months of uplifting distraction as the populace dealt with the stresses of loved ones serving in the military, rationing of essential foods and materials, and the continuing effects of the Great Depression.Highlighted by more than fifty historical photos, War Year Champions combines news of the Packers, local happenings, politics, and excerpts from the detailed military diaries of the author's father in his position as a communications officer for the US Army. The result is a comprehensive view of one of the most important years of the twentieth century.
Baseball from Providence to Prominence
Dan's second book on baseball is an outgrowth of his passion to educate people and keeping the game of Baseball alive through his writings.Baseball: From Providence to Prominence is broken down into three sections: first, baseball quotes; second, all original baseball stories on ballplayers from 1880 to 1970; third is Dan's own poems on baseball and the men that brought the game to life. Dan grew up in Providence, Rhode Island, and is a proud graduate of Central High School. He also graduated from Rhode Island Junior College and the Community College of Rhode Island. He has one son, Richard Mickey D'Alessio, in California and a granddaughter named Alice. Dan was a sportswriter for Sports Journal magazine in Rhode Island in 2006-07. Some of his work was published by the Providence Journal, Rhode Island, College Anchor Newspaper and the Valley Breeze. Dan is a member of the Nap Lajoie chapter of the Society of American Baseball Research. He has received letters from Bud Selig and Robert Manfred on his poem titled "Dear Mr. Commissioner" about Shoeless Joe Jackson.
And Then There Was Football Merseyside Football, A History
In this landmark book, Philip Ross delivers an exhaustive chronicle of football's evolution across Merseyside, from its Victorian origins through to the present day. This meticulously researched work traces the story of the beautiful game in one of its great heartlands, capturing the social, economic and cultural forces that shaped football in Liverpool, the Wirral and surrounding areas.Ross charts the transformation of a nascent sport in the nineteenth century into a global entertainment business that puts the region on TV screens worldwide every weekend, while also detailing how the grassroots game at every level across Merseyside feeds this cultural and economic behemoth.Central to the story are the founding of iconic clubs: Everton's evolution from St. Domingo Methodist Church team in 1878, Liverpool's dramatic birth from the Anfield boardroom split of 1892, and the emergence of several other professional clubs and dozens of amateur sides across the region. Ross illuminates lesser-known tales and the countless works teams, church sides and amateur leagues that formed football's grassroots foundation. From Goodison Park's construction to Anfield's Spion Kop, from Sunday morning kickabouts to European Cup nights, every level of the game receives attention. The narrative is supplemented with detailed summaries of clubs at every level and the grounds they play on, as well as extensive appendices of competition winners - from the Premier League to the I Zingari League - published together in a single volume for the first time.With unprecedented detail on forgotten clubs, obscure competitions, as well as the characters who built the game, this definitive account reveals football as both cultural phenomenon and community cornerstone, making it essential reading for anyone seeking to understand Merseyside's unique place in football history.This is more than sports history - it's the story of how football became embedded in Merseyside's DNA.
We Are the World (Cup)
From the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller (RE)BORN IN THE USA and face of the wildly successful soccer media platform MEN IN BLAZERS, Roger Bennett, comes a joyous, big-hearted celebration of the World Cup from the 1970s onward, published in the ramp up to the 2026 tournament. Every four years, millions of viewers all over the globe are united in the drama of the world's biggest sporting event. Geopolitical turmoil, popular culture, clashes of custom and style all weave together on the pitch, making the World Cup about so much more than soccer. For fans, it is a series of triumphs, heartbreaks, and shocking twists of fate. For the players, single matches, single plays, single glorious moments can be life changing. In We are the World (Cup), Roger Bennett imbues his unmitigated love for and dedication to the game into a deeply researched and deeply personal distillation of every tournament he has experienced from the 1978 to 2022. As founder of MEN IN BLAZERS, the largest independent soccer focused media company in North America, Roger has been at the front of the curve as the popularity of soccer has sky-rocketed in the United States. We are the World (Cup) offers an in-depth history of how a sport that was mocked and dismissed in the 70s and 80s has become so energized, and the role that he and MEN IN BLAZERS have played. Beloved for his wit, humility, and unadulterated love of the game that the rest of the world calls "football" is a celebration of our global culture and the power of sport to unite us all.
Albert Quixall
Albert Quixall was a pioneer of the modern game. His quiff and Billy Fury looks made him identifiable to that new phenomenon: the teenager. He was literally one of the first poster-boys of the game, his face adorning many a bedroom wall. He had a rebel streak, wore his shorts shockingly short compared to the old guard, styled his hair as opposed to slicking it down with Brylcreem. Like a Beckham of his day, his name filled column inches and his "golden-boy" footballing career fuelled speculation and sold newspapers. His record transfer fee of 瞿45,000 in 1958 brought him under an intense spotlight, and added pressure to a star who never quite lived up to the hype.But as well as the stardom and glamour, tragedy is woven into the life of Albert Quixall, from both a personal and professional viewpoint.
The Story of Hockey in 100 Photographs
Through 100 evocative, often stunning photographs, as well as the stories that accompany them, Sports Illustrated visits the great arc of hockey history Featuring historical coverage and vivid photography, hockey's rich and remarkable history is here. Unforgettable events live in a continuum with stirring photos of the game's most beloved and largest personalities such as Wayne Gretzky, Maurice Richard, Sidney Crosby, Hayley Wickenheiser, Alexander Ovechkin, and many more. Sports Illustrated's unmatched storytelling is in high form in a book that renders exquisite anecdotes, and explores hockey's heritage and increasingly global character, all in unforgettable style.
Out of This World
THE LOS ANGELES DODGERS ARE BACK-TO-BACK WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONSIf the 2024 Los Angeles Dodgers were on top of the world, the 2025 team went interstellar. Out of This World chronicles their historic run to a second consecutive World Series, featuring stunning action photography, stories and analysis from the Los Angeles Daily News. It was an unforgettable journey that kicked off in Tokyo and finished in Toronto. Despite regular-season ups and downs, the Dodgers entered October ready to attack the postseason, anchored by a healthy pitching staff in rare form. Relive dominant playoff performances against the Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies, a Championship Series sweep against the Milwaukee Brewers and a World Series comeback for the ages against the Toronto Blue Jays. This commemorative book also includes feature stories on popular figures like Shohei Ohtani, Clayton Kershaw, Mookie Betts, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and more.
