What Would Yogi Do?: Guidelines for Athletes Coaches and Parents Who Love Sports

Numerous books have been written about Yogis life and exploits on the field. The purpose of this book is not to recount Yogis playing career. Rather the goal is to provide specific guidelines for athletes coaches and parents which emanate from Yogis core beliefs - beliefs that grew out of a time when we werent reading about showboating pampered athletes abusive unethical coaches and overzealous over-indulgent parents - so that the benefits of amateur sports can be maximized. We cant change todays culture its pace too fast its reach too global. However we can and must change the culture of sports at least on the amateur level. To do so will require cooperation among athletes coaches and parents. This book divided into three sections is filled with specific suggestions for each part of the sports triumvirate to get us back on track. It is not meant to be read selectively by section but rather in total so that everyone has the same information. For too long athletes coaches and parents have been spoken to or targeted in writing as separate entities. My goal is to get them on the same page literally. By pointing out common threads running through their respective experiences my hope is that everyone will have a better understanding of the necessary alliances that need to be formed. It strikes me that relationships among the three parties have become increasingly adversarial so much so that many coaches good ones are walking away from the profession they once cherished because they dont feel its worth the hassle. Playing time once regarded as something to be earned has come to be regarded as an entitlement and the battle lines have been drawn. Weve lost the sense that were all in this together. The outcome has become much more important than the process. External forces-the skyrocketing cost of a college education the saturation of sports on TV sports talk radio and internet blogs and social media - have eroded the once highly respected relationship between an athlete his/her coach and his/her parents. That distresses Yogi and it distresses me as well. Thats why I wrote this book.