The Little Book of Talent - 52 Tips for Improving Your Skills

By Daniel Coyle


This was a coach's gift for the holidays.  It is the "Cliff's Notes" of the The Talent Code

The Little Book of Talent is a manual for building a faster brain and a better you. It is an easy-to-use handbook of tips to implement into your life.  

Mindset - The New Psychology of Success

By Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D.


​In this brilliant book, Carol Dweck shows how success in school, work, sports, the arts, and almost every area of human endeavor can be dramatically influenced by how we think about our talents and abilities. People with a fixed mindset—those who believe that abilities are fixed—are less likely to flourish than those with agrowth mindset—those who believe that abilities can be developed. Mindset reveals how great parents, teachers, managers, and athletes can put this idea to use to foster outstanding accomplishment.

American River Water Polo Coaches Love to Read!


We would like to share with you some of our staff's favorite books, pick them up and enjoy.

The Talent Code - Greatness Isn't Born.  It's Grown.  Here's How.

By Daniel Coyle


​Whether you’re coaching soccer or teaching a child to play the piano, writing a novel or trying to improve your golf swing, this revolutionary book shows you how to grow talent by tapping into a newly discovered brain mechanism.

Drawing on cutting-edge neurology and firsthand research gathered on journeys to nine of the world’s talent hotbeds—from the baseball fields of the Caribbean to a classical-music academy in upstate New York—Coyle identifies the three key elements that will allow you to develop your gifts and optimize your performance in sports, art, music, math, or just about anything.

 Striving to instill discipline, teamwork, commitment and confidence
in our athletes.

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Water Polo Club
 

American River Water Polo Club

Grit - The Power of Passion and Perseverance

By Angela Duckworth


This book really hit home for our staff not only professionally but also personally.  While Grit is a buzz word these days it fully embodies what we strive to instill in our athletes.


Psychologist Angela Duckworth shows anyone striving to succeed—be it parents, students, educators, athletes, or business people—that the secret to outstanding achievement is not talent but a special blend of passion and persistence she calls “grit.”

The Energy Bus - 10 Rules Fuel Your Life, Work and Team with Positive Energy

By Jon Gordon


Much of the staff has started off 2017 reading The Energy Bus.  


This book is a fun and quick story about the power of positivity.  It outlines 10 secrets for approaching  life and work with the kind of positive, forward thinking that leads to true accomplishment - at work and at home. Jon infuses this engaging story with keen insights as he provides a powerful roadmap to overcome adversity and bring out the best in yourself and your team. When you get on The Energy Bus you’ll enjoy the ride of your life!

Values of the Game

By Bill Bradley


​"In many ways basketball was a lens through which I looked at life—I had learned to make judgments about character from what I saw players do on the court."—Bill Bradley

​In ten esssays, filled with personal observations and reflections, he illustrates how the "right stuff" on the court—risking a last-second shot, staying in shape and playing hard, making the unselfish pass, not giving in until the final buzzer—is a proving ground for the "right stuff" in life.