Author: Kevin Sivils
Publisher: Dog Ear Publishing
ISBN: 1608440451
Category : Basketball
Languages : en
Pages : 126
Book Description
Game Strategy and Tactics for Basketball: Preparing to Win the Sideline Battles is both a how-to book and a guide for how to plan strategy and tactics for basketball for an entire season or an individual game. Coaches often focus on X's and O's and overlook how and when a particular offense or defense should be applied and used during a game. Game Strategy and Tactics for Basketball: Preparing to Win the Sideline Battles serves as a planning guide and a master checklist for all the possible situations that a coach will face during a season. The book includes both traditional and some "out-of-the-box" strategies to the common situations that coaches face and provides both the pros and the cons of the approaches described. It is not the author's intention to tell each coach exactly what to do, but to serve as a guide in the decision making process. About the author: A 24 year veteran of the coaching profession, with twenty-two of those years spent as a varsity head coach, Coach Kevin Sivils amassed 464 wins and his teams earned berths in the state playoffs 19 out of 22 seasons with his teams advancing to the state semi-finals three times. An eight time Coach of the Year Award winner, Coach Sivils has traveled as far as the Central African Republic to conduct coaching clinics. Coach Sivils first coaching stint was as an assistant coach for his college alma mater, Greenville College, located in Greenville, Illinois. His teams were always known for their discipline, intense effort, execution of fundamentals, and team play. Coach Sivils is also the owner of KCS Basketball Enterprises, LLC, an enterprise focused on providing coaches with information to improve their knowledge of the game of basketball and their ability to coach. "If you have been looking for a rigorously thorough handbook on basketball tactics and strategy, you have found it " Coach Doug Porter - Head Women's Coach, Olivet Nazarene University National Scoring leaders: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Champions: 2000, 2005, 2007 "His thought provoking approach makes for an easy read and will definitely stimulate thought and, most likely, change the way you go about coaching " Rusty Rogers - Two time NAIA Division II Women's National Championship Coach and Two time NAIA National Coach of the Year "Coach Sivils clearly brings his experience in the game of basketball to his writing. He is a great teacher who acquired great gifts over the years and it's great he wants to share those gifts with other coaches." Bill Reidy - Long time successful high school and AAU coach
Game Strategies and Tactics for Basketball
Author: Kevin Sivils
Publisher: Dog Ear Publishing
ISBN: 1608440451
Category : Basketball
Languages : en
Pages : 126
Book Description
Game Strategy and Tactics for Basketball: Preparing to Win the Sideline Battles is both a how-to book and a guide for how to plan strategy and tactics for basketball for an entire season or an individual game. Coaches often focus on X's and O's and overlook how and when a particular offense or defense should be applied and used during a game. Game Strategy and Tactics for Basketball: Preparing to Win the Sideline Battles serves as a planning guide and a master checklist for all the possible situations that a coach will face during a season. The book includes both traditional and some "out-of-the-box" strategies to the common situations that coaches face and provides both the pros and the cons of the approaches described. It is not the author's intention to tell each coach exactly what to do, but to serve as a guide in the decision making process. About the author: A 24 year veteran of the coaching profession, with twenty-two of those years spent as a varsity head coach, Coach Kevin Sivils amassed 464 wins and his teams earned berths in the state playoffs 19 out of 22 seasons with his teams advancing to the state semi-finals three times. An eight time Coach of the Year Award winner, Coach Sivils has traveled as far as the Central African Republic to conduct coaching clinics. Coach Sivils first coaching stint was as an assistant coach for his college alma mater, Greenville College, located in Greenville, Illinois. His teams were always known for their discipline, intense effort, execution of fundamentals, and team play. Coach Sivils is also the owner of KCS Basketball Enterprises, LLC, an enterprise focused on providing coaches with information to improve their knowledge of the game of basketball and their ability to coach. "If you have been looking for a rigorously thorough handbook on basketball tactics and strategy, you have found it " Coach Doug Porter - Head Women's Coach, Olivet Nazarene University National Scoring leaders: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Champions: 2000, 2005, 2007 "His thought provoking approach makes for an easy read and will definitely stimulate thought and, most likely, change the way you go about coaching " Rusty Rogers - Two time NAIA Division II Women's National Championship Coach and Two time NAIA National Coach of the Year "Coach Sivils clearly brings his experience in the game of basketball to his writing. He is a great teacher who acquired great gifts over the years and it's great he wants to share those gifts with other coaches." Bill Reidy - Long time successful high school and AAU coach
