Book Thoughts: Determined, The Journey of a Reluctant Rookie Coach

Hello everyone and welcome back to my next installment of "Book Thoughts." The book I present to you today is a non-fiction, self-help memoir. How did I come by it and choose it for my book thoughts? Here is my full disclosure announcement. This is the first book written and published by a fellow author and someone I know personally. This book is very much outside my field of knowledge or expertise as everything centers around coaching the high jump sport. Take everything I say with that context. With that being said, here are my "Book Thoughts" for "Determined, The Journey of a Reluctant Rookie Coach: How to Coach Something You've Never Done Before and Find Success" by Carey Shell.

The book cover of "Determined" by Carey Shell

“Determined,” as mentioned earlier, is a self-help memoir that takes readers on the author's own journey through learning how to coach high school high jump for track and field. Along the way, it provides valuable insight and principles that are universal in nature (not just limited to coaching) aimed at helping readers navigate their own journeys to find success.

The "Plot" (It sounds strange to say "Plot" for a non-fiction autobiography, but you know what I mean) begins with Carey, a high school teacher and a former basketball coach, being asked to help coach track and field, specifically the high jump. This comes as a shock to Carey as she's never done something like that before and has zero knowledge of the subject (something I can relate to). Initially, she refused. However, one of her friends convinces her to give it a try because having any coach is better than "no coach." Reluctantly, Carey accepts. Thus begins her roller coaster ride filled with ups, downs, uncertainty, and copious amounts of panic as she scrambles to learn a whole new sport and try to train young athletes in it. I'll not spoil her adventure for you. If you want to know how it turned out, you'll have to buy the book and read it yourself.

In so far as the self-help element of this book, each chapter is arranged to address one aspect/step/emotion/character trait along the road to success such as panic, fear, grace, humility, flexibility, growth, confidence, coachability, joy, and finally success. I won't get into defining and explaining each of these as that is the point of the book and I won't spoil it here. An example of this is the first chapter which is on "panic" where it provides insight into Carey's adventure and how she panicked, outlining specific events and feelings she experienced.

Each chapter ends with two sections, "Key Takeaways" and "Reflection Prompts." The Key Takeaways section effectively summarizes the key points to be gleaned from the earlier memoir section. This is intended to very clearly state the chapter's main points and provide helpful explanations and advice. For example, one of the key takeaways from the "Panic" chapter is to assure people that panic is normal and advises people to recognize when panic sets in, where its source is coming from, and reassure yourself that its normal. The "Reflections Prompts" section in each chapter is a series of questions the author asks the readers to contemplate and answer according to their own lives and situations.

I have to admit, before I read this book, I was worried that I wouldn't connect with it as I have little to no knowledge of the sport in question. In many cases, authors familiar with these sports will use sports terminology or "lingo" that those in the sport or interested in it might understand but those outside will not. While there are a few terms like this in the book, they are presented in an understandable context. This is actually an approachable book to someone like myself without the familiarity of "high jump." In some ways, maybe it was beneficial that the author began this journey without any knowledge because it allowed her to take those of us who also have no knowledge along for the ride. Make no mistake, after reading this book, I still have no knowledge of "high jump." This book is not a dissertation or explanation of the sport. It is a book about the journey and growth of the author as well as a presentation of ideas and advice. It's all presented in a way that is understandable, even to someone with no knowledge.

The author also doesn't come off as pretentious or arrogant. All too often we see self-help books or autobiography where the author makes himself/herself out to be the hero in all cases. The author most certainly wasn't self aggrandizing in this book and was fully open and honest about her mistakes as well as the time she wasn't the hero, but the villain.

In my opinion, this is a good book and a good read to pick up. It's not a very long book and is very accommodating to those who only have a little time each day to read, as each chapter can be taken and digested on its own. You don't need to worry about remembering every single character or all the intricate sub-plots. You just need to keep track of the basic ideas and focus on the key points. If you're worried you won't connect with it or enjoy it because you're not a coach or interested in high jump, give it a chance. You just might like it. Check it out on Amazon today at https://www.amazon.com/Determined-Journey-Reluctant-Something-Success/dp/B0F89JZY3G.