Ryan Woodruff
One topic that has garnered much attention this year is safety in
football. Thomas Lake's The Ghost of Speedy Cannon (1) provided a riveting tale probing a long-ago death on the field. Though I have long enjoyed
Rick Reilly's writing, he can get under the skin of some readers. His
piece about the NFL Becoming a Guilty Pleasure (2) is hard to argue with.
I love reading about legendary coaches. Perhaps none are more
legendary in his sport than Dan Gable. Wright Thompson's incredible
piece The Losses of Dan Gable (3) is even more poignant now that wrestling has won reinstatement into the Olympics. The Book of a Coach (4) tells the story of Bill Walsh and the legacy of a coaching legend.
Soccer fan or not, if you are a coach you will find some wisdom in
Eight Coaching Keys from Sir Alex Ferguson (5).
Unless you are still using dial-up internet service, you have probably
heard of Seth Godin. I highly recommend a few posts of his from this
year: The Merchants of Average (6), Choosing To Be Formidable (7), and All Boats Leak (8). All three inspire me to be a better coach.
Just read this article: Two Enemies Discovering a Higher Call in Battle (9). It will renew your faith in humanity.
This article got me thinking about the technological frontiers of swimming: Mobile Athlete Monitoring - The Next Big Thing (10). Coaches of all sports should be keeping up with Vern Gambetta and
his Functional Path Training blog. He hit the mark in Pay the Piper (11).
How Great Teachers See (12) made me ponder how I perceive my swimmers' talents and how powerful that perception really might be.
On a personal level, a few things I came across this year made a
difference in my life. Leo Babuata inspired me to aim for Living the Quiet Life (13) and Dr. Michael Greger's powerful video Uprooting the Causes of Death convinced me to make my most profound personal change this year.
I hope you enjoyed the list. Have a happy, healthy, and successful 2014!
Labels: Reading, Woodruff