Publisher: Dog Ear Publishing
ISBN: 1608440451
Category : Basketball
Languages : en
Pages : 126
Book Description
Game Strategy and Tactics for Basketball: Preparing to Win the Sideline Battles is both a how-to book and a guide for how to plan strategy and tactics for basketball for an entire season or an individual game. Coaches often focus on X's and O's and overlook how and when a particular offense or defense should be applied and used during a game. Game Strategy and Tactics for Basketball: Preparing to Win the Sideline Battles serves as a planning guide and a master checklist for all the possible situations that a coach will face during a season. The book includes both traditional and some "out-of-the-box" strategies to the common situations that coaches face and provides both the pros and the cons of the approaches described. It is not the author's intention to tell each coach exactly what to do, but to serve as a guide in the decision making process. About the author: A 24 year veteran of the coaching profession, with twenty-two of those years spent as a varsity head coach, Coach Kevin Sivils amassed 464 wins and his teams earned berths in the state playoffs 19 out of 22 seasons with his teams advancing to the state semi-finals three times. An eight time Coach of the Year Award winner, Coach Sivils has traveled as far as the Central African Republic to conduct coaching clinics. Coach Sivils first coaching stint was as an assistant coach for his college alma mater, Greenville College, located in Greenville, Illinois. His teams were always known for their discipline, intense effort, execution of fundamentals, and team play. Coach Sivils is also the owner of KCS Basketball Enterprises, LLC, an enterprise focused on providing coaches with information to improve their knowledge of the game of basketball and their ability to coach. "If you have been looking for a rigorously thorough handbook on basketball tactics and strategy, you have found it " Coach Doug Porter - Head Women's Coach, Olivet Nazarene University National Scoring leaders: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Champions: 2000, 2005, 2007 "His thought provoking approach makes for an easy read and will definitely stimulate thought and, most likely, change the way you go about coaching " Rusty Rogers - Two time NAIA Division II Women's National Championship Coach and Two time NAIA National Coach of the Year "Coach Sivils clearly brings his experience in the game of basketball to his writing. He is a great teacher who acquired great gifts over the years and it's great he wants to share those gifts with other coaches." Bill Reidy - Long time successful high school and AAU coach
Basketball Drills, Plays and Strategies
Author: Clint Adkins
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1558708103
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 306
Book Description
The Only Resource You Need for a Standout Season All basketball coaches can use some fresh ideas for practice drills, game plays and strategies. Whether you are coaching beginners who need a place to start, or a successful team that just needs polish, Basketball Drills, Plays, and Strategies is a resource you can trust to produce positive results on the court. With over 160 drills and plays, this book covers every aspect of your season. It will help you run efficient and effective practices and improve your game in live competition. Step-by-step instructions, accompanied by diagrams and illustrations walk you and your players through every step of the way. Areas of the game that are covered in detail include: • Fundamental skills like dribbling, shooting, passing, and rebounding • Offense and defense • Inbound and tip-off plays • Presses and press breaks • Conditioning drills Because each drill and play includes adjustments to make things easier for beginners and more difficult for advanced players, you will be able to rely on this resource throughout your coaching career no matter what level you are working with. So don't let time run out—start preparing for your next season today!
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1558708103
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 306
Book Description
The Only Resource You Need for a Standout Season All basketball coaches can use some fresh ideas for practice drills, game plays and strategies. Whether you are coaching beginners who need a place to start, or a successful team that just needs polish, Basketball Drills, Plays, and Strategies is a resource you can trust to produce positive results on the court. With over 160 drills and plays, this book covers every aspect of your season. It will help you run efficient and effective practices and improve your game in live competition. Step-by-step instructions, accompanied by diagrams and illustrations walk you and your players through every step of the way. Areas of the game that are covered in detail include: • Fundamental skills like dribbling, shooting, passing, and rebounding • Offense and defense • Inbound and tip-off plays • Presses and press breaks • Conditioning drills Because each drill and play includes adjustments to make things easier for beginners and more difficult for advanced players, you will be able to rely on this resource throughout your coaching career no matter what level you are working with. So don't let time run out—start preparing for your next season today!
