Marc Brown's chapter book series starring Arthur continues as he and his friends try to adjust to having a new soccer coach. Illustrations.

Arthur adjusts to a new soccer coach. Arthur Good Sports.

Arthur adjusts to a new soccer coach

"I know that I'll be evaluated in Seattle with wins and losses, as that is the nature of my profession for the last thirty-five years. But our record will not be what motivates me. Years ago I was asked, 'Pete, which is better: winning or competing?' My response was instantaneous: 'Competing. . . because it lasts longer.'" Pete Carroll is one of the most successful coaches in football today. As the head coach at USC, he brought the Trojans back to national prominence, amassing a 97-19 record over nine seasons. Now he shares the championship-winning philosophy that led USC to seven straight Pac-10 titles. This same mind-set and culture will shape his program as he returns to the NFL to coach the Seattle Seahawks. Carroll developed his unique coaching style by trial and error over his career. He learned that you get better results by teaching instead of screaming, and by helping players grow as people, not just on the field. He learned that an upbeat, energetic atmosphere in the locker room can coexist with an unstoppable competitive drive. He learned why you should stop worrying about your opponents, why you should always act as if the whole world is watching, and many other contrarian insights. Carroll shows us how the Win Forever philosophy really works, both in NCAA Division I competition and in the NFL. He reveals how his recruiting strategies, training routines, and game-day rituals preserve a team's culture year after year, during championship seasons and disappointing seasons alike. Win Forever is about more than winning football games; it's about maximizing your potential in every aspect of your life. Carroll has taught business leaders facing tough challenges. He has helped troubled kids on the streets of Los Angeles through his foundation A Better LA. His words are true in any situation: "If you want to win forever, always compete."

His description of a systematic, detailed training program for beginners and top-runners is based on a clear defined conception of fitness. Beside detailed schedules for the training, the book includes tips concerning equipment and outfit, nutrition, prevention of injury, therapy and the relationship between the coach and the athlete. Furthermore ......

A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK A “thoroughly captivating biography” (The San Francisco Chronicle) of American icon Arthur Ashe—the Jackie Robinson of men’s tennis—a pioneering athlete who, after breaking the color barrier, went on to become an influential civil rights activist and public intellectual. Born in Richmond, Virginia, in 1943, by the age of eleven, Arthur Ashe was one of the state’s most talented black tennis players. He became the first African American to play for the US Davis Cup team in 1963, and two years later he won the NCAA singles championship. In 1968, he rose to a number one national ranking. Turning professional in 1969, he soon became one of the world’s most successful tennis stars, winning the Australian Open in 1970 and Wimbledon in 1975. After retiring in 1980, he served four years as the US Davis Cup captain and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1985. In this “deep, detailed, thoughtful chronicle” (The New York Times Book Review), Raymond Arsenault chronicles Ashe’s rise to stardom on the court. But much of the book explores his off-court career as a human rights activist, philanthropist, broadcaster, writer, businessman, and celebrity. In the 1970s and 1980s, Ashe gained renown as an advocate for sportsmanship, education, racial equality, and the elimination of apartheid in South Africa. But from 1979 on, he was forced to deal with a serious heart condition that led to multiple surgeries and blood transfusions, one of which left him HIV-positive. After devoting the last ten months of his life to AIDS activism, Ashe died in February 1993 at the age of forty-nine, leaving an inspiring legacy of dignity, integrity, and active citizenship. Based on prodigious research, including more than one hundred interviews, Arthur Ashe puts Ashe in the context of both his time and the long struggle of African-American athletes seeking equal opportunity and respect, and “will serve as the standard work on Ashe for some time” (Library Journal, starred review).

All Sophie wants is to forget what happened last summer. But that’s not easy when people keep asking if she’s okay, and her mother locks herself behind closed doors for hours at a time. And now her best friend, Abigail, cares more about parties and boys than about hanging out with Sophie. Lost in memories of the life she had before that terrible day, Sophie retreats into herself. But it’s only so long before she must confront the tragedy of her past so she can face the future.

This book is an autobiography of Coach Arthur W. Baker. He was an assistant or head football coach at three high schools (McColl, Newberry and Eau Claire--all in South Carolina) and six universities (Clemson, Texas Tech, Furman, The Citadel, East Carolina and Florida State), and concluded his career as associate athletic director at the University of South Carolina. The first chapter details his early life (birth through high school) in the 1930s and 40s. The second and third chapters cover, respectively, his college years as a student and football player at Presbyterian College and his two years in the army at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Each of Chapters 4 through 14 provides an account of his time as a coach at the aforementioned high schools and universities. The last chapter covers his retirement years. While the book focuses on football, it should be a good read for persons who are not necessarily football devotees. For example, the first chapter gives a vivid picture of life in South Carolina during the 1930s and 40s, when many people grew their own food (including meats, fruits and vegetables), and when indoor plumbing, telephones, and even toilet paper were mostly nonexistent. Additionally, the book is replete with humorous anecdotes--both football related and non football related. And, it gives many examples of high-moral living. For football devotees, the book gives insight into behind-the-scenes activities in high school and university athletics. Such activities include working with players, other coaches, and school administrators as well as happenings both on and off the field. On a personal basis, the book gives a look into the life of a fine man, a Christian man, and a true southern gentleman--and a great coach. It gives many details about his family and family life as well as his many friends. If you were fortunate to know Coach Baker, you will be happy to read the account of his life. If you did not know him, you will likely wish you had after reading the book. As you read this book, you almost certainly will at times chuckle, guffaw, and tear up. And, on a couple occasions you may be surprised or even shocked. All in all, you will likely be engaged.

Over his forty years in the game of basketball at the collegiate and professional levels, Kevin Eastman has become widely known as one of the very best teachers in the game. He is also a lifelong student of the coaches and players at the highest levels. As a coach of the 2008 NBA Champion Boston Celtics, Kevin has lived in the world of the best while observing and studying them every day. He studies what makes the best the best--their habits, mindsets, strategies and every day choices. Known as a thought leader in the basketball and sports worlds, Kevin is now an engaging speaker who inspires a wide range of audiences, from college and professional sports teams, to diverse corporate and government groups. Kevin's curiosity and dedication to learning provide the backdrop for delivering powerful talks on leadership, culture, teamwork, and why the best are the best.