100 Mind-Blowing Soccer Facts
Discover more mind-blowing books and audiobooks at FelixGrayson.com100 Mind-Blowing Soccer Facts: 100 Unbelievable Stories That Prove Soccer is the Craziest SportSoccer isn't just a game-it's a global spectacle filled with unbelievable moments, legendary plays, and jaw-dropping events that defy explanation. Whether you're a lifelong fan, a trivia enthusiast, or just someone who loves the unexpected, this book is packed with 100 incredible soccer stories that will leave you speechless.Inside, you'll discover: The time a goalkeeper scored with his backside in a bizarre twist of fateThe referee who gave a red card to a chair-yes, really!The match that was stopped by a drone flying over the fieldThe player who got sent off for winking at an opponentThe shortest soccer match ever, lasting just 2 secondsThe unbelievable time a stray dog saved a goal mid-gameThe player who changed his name because he believed he was cursedThe ridiculous moment when a fan snuck onto the field and actually playedFrom record-breaking feats to bizarre red cards, hilarious mistakes, and mind-blowing coincidences, this book is a must-read for: Soccer fans who love the sport's wildest and most unpredictable momentsSports trivia lovers looking for fascinating, little-known factsCasual readers who enjoy fun, unexpected true storiesAnyone who loves a great conversation starterWhether you listen from start to finish or jump to a random chapter, each fact is guaranteed to entertain, surprise, and keep you coming back for more.Get ready to dive into the craziest, most unbelievable moments in soccer history. Perfect for fans of all ages, this book is a must-have for every soccer lover's collection!
100 Mind-Blowing Hockey Facts
Discover more mind-blowing books and audiobooks at FelixGrayson.com100 Mind-Blowing Hockey Facts: 100 Incredible Stories from Hockey's Most Unbelievable MomentsHockey isn't just a sport-it's a fast-paced, unpredictable, and mind-blowing spectacle filled with legendary plays, bizarre moments, and records that seem impossible. Whether you're a die-hard fan, a trivia lover, or just someone who enjoys the unexpected, this book brings you 100 incredible hockey stories that will leave you speechless.Inside, you'll discover: The time a Zamboni driver stepped in as an NHL goalie-and wonA game that had to be stopped due to thick fog covering the iceThe shocking moment a team scored on their own empty net... by accidentThe longest game in NHL history, stretching an unbelievable 176 minutesA goalie who scored a goal on himself in overtimeThe player who managed to score five goals-each in a different wayThe time a Stanley Cup-winning team left the trophy at the airportA game where the puck vanished inside a goalie's pads for nearly a minuteFrom record-breaking feats to hilarious mishaps, this book is perfect for: Hockey fans who love the sport's rich history and unforgettable momentsSports trivia lovers looking for fascinating, little-known factsCasual readers who enjoy fun, surprising true storiesAnyone who loves a great conversation starterWhether you read it cover to cover or flip to a random page, each fact is guaranteed to entertain, surprise, and make you see hockey in a whole new way.Get ready to lace up your skates and experience the craziest, wildest, and most mind-blowing moments in hockey history. A must-have for any sports lover's collection!
100 Mind-Blowing Golf Facts
Discover more mind-blowing books and audiobooks at FelixGrayson.com100 Mind-Blowing Golf Facts: 100 Epic Stories from Golf's Most Unbelievable MomentsGolf isn't just a sport-it's a game full of unbelievable shots, legendary feats, and jaw-dropping moments that defy logic. Whether you're a lifelong golfer, a trivia enthusiast, or someone who loves the unexpected, this book is packed with 100 incredible golf stories that will leave you amazed.Inside, you'll discover: The longest drive in tournament history-a staggering 515 yardsThe time a golfer played an entire round barefoot-and wonA hole-in-one on a par-4 that bounced off another player's putterThe unbelievable moment a golf ball landed in a fan's lap mid-tournamentThe golfer who played 18 holes on top of a skyscraperThe time a player aced a hole using a 100-year-old hickory clubThe wild story of a golfer who hit a perfect shot from a trash canThe mind-blowing feat of a golfer who played 1,000 holes in just 10 daysFrom record-breaking achievements to bizarre coincidences and hilarious mishaps, this book is a must-read for: Golf fans who love the sport's rich history and hidden gemsSports trivia lovers looking for fascinating, little-known golf factsCasual readers who enjoy fun and surprising true storiesAnyone who loves a great conversation starterWhether you read it cover to cover or flip to a random page, each fact is guaranteed to entertain, surprise, and keep you coming back for more.Get ready to tee off into the most mind-blowing moments in golf history! Perfect for fans of all ages, this book is a must-have addition to any golf lover's collection.
100 Mind-Blowing Basketball Facts
Discover more mind-blowing books and audiobooks at FelixGrayson.com100 Mind-Blowing Basketball Facts: 100 Jaw-Dropping Moments That Changed the Game ForeverBasketball isn't just a sport-it's a game of unbelievable moments, record-breaking performances, and jaw-dropping surprises that keep fans on the edge of their seats. Whether you're a lifelong basketball lover, a trivia enthusiast, or someone who enjoys the unexpected, this book is packed with 100 of the craziest, most mind-blowing stories in basketball history.Inside, you'll discover: The NBA player who played for two teams in the same gameThe time a game was delayed because of a bat invasionThe player who scored 50 points without hitting a single threeA bizarre moment when a player was ejected before the game even startedThe NBA Finals MVP who never started a single gameThe fastest disqualification in NBA history, when a player fouled out in just three minutesThe unbelievable time a game ended in a tie-because both teams ran out of players!A record-breaking dunk so powerful that it destroyed the entire backboardFrom legendary performances to bizarre rule changes and game-stopping chaos, this book is perfect for: Basketball fans who love the sport's history, records, and unbelievable momentsSports trivia lovers looking for fascinating, little-known factsCasual readers who enjoy fun and surprising true storiesAnyone who loves a great conversation starterWhether you read it cover to cover or flip to a random page, each fact is guaranteed to entertain, surprise, and leave you in awe.Get ready to take a courtside seat to the most mind-blowing moments in basketball history. This book is a must-have for basketball lovers of all ages and the perfect gift for any sports fan!
100 Mind-Blowing Football Facts
Discover more mind-blowing books and audiobooks at FelixGrayson.com100 Mind-Blowing Football Facts: 100 Insane Tales from Football's Most Shocking Plays and RecordsFootball isn't just a game-it's a spectacle of unbelievable moments, record-breaking plays, and shocking stories that defy explanation. Whether you're a die-hard fan, a trivia buff, or someone who loves the unexpected, this book is packed with 100 jaw-dropping football facts that will leave you in awe.Inside, you'll discover: The longest game-winning field goal ever made-and how it barely cleared the crossbarThe NFL game that ended 2-0, the rarest score in football historyThe time an NFL player ran the wrong way and scored for the other teamThe Super Bowl that had to use emergency lighting after a power outageThe player who won a championship without playing a single snapThe time an NFL game was delayed by a skydiver landing on the fieldA team that forgot to bring their helmets and had to borrow them before kickoffThe wildest last-second comebacks, impossible plays, and rule quirks you've never heard ofFrom record-breaking feats to hilarious blunders and impossible comebacks, this book is perfect for: Football fans who love the game's rich history and unbelievable momentsSports trivia lovers looking for mind-blowing facts to impress their friendsCasual readers who enjoy fun, surprising true storiesAnyone who loves a great conversation starterWhether you read it cover to cover or flip to a random page, each fact is guaranteed to entertain, surprise, and keep you coming back for more.Get ready to relive the most mind-blowing moments in football history. This book is a must-have for any sports lover's collection!
Why Can't This Team Just Find a Quarterback?
For Cleveland Browns fans who want to know why things keep going so wrong for their team... For 25 years -- since the return of the franchise in 1999 -- Browns fans have been more consistently frustrated, befuddled, and disappointed by their team than any other fans in pro sports. Why? Sports columnist Terry Pluto (cleveland.com / The Plain Dealer) shares answers. With insight and insider details gained from decades covering the team, Pluto looks closely at 2014 to 2024 and also back with fresh insight on earlier years of the new franchise: The drafts, the deals, the coaching and front-office changes ... the onfield disappointments ... rare bright spots and moments of optimism. Above all there has was the ongoing, fruitless, endless search for the right starting quarterback -- from Tim Couch to Johnny Manziel to Baker Mayfield (and so many others!) ... And then Deshaun Watson came to town -- in one of the most disruptive and disastrous deals in the team's history ... "Browns fans deserve better," Pluto says. If you've lived through years of disappointing football with the Cleveland Browns, this book will change how you understand the team. By long-time Plain Dealer sports columnist Terry Pluto, based on decades covering the Browns 40+ starting quarterbacks(!) -- from Tim Couch to Johnny Manziel to Baker Mayfield to Deshaun Watson. Explores the heartbreak, hope, and chaos of Browns' QB decisions. Includes some rare bright spots, such as Nick Chubb and Myles Garrett. Explains key turning points, big trades, and what went wrong (or occasionally right). Features thoughts from fans -- including why they still stick with this team.
Rucked Up Ruse
She's faking it to save her job. He's faking it to save himself. Falling for each other? Not part of the game plan.Finn Lennox is the Stirling Rebels' resident bad boy. Fast on the field, faster in a nightclub, and fastest to seduce the ladies. But after vanishing on a bender, he returns with a scandal that could end his career.The press is circling. The sponsors are furious. And if Finn doesn't clean up his act, he'll lose the only thing holding him together: rugby.Theodora MacMickin rebuilt her life after her narcissistic ex destroyed her confidence and career. But when the agency's future - and her dream job - are at risk, she agrees to fake a relationship with the most notorious player in Scottish rugby.Convince the press he's changed. Convince the sponsors he's in love. Convince themselves this isn't getting complicated.Theo was only meant to run his social media, not move in with him to sell the lie. And definitely not fall for the man beneath the swagger.But Finn's hiding more than a scandal. And Theo's still learning how to trust herself - and her heart - again. When past wounds start bleeding into the present, they'll have to decide what's worth fighting for. Because if they fall for the lie, they might lose everything that's real.----------Tropes & Vibes: Fake datingSports romance (Rugby!)Forced ProximityGood girl, bad boyPast wounds and hidden griefSlow burn & High heatSet in ScotlandFOR FANS OF sports romance with sizzling chemistry, fabulous banter, and fake dating tension that burns in the best way. Come for the thighs, stay for the emotional damage.
The Eagles Encyclopedia
Fly, Eagles, Fly! They did it again. The Eagles routed the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX to claim their second NFL championship in the Jeffrey Lurie era. Author Ray Didinger has done it again too, revising and updating his best-selling The Eagles Encyclopedia: Champions Edition to celebrate the latest victory. Quarterback Jalen Hurts described the city's love for the Eagles as "a Philly thing," and no one understands that better than Didinger, who has followed the team since the 1950s. In Champions II, he brings that history up to date by writing about the Tush Push, Saquon Barkley's reverse hurdle, and other milestones of the 2024 season. This new edition includes: More than 60 new photographs plus a 16-page color insert. Dozens of new player, coach and front-office profiles. Tributes to the team's newest Hall of Fame inductees: Eric Allen, Dick Vermeil and Harold Carmichael. An expanded chapter on the Eagles-Cowboys rivalry. An updated statistics and records section. The Eagles Encyclopedia: Champions II is a must have for any E-A-G-L-E-S fan who wants to relive the Big Game and all the drama that led up to it.
