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Archive for July, 2008
July 22, 2008 at 4:59 am · Filed under Uncategorized
The author who has successfully coached both men's and women's teams spent three years writing this practical action book so that anyone can coach.
Part I discusses and graphically defines the fundamentals.
Part II explains how to plan the key to coaching and teach at practice.
Part III, the largest part, systematically presents over 200 lessons in 19 sections.
Twenty-three pages of Appendices supply other useful coaching information such as: strategies; a practice warm down; game statistics and more.
Customer Review: The best basketball book sold
I have read many 'how to' basketball books, all disappointing. I finally found this one and find it 100% effective. I wish my high school coaches had read this book and taught the techniques when I played. Today I play Senior Basketball and find I still have much to learn. This book covers it all. I read a little at a time and try to make its principles habit. This book is for players and coaches of all ages. Study it well.
Customer Review: Good enough for beginners...
It describes the basics of basketball but with few exercises for each subject...
It's a good book for beginner coaches; want to have a very good knowledge of basketball fundamentals. But this is not a book of basketball drills.
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July 21, 2008 at 8:14 am · Filed under Uncategorized
An entire year's worth of state-of-the-art conditioning for the sport of basketball. Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and former UNC Men's Basketball head strength coach (1994-2001) Ben Cook outlines five unique phases of strength and conditioning to coincide with the basketball season: Beginning of the post-season, early summer workouts, late summer workouts, pre-season and finally in-season workouts. Each phase is designed to promote optimum conditioning, and comes complete with pre-made weekly routines that incorporate the ideal sequence, frequency and duration of each week's activities. Includes over two hundred illustrated exercise drills to enhance flexibility, strength & power, speed & power, agility, running and cardiorespiratory capacity. Massive 8 ½ by 11 inch format packed with over 280 pages of information.
Customer Review: Comprehensive. The one book you will need . . .
Ben Cook clearly is an expert on this matter. I bought Total Basketball Fitness along with NBA Power Conditioning and Strength Training for Basketball. I found that Cook's book was the most comprehensive and scientific of the three. This is a not a "for dummies" book. The information was relevant and put forth in an intelligent manner to help reader's understand the science of basketball conditioning. Cook's highlight is his 52 week plan, which in my estimatation is worth the price of the book. The plan can serve as a specific workout routine for 365 days or a general guideline for those who cannot dedicate their lives to playing basketball. Another great feature is the in depth discussion on the dynamics of weight training. Cook tells you about all the different ways to lift and which goals they achieve. Unfortunately, he is not very specific on the importances of each individual exercise. Cook also includes chapters on Agility exercises and conditioning which are also helpful. In summery, this book is well suited for the college player. The high school player would be better suited with the book NBA Power Conditioning. If money is not an issue, I highly recommend buying both books.
Customer Review: Finally a Complete How To
Getting ready for the season. Has always been confusing for me. You hear of so many different things you should do to make yourself better, but I could never figure out how to put everything together. This book gives it all to you and then plans your week for you. And not just one week, but for a whole year. This is what you've been looking for!!
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July 19, 2008 at 7:11 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
Pete Axthelm follows the 1969–70 season of the New York Knicks and provides a parallel focus on basketball as it was then played in the black neighborhoods of New York City. Throughout, he writes clearly, intelligently, and passionately about the game, bringing alive the players’ efforts, accomplishments, and failures.
Customer Review: City Game a slam dunk
If you've ever played basketball you have to read this book and you'll love it. From Madison Square Garden and, especially. to the playgrounds. From Clyde and Willis to the "Goat" and the "Helicopter."
Customer Review: Almost great
Pete Axthelm has a handle on what makes basketball a wonderful sport, and why many of us are in love with it. He doesn't seem to know exactly what he wants to do with this book. Is he reporting on inner-city basketball heroes? On their gravity-defying dunks, or their lightning-quick handles? Or is he reporting on 1970, the year the Knicks won the NBA Championship. The two stories don't intertwin seemlessly as he would have them, and you are left feeling like you haven't been fulfilled on either of the stories in this book. I gave this book 4 stars based more on his obvious joy in writting it (which makes it very fun to read) than his actual skill in writting it. I would have been much happier buying two books as long as this one, one on inner-city basketball in New York City, and one on the Knicks Championship of 1970.
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July 19, 2008 at 4:29 am · Filed under Uncategorized
Produced in association with the NBA, this fun book teaches basic basketball vocabulary as well as strengthening counting and comprehension skills in an exciting, visually witty format. Children will love learning with their basketball heroes.
Customer Review: Best for older children
I have an 18 month old who is obsessed with basketball. He plays it all day, watches it on t.v. and reads any ball book he can find. So I though this would be the perfect buy. I was dissapointed to find this book is more suited to older children. It is a big book, for starters - hard for little guys to easily manuver. THere are lots of flaps - but many of them contain things like bobbleheads, penants and cheerleaders. Not something basketball addicted children care about. Overall it is a good book - but just not what I was expecting and not as game related as i thought.
Customer Review: For pint size fans
My 2.5 year old son loves basketball, in fact, he is obssessed! This book is still a big hit after 6 months of near daily reading or browsing. You can read it in its entirety, or a page at a time. It teaches colors, oppposites, counting skills and NBA facts. If your child enjoys the game, this is a great book.
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July 18, 2008 at 12:41 am · Filed under Uncategorized
A thoroughly obsessive, intermittently uplifting, and occasionally unbiased account of the Duke-North Carolina basketball rivalry
Customer Review: To Laugh like this ....
Will Blythe has crafted a must read book with this one!I laughed through it as I recognized myself in the obsessed Carolina fan self portrait Blythe paints. It simply is the best book on Carolina basketball ever written. The one on one conversations with Coach K, Coach Smith, and even Crazy Towel Guy are all must reads. Most remarkable is the way he ties family, religion, class struggles, and basketball all into one probing question ... IS IT ALRIGHT TO HATE YOUR RIVAL LIKE THIS?
This is a must read for anyone seeking to understand the trible mindset that is sports fanaticism. Those willing to laugh at themselves will enjoy it the most.
Customer Review: Great Fun!
Even Duke fans won't be able to put down this entertaining analysis of the Duke-Carolina rivalry. Find out what's behind the bad blood between the two schools.
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July 16, 2008 at 3:45 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
More than 2,500 card sets are listed in this popular book. It's the most comprehensive basketball card source ever! Includes complete coverage of cards and collectibles from 1933 to present. Features how-to-collect guide, history of basketball cards and much more.
Customer Review: Basketball Price Guide
We have been buying this price guide since it's inception but the quality and content has been dropping the last few years. I suppose they are trying to keep the price down, but they are omitting and reducing too much. I would say though, until someone comes up with something more complete, it's the one to buy.
Customer Review: Great Beckett!
Great book, came in awesome condition and I love using it! Highly recomended for all NBA card collectors!
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July 15, 2008 at 3:25 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
Eagle Blue follows the Fort Yukon Eagles, winners of six regional championships in a row, through the course of an entire 28-game season, from their first day of practice in late November to the Alaska State Championship Tournament in March. With insight, frankness, and compassion, Michael D’Orso climbs into the lives of these fourteen boys, their families, and their coach, shadowing them through an Arctic winter of fifty-below-zero temperatures and near-round-the-clock darkness as the Eagles criss-cross Alaska in pursuit of their—and their village’s—dream.
Customer Review: Good mix of culture, hoops, and history yet some issues
Eagle Blue provided great insight into the game of basketball within the small towns of Alaska,specifically among native american communities. The author did an outstanding job of combining culture, hoops, and history within the story. This book also included some interesting political questions regarding government subsidies,drilling for oil, and information on the state and people of Alaska.
As a whole I loved the first half of the book but was somewhat disappointed in the sportswriting done by D'Orso. His basketball descriptions left a great deal to be desired. As an example the author uses players numbers to describe the action, for instance; #12 comes back with a three, or #13 with a floater. On a personal note I also have a problem when an adult writer spends time with high school students who are engaging in illegal activities, drinking /smoking. Much like my similiar feelings with the author of Fall Rivers Dream.
However, that being said a good read with many wonderful insights.
