Author: Ben Guest
As the title suggests, Zen and the Art of Coaching Basketball highlights a unique approach to coaching hoops by author Ben Guest. An approach that contradicts the conventional wisdom; what some would call ‘old school‘ today. Anyone who has played the game under the management of an old school coach knows exactly what I am talking about. Lots of yelling, lots of swear words, and probably lots of running as a form of punishment. Author Ben Guest was there once, too.
That’s the part that most interests me.
Ben chronicles his very unique experience as a coach and his implementation of his coaching philosophy. He once modeled the famous big time coaches so much that he began to invent his own new swear words in order to motivate his players.
But, over time, he changed.
He describes an “epiphany” he had in the, “Mississippi Delta,” where he encouraged the high school team he was coaching to just, “play.” He recalls a powerful insight that came to him: “When we try to impose our will, there is resistance. When we accept what is, there is peace.”
The height of his basketball odyssey manifests itself in his experience coaching in Namibia, a country in the southern region of the African continent. His story depicts his coaching approach and how it is intertwined with the relationships he has with his players. It presents as an incredible metaphor for basketball as life.
Zen and the Art of Coaching Basketball is a great contribution to the literary-hoops world. I was happy to find it on Kindle Unlimited.
Here are some other books that were mentioned in Zen and the Art of Coaching basketball, or that I am reminded of:
