7 Keys To Being A Great Coach: Become Your Best and They Will Too

I’m a big fan of the author and his work. I follow him of twitter and Listen to his podcasts. I already own “Champion minded” book that I actually won in a competition. This lead me to buying this book. It is easy to read and has plenty of useful tips about being a better coach, but most importantly being a better person. Very helpful in setting personal and team standards. The book has helped me in my day to day activities on and off the field.

On reading this book you can see why Alistair McCaw is a successful coach. He has the wonderful ability to keep the potentially complex art of coaching very simple and communicate his methods with clarity. As the cover indicates, this book is not about the X's & O's of coaching. It's about the nuts & bolts - the philosophy, standards and beliefs - that are behind any successful coach. The book is not sport-specific and is therefore adaptable to a wide range of coaching situations. Alistair's writing reflects one of his 7 coaching keys - the importance of the fundamentals. Hence, this is an easy, non-complicated read, but one that is filled with gem after gem of coaching wisdom, all communicated with energy and passion. I often found myself nodding in agreement with McCaw and quoting from the book to others. Allistair has a clear vision of the coach he is and the coach he wants to be. He enthusiastically encourages others to do the same. He outlines his standards, beliefs and methods but does not preach them. Rather, the reader is encouraged to discover and articulate their own. This book will make you more aware of who you are as a coach. It will help form a clearer picture of the coach that you want to be and inspire in you some actions that will hopefully get you there. As a coach, whether you are experienced, a beginner or somewhere in-between, this book will provide you with inspiration, clarity and direction. I highly recommend this book to all sports coaches.

7 Keys is a must read for coaches young or old and everywhere in between! Not only will it provide coaches with "keys" to unlocking their own performance as leaders and mentors in the world of performance, it will also provide them with the tools needed to develop athletes on every level. This book is part of our required reading for my staff at the performance facility I own in VT and I highly recommend that other business owners in this industry do the same. We cannot lose sight of what is most important in the development of athletes both in sport and in life and the 7 Keys helps right the ship on this front. The 7 Keys is the coaches bible when it comes to the development of athletes, thank you Allistair!

Whether you are a new coach looking to improve your craft, or an experience coach looking for new techniques to stay on top of your game, this book has something for everyone. This book reinforced some of my coaching philosophies and also challenged me to look at other things differently. I know after reading this book and implementing some of the ideas, I will be a much stronger coach and will have a better working relationship with all my athletes. Thank you for writing such a comprehensive book, Allistair!

I highly recommend this excellent book by a truly professional performance coach. Whether you are a coach at the beginning of the journey in sport or (like me) an experienced professional coach of many years, this is a thorough resource for us all. Anyone aspiring to be a great coach, should be an eternal student. With 25 years experience in the field I am always learning and I am humble enough to say that I learned a great deal from this book. It also consolidates what experienced coaches may consciously/subconsciously already think or do. This is also a clever skill from the author because engaging 'beginners' is one thing but to engage the experienced is another. Rarely, do I find a book from a coach with the foresight to look outside the box and tackle the less obvious but absolutely necessary traits and habits that a top coach should have in their armoury. A great motivational read from a man who also 'walks the walk' in his professional life!

Allistairs book really inspired me, my way of thinking and pushed me further in trying to get better at what I do each day. His book is informative and easy to read. It offers the reader many great examples and stories of his life, work experience and from those of other professionals in the industry, let it be standards, habits, work ethic or traits of great coaches. What I really like about his book is the multitude of messages on a variety of topics he gives the reader.I highly recommend getting this book to everybody irrespective of the kind of sport and experience. For me personally the book helped me figuring out the reasons why I really coach and what has a real impact on the athletes when it comes to coaching.“It all starts with your standards.” Thank you very much Allistair.Ludwig

This book is a must-read for any coach or trainer, no matter how long you've been in the industry. Coach McCaw breaks down the 7 Keys into easily digestible sections and provides great insight about his own experiences. The text really makes you think about your own coaching methods, style, and philosophy in order to be the best possible resource and role model for your clients. I have already been able to apply so much of this information to my own personal development and highly recommend this book!

A must read for ALL sports coaches, leaders and teachers, the book is full of fantastic information that WILL improve you as a coach, young or old, experienced or new to the role. It keeps things clear and simple without any specific sports coaching 'jargon', explaining in terms that enthuse and inspire the reader to want to develop themselves and the players they work with. Even if you only take one thing from the book it will make you look at your coaching from a new perspective and will improve your coaching. Any sports coach, teacher or leader that's wants to take themselves to the next level will not go far wrong by purchasing this text.

Allistair McCaw doesn't baffle with science, or hide behind jargon & the latest fad. He's produced a simple, straight forward, honest book with a single purpose - to make the you better. That could be a better coach, a better performer, or just a better human being. It's all about setting high standards & achieving them. Learning the fundamentals & nailing them - not once, but every time. And constantly asking why.If unsure, do what I did first & follow Allister on Twitter (@allistairmccaw) - see how you go.As a wise man once said: "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough". Well, it doesn't get simpler, or better explained than this, so Amen to that.

This book provided detailed insight into the key attributes of coaches. It was easy to follow and provided simple guidance on what to focus on when developing people and players. Whether a novice or an experienced coach this book will help take your coaching forward.

After buying Champion minded: Achieving Excellence in sport book for my husband, I got this book for him for Fathers day and yet again, Alistair's advice is brilliant. Hubby loved it! Thank you for such great inspirational and for sharing it with us all.

A collection from other books

Highly recommend this book. Lots of great insight into how to improve as a coach, it gets you to self reflect and helps you push on your own coaching development. If you want to be able to help your players, then this is the book you need!