InSideOut Coaching: How Sports Can Transform Lives

This is a fantastic book that every youth coach, and parent of a young athlete / student athlete should read or listen to.

I have not finished the book yet, about 20 pages to completion. I can tell you the beginning of this book is painfully difficult to read. A horrifying event in his life that could have taken him down some dark paths.I appreciate the absolute candor and honesty, albeit, sometimes just as painful (from the heart) to read. But you have to read it to fully appreciate what is being shared. To reach the conclusions he has come to, were found through pain and despair. An aha moment that lead him down a forward path, and teachable moments.This book IS NOT for the first time coach, it is for ALL coaches especially for those with the win at all cost attitudes. It is a book about redefining the relationship between Coaches and young Athletes. It is about why you coach. It is a challenge to you to ask yourself, why?It is a challenge to you to be a selfless Coach, to be a teacher of good character. Your job as a coach goes beyond just winning a game, your job as a coach is to help create healthy adults. Some would say, that is not my job. But if these kids are your responsibility for any time, 1,2,3 hours per week, yes it is your job.I am not going to say that I agree with everything Joe says and that this book is now a core strategy for me. But much like the The Matheny Manifesto: A Young Manager's Old-School Views on Success in Sports and Life, there is a great deal that I can take away from this book. 2 different people, 2 different upbringings, arriving at some of the same conclusions.Both great books for different reasons, and I highly recommend them both. If you are looking for books that tell you how to dictate sports on the field, these books are not for you. If you are looking for personal growth as a coach, these books are for you.

It was exactly what was promoted!

If you coach, have thought about coaching, or ever might coach ... you must read this book! Ehrmann is the authority on transformational coaching in purpose-based sports. Ehrmann asks reads four questions every coach, leader, and/or educator must be able to answer about relationships and our impact on others ... reflective questions we must all consider (I won't give them away here ... you really need to get a copy of InSideOut Coaching!). Ehrmann tells captivating stories as he shares invaluable wisdom that changed my life for the better and I am confident it will do the same for you!

Joe lays out his life and shares with great candor the obstacles he faced in life and how coaching, on and off the field can put coaches in a tremendously powerful position of positive influence. A "shot in the arm" for thosein coaching who already "get-it" and id say a must read for new or aspiring coaches on the ball field or board room.Chet LSPBA.com

Every once and a while, we discover something of lasting value that changes who we are and what we want to accomplish while we're here. This book has that ability... it helps us change how we view sports in America. It has the potential to build character in individual people, who then use their skills to build the communities they live in, which improves the country we love, and leads to a better world. There are several important elements within the pages of the book, including contracts between coaches, between athletes, and between parents. These agreements outline what each group expects of their peers...the standards we should hold each other to if we want to see children become better men and women. It offers great support to those coaches who view their job as to transform the lives of the athletes they work with...to prepare them for success in life, not just during a game on a Friday night. Coaches have the unique opportunity to shape the future of our country and those who practice transformational coaching (fully described in the book) need to be encouraged. This is one of the most important books on my shelf.

I learned more in one season playing with Joe than in my other 20 years of football combined. He is the best coach, by far, I have ever met.I just wish I could have met him a decade earlier.This book is much more than a coaching manual. It is a guide to building authentic, intimate relationships, and I strongly recommend it to anyone.Great job, Joe, and thanks for changing my life! Kevin

I've been a football coach for over 10 years and a manager for over 35 years. I've attended conferences and read many books on motivation, inspiration, management and coaching styles. To determine whether I was more transactional or transformational I took a self evaluation. I discovered that I was slightly more transformational. I decided to put both methods to the test. I used transactional methods on one group of employees and transformational methods on another. The results were noticeably different. In only a week I was able to get better performance results out of the employees I used the transformational methods. Since then I've been practicing transformational coaching every chance I get. I'm seeing improved results in my players and employees. Is this the Holy Grail of coaching/leadership methods? No, but it works. Give it a try!