Better The Devil
Plunge into the potted history of a little-known football rivalry between Crawley Town and Wimbledon, in all their guises, as Steve Leake, a life-long Red Devils fan, peels back the decades to reveal the similarities and differences of both clubs that have stirred up a melting pot of emotions both on and off the pitch. Ivan Noel, Crawley town fan, provider of book titles, and all-round good eggWhen it comes to Crawley Town and Rivalries, AFC Wimbledon is the team that always springs to mind. A rivalry that started in our 2010/11 Conference winning season, when we pipped them to the title by some distance. Since then, we've had many a good ding-dong and the fact we have won on both our League visits so far to the Cherry Red Records Stadium, goes a long way to show how serious we take this fixture. Then, of course, there is the club that gave them the reason to be born, Mk Dons nee Wimbledon FC. This book, published at the start of his 70th year supporting Crawley Town, compares the history of the three clubs and also looks at the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 seasons and compares them to other standout seasons in the history of Crawley Town.Steve Herbert, Crawley Town fan (with an affinity for West Ham Utd) and supplier of very useful travel information.Royalties will be donated towards the work of Crawley Town Community Foundation for their work in and around the hometown of the only Football League Club in West Sussex (as at the beginning of the 2025/2026 season)
If These Walls Could Talk: Pittsburgh Steelers
A behind-the-scenes perspective on Pittsburgh Steelers history from franchise legend Craig Wolfley As a longtime presence with the Pittsburgh Steelers as both a player and broadcaster, Craig Wolfley knew what it meant to live and breathe Steelers football. In If These Walls Could Talk: Pittsburgh Steelers, Wolfley opens up about his life and career in Pittsburgh and provides insight into the team's inner sanctum as only he can. Featuring conversations with players and coaches past and present as well as off-the-wall anecdotes only Wolfley could tell, this indispensable volume is your ticket to Steelers history.
The Next One
Behind the scenes to hockey's hidden superstars, the scouts who chase teenage prodigies and might-never-bes across North America and around the world. If you attend any junior, minor, or professional hockey game and you'll spot them, often up in the rafters, alone, busily taking notes and calling their general managers. These are the scouts, the men and women who have made the job into a lifestyle, chasing players across borders, working the locals, chatting with retired hockey people, and visiting remote communities in hopes of finding "the next one." Yes, they scout the likes of Connor McDavid and Connor Bedard and even Wayne Gretzky, but scouts really make their mark by finding players who will fit in up and down the lineup: the scorer having trouble finding the net; the goalie who stands on her head to keep her team in the game; the quiet winger who arrives at the rink first and leaves last. Scouts don't just birddog talent, they evaluate character and grit and drive, looking for players who can play even a handful of games in the bigs. Hockey's favourite raconteur, Ken Reid, tells us all about this secret club. One scout found himself squeezed into a small car with a bunch of other scouts, including Hall of Fame goalie Glenn Hall. Former NHLer and pro scout Rick Knickle followed Jordin Tootoo of remote Rankin Inlet, even though Tootoo didn't start playing the game until he was eleven years old. One scout worked at a maximum-security prison, only to find himself as a pro scout. Another scout went from a farmer who tried his hand at scouting to being a scout who happened to own a farm. And Reid takes us behind the scenes at the nascent PWHL, where teams furiously scouted their starting lineups with only a few weeks before the season began. Always entertaining, often illuminating, and sometimes hilarious, The Next One is the ideal book for anyone who wants to understand hockey beyond the ice.
100 Mind-Blowing Baseball Facts
Discover more mind-blowing books and audiobooks at FelixGrayson.com100 Mind-Blowing Baseball Facts: 100 Wild Stories from Baseball's Most Unpredictable MomentsBaseball isn't just a game-it's a treasure trove of unbelievable moments, legendary plays, and jaw-dropping records that defy logic. Whether you're a lifelong fan, a trivia buff, or someone who loves the unexpected, this book is packed with 100 incredible baseball stories that will leave you amazed.Inside, you'll discover: The longest baseball game in history, stretching an astonishing 33 inningsThe time a player hit a home run without ever leaving the batter's boxA game that was played with two baseballs on the field at the same timeThe moment a baseball hit a fan and sent him to the hospital-twiceThe fastest pitch ever recorded and the pitcher who threw itHow a game was once delayed by a snake on the fieldA player who managed to steal all four bases in a single playThe unbelievable time a game ended with a ball hitting the umpire in the faceFrom record-breaking feats to bizarre coincidences and hilarious mishaps, this book is a home run for: Baseball fans who love the sport's rich history and hidden gemsSports trivia lovers looking for fascinating, little-known factsCasual readers who enjoy fun and surprising true storiesAnyone who loves a great conversation starterWhether you read it cover to cover or flip to a random page, each fact is guaranteed to entertain, surprise, and keep you coming back for more.Get ready to step up to the plate and experience the most mind-blowing moments in baseball history. Perfect for fans of all ages, this book is a must-have addition to any sports lover's collection!
A Hollywood Ending
NBA journalist Yaron Weitzman lays out the high stakes drama happening inside the Lakers' organization as they try to juggle the warring priorities between LeBron James and the Buss family. When LeBron James signed with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018, it looked like a match made in heaven. Here was the preeminent athlete of his generation, fresh off ending Cleveland's 50-year title drought and in need of a new challenge to help further burnish his legacy, joining forces with one of the most iconic teams in all of sports. And here were the Lakers, in the midst of their worst stretch in franchise history and reeling from the death of the legendary owner Dr. Jerry Buss, in need of a savior. The script wrote itself. A little over two years later, LeBron and Dr. Buss' daughter, Jeanie, were standing shoulder to shoulder, hoisting the NBA finals trophy into the air. Having won their record-tying 17th NBA title, the Lakers had reclaimed their accustomed perch on top of the basketball world. It looked to be the birth of a new dynasty. But this was a new Lakers' franchise, one beset by infighting and years removed from Kobe's prime. And this was LeBron James, the catalyst of the "player empowerment" era, an athlete chasing things greater than Michael Jordan's ghost. The two parties were too big to peacefully coexist under one roof. The 2020 title would represent the pinnacle of their pairing, and the beginning of a precipitous decline. Drawing from over 250 interviews, Yaron Weitzman takes readers on a riveting, behind the scenes journey of this fraught partnership. From the Succession-like power struggle between the Buss children, to the rise of LeBron's landscape-altering talent agency and its attempts to assert its own power within the Lakers' walls, to the evolution of LeBron's priorities and political voice, "A Hollywood Ending" is the definitive story of an American icon's final years on stage, one portraying him, a fabled NBA franchise, and the world of modern professional sports in a light never seen before.
