Question: Book Recommendations for young coaches?
Answer: This is a good one. I have a handful of books that I’d recommend for guys in different situations. This list of books/materials is absolutely incomplete, but I advise you to go through all of them thoroughly and 5-10x each:
- Charlie Francis
- Consume every piece of his content multiple times. He was way ahead of his time and is still insanely ahead of the curve. His concepts and rationale are amazing. He will teach you HOW to think
- Bondarchuk’s Transfer of training
- I think this is important because you will grasp the concept of general vs specific exercises. It will help teach you how to organize/categorize work a little better
- Applied Sprint Training by James Smith
- James typically speaks over people’s heads, but this is a great resource to constantly refer back to. Essentially, this reinforces Charlie’s theories and teaches you how & why to apply some of his work
- Learn muscle origin, insertion & action
- don’t worry about applying it to everything yet, just know everything cold. It will help you down the road.
- Learn all the orthopedic inefficiencies & potential injuries they can cause
Example:
- Flat feet
- Leg length/hip height discrepancy
- Kyphosis/scoliosis/lordosis
- Stenosis/Bulging/herniate/degenerative discs
- Tendinits/tendinosis
- Etc
DO NOT DO ANYTHING WITH THE INFORMATION. Just observe it and constantly refer out if you think it’s an issue. Take note as to how many people have what and how they perform.
The more I learned about all these things, the more I saw it, and the less I was actually able to help majority of it…and on top of it, the more I realized it kinda sorta almost might not really matter… which is blasphemous to some people and music to other peoples ears.
6. Just about any book on Massage
Learn about massage and tissue manipulation. Watch videos and learn about it and practice it on your loved ones, not your clients. Learn what it’s supposed to look like and how it’s supposed to feel. Not so you can do it, but so you know how to identify a good or a bad massage therapist. This way you can refer your athletes/clients to a good one. Your network is just as valuable as your abilities. You’re one person, you can’t do EVERYTHING.
7. Chop Wood Carry Water
It’s a quick read, and has nothing to do with S&C but has everything to do with S&C. This business whether you’re in team sports or private is a grind. There are some years where you feel like you’re standing still going nowhere fast. This book is a constant reminder of what achieving greatness looks like.
8. The Body Keeps the Score
- You are going to be dealing with people that have a lot of trauma, whether you know it or not. This book will give you a very small idea of who/what you are dealing with
Here’s a stat that I repost on facebook/IG just about every year to give perspective:
1 in 5 sexual molested as a child
1 in 4 were beaten by their parent to the point of a mark left on their body
1 in 3 couples engage in physical violence
1 in 4 grew up with an alcoholic relative
1 in 8 witness their mother being beaten or hit
That means that 1 in 20 will have been molested, beaten as a child.
In every single class I was in growing up, odds are there was someone molested and beaten and no one knew.
Next time you see a “bad kid” maybe think twice before judging them.
“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.” – Wendy Mass
9. The 5 love languages
- This will give you more information on how you can positively & better communicate with your clients/athletes… and significant other