Shooting from the Outside
Author: Tara Vanderveer
Publisher: Harper Perennial
ISBN: 9780380794980
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 259
Book Description
A portrait of the three-time National Coach of the Year winner includes a chronicle of VanDerveer's rise as a coach of women's basketball, and her work with twelve unique women athletes
Publisher: Harper Perennial
ISBN: 9780380794980
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 259
Book Description
A portrait of the three-time National Coach of the Year winner includes a chronicle of VanDerveer's rise as a coach of women's basketball, and her work with twelve unique women athletes
Geno
Author: Geno Auriemma
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
ISBN: 044655491X
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 199
Book Description
Controversial, confrontational, and driven, Coach Geno Auriemma is a force to be reckoned with -- and the most accomplished male coach in women's basketball today. In his relentless quest for excellence at the University of Connecticut, he has led the Huskies to five national championships. Yet his soul never rests. For Auriemma, life affords only the briefest moments of happiness -- a good round of golf, forty minutes of great basketball, a day at the beach with his family, a nice glass of wine -- while disaster is seemingly always waiting to strike. It's a fatalistic philosophy, a remnant of his hardscrabble early years, but it's an outlook that has driven him to unparalleled success. In this deeply personal memoir, Geno Auriemma reveals for the first time the man behind the legend. He talks candidly about his coaching style, famed for being one of the most demanding in all the sports world. He spills the beans about his stormy dealings with other coaches such as his archrival, Pat Summitt, of the University of Tennessee. And with warmth and a genuine love for his champions, he writes openly about Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, Nykesha Sales, Rebecca Lobo, Swin Cash, and all of his other UConn stars who have gone on to stellar WNBA careers. You get a courtside seat to all of the action -- including an epilogue on the 2004-05 season, as well as interviews with the team's most celebrated players. A rare look inside the soul of a true competitor, GENO is the story of how one passionate man overcame his own fears to achieve an extraordinary record of success.
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
ISBN: 044655491X
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 199
Book Description
Controversial, confrontational, and driven, Coach Geno Auriemma is a force to be reckoned with -- and the most accomplished male coach in women's basketball today. In his relentless quest for excellence at the University of Connecticut, he has led the Huskies to five national championships. Yet his soul never rests. For Auriemma, life affords only the briefest moments of happiness -- a good round of golf, forty minutes of great basketball, a day at the beach with his family, a nice glass of wine -- while disaster is seemingly always waiting to strike. It's a fatalistic philosophy, a remnant of his hardscrabble early years, but it's an outlook that has driven him to unparalleled success. In this deeply personal memoir, Geno Auriemma reveals for the first time the man behind the legend. He talks candidly about his coaching style, famed for being one of the most demanding in all the sports world. He spills the beans about his stormy dealings with other coaches such as his archrival, Pat Summitt, of the University of Tennessee. And with warmth and a genuine love for his champions, he writes openly about Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, Nykesha Sales, Rebecca Lobo, Swin Cash, and all of his other UConn stars who have gone on to stellar WNBA careers. You get a courtside seat to all of the action -- including an epilogue on the 2004-05 season, as well as interviews with the team's most celebrated players. A rare look inside the soul of a true competitor, GENO is the story of how one passionate man overcame his own fears to achieve an extraordinary record of success.
How Lucky You Can be
Author: Buster Olney
Publisher: Espn Books
ISBN: 034552411X
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 224
Book Description
Relates the story of college basketball coach Don Meyer, who struggled through a car accident that left him an amputee and a bout with cancer, and went on to set a record for all-time wins by an NCAA basketball coach.
Publisher: Espn Books
ISBN: 034552411X
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 224
Book Description
Relates the story of college basketball coach Don Meyer, who struggled through a car accident that left him an amputee and a bout with cancer, and went on to set a record for all-time wins by an NCAA basketball coach.
Tears of a Tiger
Author: Sharon M. Draper
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1442489138
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 25
Book Description
The death of high school basketball star Rob Washington in an automobile accident affects the lives of his close friend Andy, who was driving the car, and many others in the school.