The Golden Generation
Discover the untold story of Canadian men's basketball, from Steve Nash's breakthrough at the 2000 Olympics to two decades of struggle, controversy, and missed opportunity. The Golden Generation follows the Canadian basketball journey from obscurity to resurgence as NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a new generation of stars propel Canada back to international glory. When Steve Nash led an underdog Team Canada to the 2000 Olympics, many assumed the golden age of Canadian basketball was at hand. Instead, it took 24 years for the Canadian men to get back to international basketball's biggest stage, with a wave of immigration pushing the sport into every corner of the country and a new generation of superstars blossoming into household names. How did we get here? And why did it take so long? In The Golden Generation, basketball journalist Oren Weisfeld uncovers the growth of Canadian basketball through the lens of Team Canada and its most influential figures, alternating between key moments in the rise of the Canadian men's national team, innovations in the grassroots community, and profiles of Canada's top players. Through over 100 original interviews, The Golden Generation explores the role racism played in the national team's early struggles, how pioneers like Cory Joseph and Tristan Thompson paved a new path for high schoolers to follow, the enigma that is Andrew Wiggins, and the backstories of the core group of players that brought Canada back to the Olympics, including superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Canadian basketball has come a long way over the past 25 years, with a record number of NBA players, a sophisticated grassroots infrastructure, and a top-ranked national team. But many trailblazers had to take their hits to lay the foundation for the current players to thrive. The Golden Generation puts all the pieces and players together to explain how Canada became a basketball country with a bright future ahead.
A Tale of Two Seasons
A Tale of Two Seasons contrasts two very different seasons from Naismith Hall-of- Famer Paul Westphal's span of five decades in professional basketball.One season covers his time as the head coach of the NBA Seattle SuperSonics while the other offers insight into his first coaching job at Southwestern College (now Arizona Christian University.) One paid the highest salary he'd ever earned, while the other paid him nothing. Yet, that one special season with Southwestern is the season he said was his best year in basketball.His stories about life and basketball, both as a player and a coach, are intertwined with humor, insight, hindsight, and his genuine love for the game.An Arizona Christian University Press & End Game Press publication
The Emerald Evertonian
From Dalkey to Dalymount and on to Goodison Park, Peter Farrell left an enduring mark on football for both club and country. With eight minutes remaining at Goodison Park on 21 September 1949, wearing the green of Ireland, Farrell surged towards the Gwladys Street goal and calmly lofted the ball over the England goalkeeper. His strike sealed England's first-ever home defeat to a foreign nation - etched forever into Irish and Merseyside football folklore. That it came on the turf of his beloved Everton made it all the sweeter. It was a defining moment in a distinguished career in blue and green. Like his modern-day compatriot S矇amus Coleman, Farrell is revered as one of Ireland and Everton's greatest captains - leader of character, courage and sportsmanship through testing times. In The Emerald Evertonian, Rob Sawyer charts Farrell's journey from junior football in Dalkey to silverware with Shamrock Rovers and on to post-war England with Everton, where he arrived alongside lifelong friend Tommy Eglington. Drawing on meticulous research and previously unseen sources, Sawyer also explores Farrell's later life in management - on Merseyside, in North Wales and back home in Ireland - and his dignified 25-year struggle with dementia, sustained by the devotion of his family and community. This is a compelling portrait of a remarkable footballer and gentleman, and a vivid window into the game during a transformative era.
Basketball Now!
The greatest players in the NBA ... NOW! Basketball Now! has earned its place as an anticipated release, giving fans the inside stories about their favorite superstars. This fully rewritten and redesigned fourth edition is packed with over 130 action images and 50 player profiles, including a fresh crop of young players whose swagger and skills have launched them to league-wide stardom. Bona fide superstars and clutch game-changers, plus the all-stars of tomorrow, the best defenders and the proven winners -- they're all here. Look out for elite names like Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Victor Wembanyama, Luka Doncic, Jimmy Butler and dozens more of your NBA favorites. Author Michael Grange gives readers an inside tour of all things NBA, including essays on the changing of the guard (the end of the LeBron, Steph and KD era), the new age of parity, the impact of international stars and the three-point revolution. The book also includes a summary of MVPs (regular season, All-Star Game and Finals) up to the end of the 2024-25 season. Mind-boggling athleticism, career-changing plays and pure magic, Basketball Now! has it all -- straight from the hardwood.
Foot-Ball
A sweeping journey through centuries of sport discover how the ball rolled from medieval streets to the modern pitch. Montague Shearman s Foot-Ball: Its History for Five Centuries offers a richly researched, vividly told chronicle of the origins and evolution of football. Tracing early football games, village customs, schoolboy contests and the codification that birthed modern soccer, Shearman maps five centuries of football culture history with rare clarity and passion. Readers encounter the drama of grassroots play, the legal and social battles that shaped rules, and the regional traditions that fed today s global game. This Montague Shearman book is a landmark historical football analysis: part scholarly excavation, part narrative celebration. It situates football history within social change, giving both casual readers and classic literature collectors insights into the evolution of football and the sport s cultural resonance. You ll gain historical football insights on how medieval mob-foot games, public-school adaptations, and early organized clubs led to the football development we know today. Out of print for decades and now lovingly republished by Alpha Editions, this restored edition is prepared for today s and future generations. More than a reprint, it is a collector s item and a cultural treasure carefully edited, annotated, and presented for preservation. Essential for anyone curious about football through the ages, soccer history, and the enduring story of sport s place in society.