Customer Review: Cold weather, hot basketball
This book gave a very good feel for the state of Alaska and the diverse issues facing native people in remote villages while being very appealing to the sports enthusiast. Mike D'Orso made me feel like I was an active participant and I could feel the visceral energy of the whole cast as the Fort Yukon Eagles fought their way to the finish of the basketball season.
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July 15, 2008 at 7:59 am · Filed under Uncategorized
Journey "inside the numbers" for an exceptional set of statistical tools and rules that can help explain the winning, or losing, ways of a basketball team. Basketball on Paper doesn’t diagram plays or explain how players get in shape, but instead demonstrates how to interpret player and team performance.
Dean Oliver highlights general strategies for teams when they’re winning or losing and what aspects should be the focus in either situation. He describes and quantifies the jobs of team leaders and role players, then discusses the interactions between players and how to achieve the best fit. Oliver conceptualizes the meaning of teamwork and how to quantify the value of different types of players working together. He examines historically successful NBA teams and identifies what made them so successful: individual talent, a system of putting players together, or good coaching.
Oliver then uses these statistical tools and case studies to evaluate the best players in history, such as Magic Johnson, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, and Charles Barkley and how they contributed to their teams’ success. He does the same for some of the NBA’s "oddball" players-Manute Bol, Muggsy Bogues, and Dennis Rodman and for the WNBA’s top players.
Basketball on Paper is unique in its incorporation of business and analytical concepts within the context of basketball to measure the value of players in a cooperative setting. Whether you’re looking for strategies or new ideas to throw out while watching the ballgame at a sports bar, Dean Oliver’sBasketball on Paper will give you amazing new insights into teamwork, coaching, and success.
Customer Review: A Valuable Tool
I have been using the formulas and ideas presented in Dean Oliver's book for the past three years. I was never a math fan, but my spreadsheets for calculating basketball statistics are the most complicated I have ever created and it was this book that started my obsession. The book inspired me with a fascination over a new way to look at the game and the players that bring it to life. Mr. Oliver's work was just a starting point and over the past few years I have added other formulas and other mathematical approaches to looking at the game, but I would not have gotten anywhere without this book. It is an essential tool in my toolbox for evaluating and enjoying the game of basketball.
Customer Review: Solid Analysis / Easy to understand
I thought it was an excellent book. The author was clearly very knowledgeable both as a basketball player and as a quantitative analyst. Probably this dual identity is also what allowed him to communicate the findings so well to non-analysts while preserving enough of the meat of the analysis for pure analysts to see where it would all lead to.
Best book on sports statistics that I've read.
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July 14, 2008 at 12:45 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
Although you can't give your players a hot shooting hand, with Basketball FundaMENTALs you can help them develop the concentration, composure, and confidence they need to play consistently better. From shooting slumps to clutch free throws, this easy-to-use book will help you and your players learn the psychological basics of basketball.
Author and Chicago-area coach Jay Mikes helps players improve their on-court performance by teaching them to develop body and mind awareness, use mental practice and imagery, and manage stress and pressure. Loaded with mental training drills, practical discussion questions, and helpful coaching tips, this invaluable guide is touted by coaches all over the country as an essential training manual.
Customer Review: GREAT TEXT FOR ALL COACHES
I originally had trouble reading this book until I went to the table of contents and read what pertained to me at that time. It even refers to other pages to reinforce the point there making.I actually have read this book completely but not in the order the chapters are in. Now I use this as an excellent reference tool and it helps me explain to the player in a more concise manner.Now the player realizes it's not all physical and he can have fun with basketball by thinking on his own.
Customer Review: Don't forget the Mental Aspect
Basketball Fundamentals is equally valuable to coaches and players of the game. This easy to read book help players and coaches understand WHY certain things happen. Why can't players afford to complain about reffing? Why can some players shoot well in practice and not in games? How can consistency be developed in players? In easy to read language, Jay Mikes not only offers answers to these question, but also solutions. This book will be required reading for my Varsity players.