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1442489138
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 25
Book Description
The death of high school basketball star Rob Washington in an automobile accident affects the lives of his close friend Andy, who was driving the car, and many others in the school.
Eleven Rings
Author: Phil Jackson
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1101617969
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 390
Book Description
"Through candor and comprehensiveness, Jackson writes a convincing revisionist take, in which he emerges as an excellent coach . . . highly readable . . . reflects Jackson’s polymathy." —The New York Times Book Review "Part sports memoir, part New Age spirit quest, part pseudo-management tract . . . But the primary thing with Jackson—as with all the old bards, who were also known for repeating themselves—is the voice." —Sam Anderson, The New York Times Magazine A New York Times Bestseller The inside story of one of basketball's most legendary and game-changing figures During his storied career as head coach of the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson won more championships than any coach in the history of professional sports. Even more important, he succeeded in never wavering from coaching his way, from a place of deep values. Jackson was tagged as the “Zen master” half in jest by sportswriters, but the nickname speaks to an important truth: this is a coach who inspired, not goaded; who led by awakening and challenging the better angels of his players’ nature, not their egos, fear, or greed. This is the story of a preacher’s kid from North Dakota who grew up to be one of the most innovative leaders of our time. In his quest to reinvent himself, Jackson explored everything from humanistic psychology and Native American philosophy to Zen meditation. In the process, he developed a new approach to leadership based on freedom, authenticity, and selfless teamwork that turned the hypercompetitive world of professional sports on its head. In Eleven Rings, Jackson candidly describes how he: • Learned the secrets of mindfulness and team chemistry while playing for the champion New York Knicks in the 1970s • Managed Michael Jordan, the greatest player in the world, and got him to embrace selflessness, even if it meant losing a scoring title • Forged successful teams out of players of varying abilities by getting them to trust one another and perform in sync • Inspired Dennis Rodman and other “uncoachable” personalities to devote themselves to something larger than themselves • Transformed Kobe Bryant from a rebellious teenager into a mature leader of a championship team. Eleven times, Jackson led his teams to the ultimate goal: the NBA championship—six times with the Chicago Bulls and five times with the Los Angeles Lakers. We all know the legendary stars on those teams, or think we do. What Eleven Rings shows us, however, is that when it comes to the most important lessons, we don’t know very much at all. This book is full of revelations: about fascinating personalities and their drive to win; about the wellsprings of motivation and competition at the highest levels; and about what it takes to bring out the best in ourselves and others.
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1101617969
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 390
Book Description
"Through candor and comprehensiveness, Jackson writes a convincing revisionist take, in which he emerges as an excellent coach . . . highly readable . . . reflects Jackson’s polymathy." —The New York Times Book Review "Part sports memoir, part New Age spirit quest, part pseudo-management tract . . . But the primary thing with Jackson—as with all the old bards, who were also known for repeating themselves—is the voice." —Sam Anderson, The New York Times Magazine A New York Times Bestseller The inside story of one of basketball's most legendary and game-changing figures During his storied career as head coach of the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson won more championships than any coach in the history of professional sports. Even more important, he succeeded in never wavering from coaching his way, from a place of deep values. Jackson was tagged as the “Zen master” half in jest by sportswriters, but the nickname speaks to an important truth: this is a coach who inspired, not goaded; who led by awakening and challenging the better angels of his players’ nature, not their egos, fear, or greed. This is the story of a preacher’s kid from North Dakota who grew up to be one of the most innovative leaders of our time. In his quest to reinvent himself, Jackson explored everything from humanistic psychology and Native American philosophy to Zen meditation. In the process, he developed a new approach to leadership based on freedom, authenticity, and selfless teamwork that turned the hypercompetitive world of professional sports on its head. In Eleven Rings, Jackson candidly describes how he: • Learned the secrets of mindfulness and team chemistry while playing for the champion New York Knicks in the 1970s • Managed Michael Jordan, the greatest player in the world, and got him to embrace selflessness, even if it meant losing a scoring title • Forged successful teams out of players of varying abilities by getting them to trust one another and perform in sync • Inspired Dennis Rodman and other “uncoachable” personalities to devote themselves to something larger than themselves • Transformed Kobe Bryant from a rebellious teenager into a mature leader of a championship team. Eleven times, Jackson led his teams to the ultimate goal: the NBA championship—six times with the Chicago Bulls and five times with the Los Angeles Lakers. We all know the legendary stars on those teams, or think we do. What Eleven Rings shows us, however, is that when it comes to the most important lessons, we don’t know very much at all. This book is full of revelations: about fascinating personalities and their drive to win; about the wellsprings of motivation and competition at the highest levels; and about what it takes to bring out the best in ourselves and others.