A Big Mess in Texas
The incredible, untold true story of the 1952 Dallas Texans--the most dysfunctional team in the craziest season in NFL history. Rattlesnakes on the practice field, barroom brawls between teammates, bounced checks, paternity suits, house bombings by the Ku Klux Klan, stadium fields covered in circus-elephant dung, one-legged trainers, humiliating defeats, miraculous wins, All-Pro quarterbacks getting drunk at halftime, strip poker with groupies, and even a future Hall of Fame coach stealing a cab. Nearly lost to history, this singular season in the most football-mad region of the world is a kaleidoscope of every larger-than-life, fictionalized Texas football folktale ever written or filmed, with one incredible twist: it's all true. Over a fascinating, ten-month rollercoaster ride in 1952, in the waning Wild West days of the NFL, before television turned the game into a corporation, the forgotten Dallas Texans would go down in history as one of the worst (and, wildest) teams of all time and the last NFL team to fail. But not before defying the Jim Crow South, pulling off a Thanksgiving Day miracle against George Halas's famed Chicago Bears and then celebrating with an even more infamous bender that would make Jimmy Johnson's Dallas Cowboys blush. A year later, the NFL buried all traces of the most loveable, dysfunctional, entertaining team in history by secretly rebranding the train wreck Texans as the wholesome, all-American Baltimore Colts, the team that would go on to save pro football. A Big Mess in Texas tells the Texans' tale with all the humor, drama, game action, colorful characters, villains, world-class athletes, civil rights trailblazers, and incredible plot twists of that legendary season.
Sports Illustrated the Boston Red Sox
Celebrate the championship glory, Hall of Fame personalities, and passionate fans that make the Boston Red Sox one of the most historic franchises in baseball Once an intrepid expansion club, the Boston Red Sox have now thrilled their loyal fans for well over a century. Sports Illustrated(TM) celebrates the franchise with The Boston Red Sox, an extraordinary collection of classic stories and photographs from the pages of SI. This commemorative book recalls the most memorable pennant races and World Series victories while spotlighting legendary stars like Ted Williams, David Ortiz, Pedro Martinez, Carl Yastrzemski, and Carlton Fisk. Red Sox fans will unearth countless gems from their team's past on each page of this celebration.
COOP
COOP. Say the name to a Lakers fan and after a guaranteed smile, a list of superlatives is sure to follow. The GOAT of NBA perimeter defenders. Five-time NBA champion. The quintessential glue guy. The graceful and thunderous finisher on a patented "Coop-A-Loop" alley-oop from teammate Magic Johnson. But more than anything when describing Michael Cooper, the conclusion is a player who was the ultimate teammate and winner, always willing to sacrifice for the greater good to make sure Showtime was the biggest hit on the hardwood. In COOP: The Making of a Showtime Lakers Legend, take a journey with newly minted Hall of Famer Michael Cooper back to the glitz and glamour of Los Angeles in the 1980s when Magic, Kareem, Big Game James, and Coop made the Forum the epicenter of the NBA and Hollywood nights alike, and put together one of the most dominant runs in the history of the sport. Yet while the Showtime Lakers made the fun, sun, and their epic run look easy, this conversational, candid, and joyous memoir delves deep into the hard work it took to get to the top, and the unbreakable bond they formed along the way. Cooper also takes readers back to his humble beginnings growing up in L.A., where he persevered through a debilitating childhood injury, self-doubt on the court, and a circuitous route to the NBA to become one of the best defenders in the history of the game and an essential Showtime Laker, followed by a fruitful post-playing career as a championship WNBA coach, cherished mentor to many, and a true Lakers legend with his enshrinement to the Hall of Fame.
LaFleur
INSTANT BESTSELLER A celebration of one of the most electric and magnetic hockey players of all time--the incomparable Guy Lafleur--in the words of his peers and admirers, from Joe Sakic to Chris Nilan. Foreword by Wayne Gretzky. Guy Lafleur. The name alone sizzles on the tongue, eliciting memories of Lafleur's tremendous flow (in Quebec he is nicknamed "The Demon Blond"), his on-ice flair, his fiery play, and his incredible touch. He was fast and furious, the modern-day version of the legendary Maurice "Rocket" Richard. Lafleur played for the Canadiens during the Habs's fabulous seventies era when they won multiple Stanley Cups. Lafleur was the '70s, from his wardrobe to his hairstyle to his sideburns. He not only fought for the league lead in scoring--he was known to go to discos and even put out his own disco album. He absolutely mesmerized a generation of fans, changed the culture, and has influenced future draft classes ever for a generation. For the first time, authors Steven Finn (who played with Lafleur) and Pierre Gince reveal an intimate portrait of Lafleur, the player and the man, in the words of those who enjoyed him, or who spent all their ice time pointlessly chasing him down the wing. Every chapter evokes different memories of the man nicknamed in English Canada as The Flower. Gilbert Perreault, who battled Lafleur at centre for almost two decades, is here. As is Scotty Bowman, who coached Lafleur, and Larry Robinson and Serge Savard, the Hall of Fame defencemen who skated behind him. Joe Sakic and Steven Finn recount their days playing with Lafleur when he was a Quebec Nordique. Lanny McDonald and Darryl Sittler share their thoughts on Lafleur's rivalry with the Toronto Maple Leafs. In all, there are forty profiles by forty prominent players, coaches, family, and media, all of whom admired le Demon Blond.
Certified Beauties
With its unpredictability, brutality, and camaraderie, hockey is full of great stories. And great characters. Certified Beauties is a new collection of the most compelling, hilarious, and heartwarming inside hockey stories--the ones that the players tell each other. Grab a seat with TSN's James Duthie as hockey's finest relive the highs, the lows, and heartwarming, hilarious moments on and off the ice including: - How Brady and Matthew Tkachuk both pulled pranks on teammates that almost went horribly wrong- The night a stunned beer league team had to face Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl- The friendship of Darryl Sittler and Borje Salming and the remarkable story of Salming's final visit to Toronto- When Sarah Nurse became a superstar during the chaos of Covid-19- How a team of Canadian "misfits" turned disaster to gold in Riga- When Kevin Bieksa got a big break at the worst possible time- How Darcy Hordichuk captured an alligator and left it on Roberto Luongo's front porchWith a foreword by Sidney Crosby and a special chapter remembering Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau, Certified Beauties is essential reading for every hockey fan.