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July 12, 2008 at 7:02 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
Shattering the Glass presents a sweeping chronicle of women's basketball in the U.S. Offering vivid portraits of forgotten heroes and contemporary stars, Grundy and Shackelford provide a broad perspective on the history of the sport, exploring its close relationship to concepts of womanhood, race, and sexuality, as well as efforts to expand women's economic and political rights. Extensively illustrated and based on original interviews with players, coaches, administrators, and broadcasters, this book is both an insightful historical work and an empowering story of the generations of women who have shaped women's basketball.
Customer Review: Vital Reading to Understand Why the WNBA is Great
In "Shattering the Glass," Pamela Grundy and Susan Shackelford explain how women's basketball became one of the most exciting and dynamic sports in America today. They document how the sport first became popular in the late 1800s, leading many high schools and colleges to create teams. The book contains outstanding biographical sketches of the game's early pioneers, many of whom came from rural communities, factory towns, and working class neighborhoods to attract local support to the game. The authors also describe how women's basketball was strongly embraced by black high schools and historically black colleges, long before the civil rights era, as a means to combat racism and demonstrate the courage, determination, and ability that black athletes possessed, following in the footsteps of Jesse Owens and Joe Louis.
Grundy and Shackelford do an excellent job of describing how women's sports have historically been hamstrung by presumptions about women's role in society. In the early 1900s, concerns about female frailty led many communities to ban women from playing. As time progressed and more colleges created teams, administrators feared that women's teams wouldn't bring in enough revenue, or that funding women would draw too much revenue away from men's teams. In the 1950s, rising incomes and the introduction of television loosened local community ties around the nation, forcing the women's game to evolve to appeal to a national audience. Even after Title IX was enacted in the early 1970s, the severe recession forced many colleges to reduce funding for women's programs. Over time, though, women's basketball overcome these obstacles and began to thrive.
The most fascinating parts of "Shattering the Glass" involve debates regarding the future direction that the sport should take. In 1974, a group of female physical education instructors created the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) to govern women's basketball because the NCAA had little interest in supporting it. The AIAW banned athletic scholarships because it wanted to avoid the academic and recruiting scandals that plagued the NCAA. As the AIAW built momentum and achieved success, the NCAA lobbied vigorously against federal enforcement of Title IX. However, when the women's game reached the limits of where the AIAW's limited resources could take it, many women's programs chose to make the transition to the NCAA. Grundy and Shackelford explain that while giving up on the AIAW was agonizing, many women had the foresight to see that working within the confines of the NCAA was necessary to give women's college basketball the exposure it deserved.
This debate played out again in 1996, when conditions became ripe to launch a professional women's league. Once again, women had to choose whether to create their own league and achieve success on their own terms, or to work with the established men's organization, in this case the NBA. Grundy and Shackelford explain how women who wanted to strike out on their own created the American Basketball League (ABL), which played during the winter, sponsored teams in college cities, offered relatively high player salaries, and held games in small arenas. Women who chose to work with the NBA formed the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), which played in the summer, had relatively modest salaries, played in large NBA cities, and used the NBA's large arenas. Although both leagues got off to a good start, the ABL was not able to secure the long-term television contracts and corporate sponsorship necessary to survive. The WNBA went on to become an extraordinarily success, offering exciting games while solving many of the problems that plague men's professional sports leagues.
"Shattering the Glass" is a rewarding account of how women persevered over time to make women's high school, college, and professional basketball as exciting to watch as men's. The book is strongly recommended to WNBA fans who want to learn more about how the league got to where it is today with athletes who demonstrate character and integrity, vibrant franchises in both small and large market cities, strong competitive balance among the teams, and great people working to make the league work behind the scenes. The women who paved the way for the WNBA's stars overcame extraordinary adversity to make women's basketball what it is today, and fans owe it to themselves to read this excellent book and learn more about their stories.
Customer Review: Slam-dunk celebration and tribute to women and sports
I just purchased two more copies for friends and fellow coaches ... and I'm only halfway through this mesmorizing read. I especially enjoyed the accompanying photographs beginning in the 1890s ... and the timeless, oh-so-familiar looks of intensity, confidence, and joy in the eyes of the players. My own life in sports was incomplete until I was introduced to the women's game through my own daughters. Attention Ken Burns: Here is the script for your next project. Long live Title IX!
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