Entries from a Hot Pink Notebook
Author: Todd D. Brown
Publisher: Washington Square Press
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 322
Book Description
The trials of growing up a homosexual in a straight society. The protagonist is Ben Smith, 14, who falls in love with another boy with whom he publishes a school paper. Trouble starts when someone photographs them kissing. A first novel.
Publisher: Washington Square Press
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 322
Book Description
The trials of growing up a homosexual in a straight society. The protagonist is Ben Smith, 14, who falls in love with another boy with whom he publishes a school paper. Trouble starts when someone photographs them kissing. A first novel.
How To Coach Girls’ High School Basketball
Author: HowExpert
Publisher: HowExpert
ISBN: 164758762X
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 52
Book Description
Learn how to coach high school girls’ basketball from an expert. Author Shane Reinhard majored in education with a double minor in coaching and physical education. In addition to his teaching background, he has real life experience coaching girls' basketball at the high school level. How to Coach Girls’ High School Basketball goes beyond the expected facets of high school sports coaching – the teaching of rules, skills, and strategy – and discusses the finer points of managing the most important resource on your team: the people. How to Coach Girls’ High School Basketball discusses improving basketball skill development with your team, including ball handling, shooting, defense, and strategy. You’ll learn the importance of encouraging bonding with your team, and why discouraging negative hierarchies among your team members will benefit the whole team. This comprehensive book will help you choose your coaching staff, and to realize the importance of the school administration and your players’ parents to your team. Additionally, you will learn how to set appropriate expectations for your team, including the value of creating covenants with your team, coaches, and parents. Other topics covered in this book include: • Illuminates the positive and negative realities of coaching girls’ basketball at the high school level. • Talks about how your team should spend time not just on the court, but off court together, too. • Reiterates trust in a team dynamic to create healthy relationships amongst your players, staff, etc. • Communicates the significance of staying consistent with all your players, if problems ever arise. • Recommends that coaches look at all angles when dealing with issues involving the team. • Gives ideas for how to deal with confrontation. • Describes the importance of constant learning as a coach. • Illustrates the impact you could have as a coach teaching life lessons to your team. About the Expert Shane Reinhard graduated from Weber State University with a B.A. in Education, majoring in English and dual minoring in Physical Education and Coaching. Since 2011, Shane has been teaching and coaching at Saint Joseph Catholic High School. During his time, Shane has coached girls’ tennis and girls’ basketball translating into 6 Region Titles and 3 State Championships. Shane resides in Riverdale, UT with his wife, Kirsten, their daughter, Lilian, and their Yellow Lab, Minne. HowExpert publishes quick 'how to' guides on all topics from A to Z by everyday experts.
Publisher: HowExpert
ISBN: 164758762X
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 52
Book Description
Learn how to coach high school girls’ basketball from an expert. Author Shane Reinhard majored in education with a double minor in coaching and physical education. In addition to his teaching background, he has real life experience coaching girls' basketball at the high school level. How to Coach Girls’ High School Basketball goes beyond the expected facets of high school sports coaching – the teaching of rules, skills, and strategy – and discusses the finer points of managing the most important resource on your team: the people. How to Coach Girls’ High School Basketball discusses improving basketball skill development with your team, including ball handling, shooting, defense, and strategy. You’ll learn the importance of encouraging bonding with your team, and why discouraging negative hierarchies among your team members will benefit the whole team. This comprehensive book will help you choose your coaching staff, and to realize the importance of the school administration and your players’ parents to your team. Additionally, you will learn how to set appropriate expectations for your team, including the value of creating covenants with your team, coaches, and parents. Other topics covered in this book include: • Illuminates the positive and negative realities of coaching girls’ basketball at the high school level. • Talks about how your team should spend time not just on the court, but off court together, too. • Reiterates trust in a team dynamic to create healthy relationships amongst your players, staff, etc. • Communicates the significance of staying consistent with all your players, if problems ever arise. • Recommends that coaches look at all angles when dealing with issues involving the team. • Gives ideas for how to deal with confrontation. • Describes the importance of constant learning as a coach. • Illustrates the impact you could have as a coach teaching life lessons to your team. About the Expert Shane Reinhard graduated from Weber State University with a B.A. in Education, majoring in English and dual minoring in Physical Education and Coaching. Since 2011, Shane has been teaching and coaching at Saint Joseph Catholic High School. During his time, Shane has coached girls’ tennis and girls’ basketball translating into 6 Region Titles and 3 State Championships. Shane resides in Riverdale, UT with his wife, Kirsten, their daughter, Lilian, and their Yellow Lab, Minne. HowExpert publishes quick 'how to' guides on all topics from A to Z by everyday experts.
