The Kickin' Hoosiers: Jerry Yeagley And Championship Soccer At Indiana (Quarry Books)

Rating:
Summary: Must Read for Coaches Wishing to Build Solid Program
Review: This book is a Must Read for any coach, athletic department administrator or other person looking to find the "secrets" for building and sustaining a lasting National Powerhouse Program in any sport or any business organization.

IU has had it share of great coaches and great sports programs, such as Swimming & Diving, Track and even the sport of Basketball (of which some of you might have read about over the years).

Here, Kathryn L. Knapp captures the essence of the IU Soccer team and its success over the past 41 years. Woven into the fabric of her story are the essential elements needed to achieve organizational success. It is about leadership, motivation and hard work from a "top down" and "bottom up" perspective.

Her story is about IU Soccer Coach Jerry Yeagley, who built the program from a mere local club sport to national prominence and, along the way, captured 6 NCAA Championships. Incredibly, every varsity-era player who came to IU and stayed 4 years enjoyed a trip to the College Cup (the Final Four of College Soccer). These teams made Yeagley the winningest coach in NCAA history and, in a fairy tale ending, won him a national championship in his final game as coach.

How did Yeagley do it? Read the book and hear about the challenges and obstacles that he had to overcome and choices that he made. What you will find is that the program was never about one man; it was always about people, at all levels of the organization. Players, parents, assistant coaches, trainers, equipment managers, students, sports campers, fans, alumni, coaching mentors, administrators, faculty, friends, media and neighbors: all drawn together by Marilyn and Jerry Yeagley and their children. Learn about the IU Soccer Family; it teaches life lessons.

If you are looking for a guide to leadership, then pattern your efforts after the principles of team-building, integrity and community shown by Kathryn L. Knapp. Success will follow you.