Jose
A revealing look at the end of an era for football's most talked-about manager.In the space of a few months, Jos矇 Mourinho went from Chelsea's greatest manager to being unceremoniously dismissed. This biography by Harry Harris explores Mourinho's time at Chelsea, his relationships, and the controversies that surrounded him.Discover the inside story of Mourinho's management style, his tactical decisions, and his impact on the team's performance. This book is for football fans and anyone interested in the mind of a complex and driven leader. It offers a unique perspective on the challenges of managing a high-profile club and the price of success. Get your copy now to understand the legacy of the Special One and what led to his dramatic departure.
Nfl: The Ultimate Fan's Guide
From the draft to the Superbowl, via epic touchdowns and crunching tackles, football is a fast and violent game of chess. This comprehensive handbook offers a deep dive into the NFL's greatest teams and moments. Covering key concepts such as the importance of field goals, quarterbacks and wide receivers, NFL: The Fan's Guide reveals the extreme athleticism and complex tactics needed to dominate the modern game. Whether you're a seasoned fan or new to the game, insights into all 32 NFL teams mean that this must-have guide will take your game day experience to new heights.
Every Day Is Sunday
A New York Times Notable Book of 2025 - One of Barnes & Noble's Best Sports Books of 2025 From veteran New York Times Business & NFL reporter, Ken Belson, a deeply-reported account of how the NFL's Commissioner, Roger Goodell, and its two most powerful owners, Jerry Jones & Robert Kraft, turned the league into a cultural phenomenon. On February 11, 2024, NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell, & the league's two most powerful owners, Jerry Jones & Robert Kraft, looked down at the spectacle before them. What they saw was the sport's championship game, the Super Bowl--now a de facto national holiday--being played in a shiny new $2B stadium, home to the first franchise based in Las Vegas, after the league's embrace of nationwide gambling. The moment was over 30 years in the making. As one of Goodell's colleagues said: "Roger doesn't view the other leagues as competition. He wants to be mentioned with Disney and the Vatican, these massive institutions." In Every Day is Sunday, Ken Belson traces the evolution of the league from "one of the four US professional sports," to the superpower it is today. Belson illustrates how the league's rise coincided with the arrival of Jones & Kraft in the early 90's. He provides an inside look on how these two men reshaped the league, taking readers into the secretive owner's meeting, how they decided Goodell was the right man to place as Commissioner, and how the three built, wielded, and held on to their collective power. Perfect for fans of The Dynasty and Big Game, Belson provides a unique peek behind the curtain of how America's favorite sport achieved its status--and how these three men let nothing stand in their way.
Sideline CEO
From ESPN's correspondent Marty Smith-- a book of key leadership principles learned from championship coaches he's interviewed over the past two decades. Sideline CEO delves into the unique psychology and daily preparation and gameplan execution of some of America's most respected leaders--the coaches who have led hugely successful programs to win it all. In talking to these sideline CEOs, Marty develops a set of leadership pillars that include: Building vital TRUST within the organization. Creating open lines of COMMUNICATION. DELEGATING responsibility--and thereby empowerment--to your coaches and players. Establishing and sustaining the RIGHT CULTURE in your program. MANAGING CRISES and adversity. EVOLVING with the game, the players and society, and always challenging your team. Packed with insight, candor and keen storytelling from some of the greatest coaches of all time, Sideline CEO offers valuable takeaways that go beyond the game and can help set intentions for winning in our daily lives.
The Rise and Fall of the Black Aces Hockey Club
What do aliens, D-list celebrities, politicians, scientists, sentient kitchen appliances, forest animals, cyber-criminals, a Pope and God Himself have to do with an obscure beer-league hockey team in Toronto Canada? Only everything. They all play a vital role in the Rise and Fall of the Black Aces Hockey Club, which you may have noticed is also the name of this book. Culled from the "best" examples of 15 years of weekly game reports, this collection is a faithful and 100% true (not really) account of the incredible history of the Black Aces Hockey Club as told by long-time Aces player and unofficial Team Scribe Jeff McCartney.
All They Did Was Win
As the 2008 football season came to a close, few could have guessed what lay just ahead for Auburn.But with the hiring of an unlikely coach and the recruitment of a quarterback from a junior college in Texas, these Tigers took us on a wild, roller-coaster ride all the way to Glendale, Arizona, and a date in the desert to play for the National Championship.Van Allen Plexico and John Ringer, Co-Hosts of the AU Wishbone Podcast, break down all the key games, controversies and critical moments of perhaps the greatest season in Auburn football history, including the epic, seemingly impossible "Camback" Iron Bowl and the BCS National Championship Game against Oregon, in play-by-play detail.This is the complete story of Auburn's 2010 National Championship run, as only the AU Wishbone can tell it.
Men of Troy
From a New York Times bestselling author, a deeply reported account of how the USC Trojan football team captivated the sporting world in the 2000s. The University of Southern California received thousands of calls, emails and letters in 2001, after hiring former NFL coach, Pete Carroll, to resurrect its moribund program. Carroll was a "failure," a "fraud," and a "flake" according to USC boosters, the fans in Los Angeles and the college football cognoscenti. But by the middle of the decade, he had turned USC into a legendary juggernaut, with multiple Heisman Trophy winners and national championships. In Men of Troy, Monte Burke, provides the definitive account of this singular dynasty, based on original reporting and more than 150 new interviews. Burke illustrates how Carroll and his colorful cast of coaches and players--including cross-eyed quarterback turned national heartthrob, Matt Leinart, and the electric, generational running back, Reggie Bush--not only took over college football, but Los Angeles and the country, as well. Burke not only takes readers through the iconic games of the era, but also behind the scenes--in the locker room, on the recruiting trail and into the LA nightlife scene, where the players enjoyed their celebrity status and, at times, succumbed to illicit temptations. He also puts the dynasty in proper context, tracing the breathtaking rise of the program, the sudden and inglorious fall, and the scandal that left a program in ruins and precipitated the drastic changes that led to the current era of college football.