I Came As a Shadow
Author: John Thompson
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company
ISBN: 1250619343
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 352
Book Description
A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK The long-awaited autobiography from Georgetown University’s legendary coach, whose life on and off the basketball court threw America’s unresolved struggle with racial justice into sharp relief. John Thompson was never just a basketball coach and I Came As A Shadow is categorically not just a basketball autobiography. After five decades at the center of race and sports in America, Thompson—the iconic NCAA champion, Black activist, and educator—was ready to make the private public at last, and he completed this autobiography shortly before his death in the historically tumultuous summer of 2020. Chockful of stories and moving beyond mere stats (three Final Fours, four-time national coach of the year, seven Big East championships, 97 percent graduation rate), Thompson’s book drives us through his childhood under Jim Crow segregation to our current moment of racial reckoning. We experience riding shotgun with Celtics icon Red Auerbach and coaching NBA Hall of Famers like Patrick Ewing and Allen Iverson. What were the origins of the the phrase “Hoya Paranoia”? You’ll see. And parting his veil of secrecy, Thompson brings us into his negotiation with a D.C. drug kingpin in his players’ orbit in the 1980s, as well as behind the scenes of his years on the Nike board. Thompson’s mother was a teacher who had to clean houses because of racism in the nation's capital. His father could not read or write. Their son grew up to be a man with his own larger-than-life statue in a building that bears his family’s name on a campus once kept afloat by the selling of 272 enslaved Black people. This is a great American story, and John Thompson’s experience sheds light on many of the issues roiling our nation. In these pages, he proves himself to be the elder statesman whose final words college basketball and the country need to hear. I Came As A Shadow is not a swan song, but a bullhorn blast from one of America’s most prominent sons.
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company
ISBN: 1250619343
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 352
Book Description
A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK The long-awaited autobiography from Georgetown University’s legendary coach, whose life on and off the basketball court threw America’s unresolved struggle with racial justice into sharp relief. John Thompson was never just a basketball coach and I Came As A Shadow is categorically not just a basketball autobiography. After five decades at the center of race and sports in America, Thompson—the iconic NCAA champion, Black activist, and educator—was ready to make the private public at last, and he completed this autobiography shortly before his death in the historically tumultuous summer of 2020. Chockful of stories and moving beyond mere stats (three Final Fours, four-time national coach of the year, seven Big East championships, 97 percent graduation rate), Thompson’s book drives us through his childhood under Jim Crow segregation to our current moment of racial reckoning. We experience riding shotgun with Celtics icon Red Auerbach and coaching NBA Hall of Famers like Patrick Ewing and Allen Iverson. What were the origins of the the phrase “Hoya Paranoia”? You’ll see. And parting his veil of secrecy, Thompson brings us into his negotiation with a D.C. drug kingpin in his players’ orbit in the 1980s, as well as behind the scenes of his years on the Nike board. Thompson’s mother was a teacher who had to clean houses because of racism in the nation's capital. His father could not read or write. Their son grew up to be a man with his own larger-than-life statue in a building that bears his family’s name on a campus once kept afloat by the selling of 272 enslaved Black people. This is a great American story, and John Thompson’s experience sheds light on many of the issues roiling our nation. In these pages, he proves himself to be the elder statesman whose final words college basketball and the country need to hear. I Came As A Shadow is not a swan song, but a bullhorn blast from one of America’s most prominent sons.