Bruins 365
Now you can cheer for the Bruins every day of the year.The Boston Bruins are America's oldest NHL team, so there's no shortage of history with this storied franchise. For many, the Bruins have come to personify hard-nosed hockey, and while the team has evolved over the years, that tough approach to the game has been woven into the fabric of the team and embodied by its players.While the Bruins' stronghold is unques - tionably in New England, they have supporters around the world. And even if you're not a fan, you'll love reading about how the club has been part of some of hockey's fiercest rivalries from the Habs to the Leafs to the Canucks. With Bruins 365, you can relive memorable moments from more than a century of Bruins hockey with one short story for every day of the year. From the team's origins in 1924 to Bobby Orr's gravity-defying championship-clinching goal in 1970 to some of the milestones from the record-breaking 2022-23 season, Bruins 365 has something for every Boston fan.
Yoga for Footballers
Written by former Arsenal FC physio and yoga teacher, this is a guide for all ages and abilities to help you play soccer better for longer. Yoga has now become a standard part of soccer training with players such as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo practising regularly. Sharon Heidaripour is a former professional soccer and Arsenal physio turned yoga instructor and knows all too well that the contact sport can lead to damaging injuries. However, many of them can be prevented if you can spot areas getting fatigued, overloaded, imbalanced or to become inflexible. In this step-by-step guide, Sharon teaches you routines that can be integrated into your daily life - on and off the pitch - and weekly training to help prevent injury and support recovery. Exercises focus on hip mobility, hamstring prehab and rehab, lower back mobility, relaxation and breathwork through morning, evening, pre-training and pre-match, post-training and post-match routines. With full-colour photographs, Sharon shares more than 70 yoga poses and routines with clear instructions, top tips and options to suit all levels and ages, whether you are a casual, amateur or professional soccer player.
Golf Crazy by Gary Patterson 2026 12 X 12 Wall Calendar
TEE-RIFIC HUMOR - Celebrate the ups, downs, and hilarious hazards of the game with this whimsical calendar featuring Gary Patterson's charming golf illustrations. Each month brings a new cartoon that perfectly captures the fun and frustrations every golfer knows too well.
Hockey Rants and Raves
The hottest takes and biggest beefs about hockey from the wildly popular podcaster and YouTuber Who would be on the Mount Rushmore of goalies?Is Gretzky the Greatest Player of All Time (a.k.a. GOATzky)?What are the most embarrassing Leaf losses of all time?Why would you choose to play in a small market?Steve "Dangle" Glynn was already a popular talking head on Sportsnet the night the Leafs lost to their own back-up goalie (and Zamboni driver), but his fandom skyrocketed after his rant following the hilarious mishap gained one million views on YouTube. Dangle is well known as a long-suffering Leafs fan, but he is more than just that. He shares his rants and opinions about all teams across the NHL, directing his laser focus onto hockey's greatest arguments, from the best players of all time, to the worst trades, to the most embarrassing Leafs losses. From one of the most unique voices in hockey, Hockey Rants and Raves is packed with passionate, honest and often humorous takes on all things hockey--required reading for all fans of the game.
The Pocketbook Guide To Sports Coaching
Do you want to know what makes a sports coach successful?This straightforward guide for sports coaches answers exactly that.Tom Lally - founder of Leadershipandsport.com, PE teacher, and sports coach - has created this comprehensive pocketbook, packed with powerful theories and practical tips on what makes a coach successful and how you can apply these principles yourself.Whether you are studying for a coaching qualification and want to be a grassroots coach, or are already an experienced coach, this book is designed for you. It combines research, proven techniques, and practical experience to help you put theory into practice.Discover what makes a successful coachLearn how to develop and motivate your athletesUnderstand how to build a winning teamWith over 90,000 readers accessing Leadershipandsport.com for coaching advice in 2024, this guide is a trusted companion to use before, during, and after your coaching sessions - helping you master the key theories behind success.
The Team That History Forgot
While the Kansas City Chiefs are the NFL's newest dynasty, winning three Super Bowls since 2020, most fans don't recall the team's earliest successful years before decades of futility. What about the underdog losers of that very first Super Bowl? When the Kansas City Chiefs played the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl I in 1967, they had only been in existence for seven seasons and were tasked with the monumental burden of representing the still-fledgling American Football League against the NFL's team of the decade. The Chiefs won their first AFL Championship in 1962, as the Dallas Texans, when owner Lamar Hunt decided the Dallas market couldn't support two pro football teams--it could barely support one. After just three seasons, the Texans relocated to Kansas City, where they became the Chiefs. Under future Hall-of-Famers Len Dawson, Buck Buchanan, and Johnny Robinson, they were the winningest AFL team and helped integrate pro football more than any other team in the 1960s. In The Team That History Forgot, Rick Gosselin explores the team's struggles and triumphs in its early years, the competition created by the AFL in player signing wars, the recruitment of athletes from historically Black colleges and universities, the loss of the franchise identity with the move from Texas to Kansas City, the first Super Bowl and the humiliating loss against the Packers, and the moves the Chiefs made to recover from that loss and win Super Bowl IV, the last game before the two rival leagues finally merged in 1970. The early Chiefs set a bar for excellence that the team continues to pursue today.
Keegan
From the author of Klopp: My Liverpool Romance, another funny and insightful look at one of Britain's greatest and strangest soccer figures. He was stranger than he knew - than any of us knew. Liverpool legend. England captain. Mercurial competitor. Pop star manqu矇. The Face of Brut 33. Pioneer of the footballers' perm. Twice winner of the Ballon d'Or. Kevin Keegan owned the 1970s. We had never seen his like before. There appeared to be nothing he could fail at. Tracking his career from youth-team player at Scunthorpe to the England manager's job, by way of Liverpool, Newcastle and Hamburg, Keegan considers the extravagant highs of a football man who touched the game with genius, who was never sacked and who came within an ace of triumph as a manager. A story of almost and maybe, of excellence and of failure, it is a story too, perhaps, of the fans' quixotic search for a messiah.
