StrengthsFinder 2.0 - Book/Product Review

I was listening to the Dan Fagan Show on AM KBYR/TV KTBY, a local talk/TV show, last week while he had a business coach on as a guest.  She was talking about utilizing each employee to the fullest by determining what their personal strengths are, and then tapping into those strengths.

She referred to the book StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath and the associated Clifton StrengthsFinder 2.0 personality test.  The test is around 170 questions and takes about 30 minutes to take.  At the end of the test you are given a report with your results.

The 18 page report lists your 5 primary strengths and then explains the traits for each strength.  It goes on to  help you determine an action plan to highlight your skills and then on to show you feedback from others who share your top 5 themes/strengths.

I really like the idea of the entire book/test.  I am in the process of having some assistant coaches take the test so that I can have some greater insight when working with them.  My hope is that I can make the team more successful by using the staff's talents to their fullest.  I am considering having my entire staff take the test and maybe even prospective employees.

The StrengthsFinder 2.0 book contains all the information for each of the strengths/themes identified in the test.  The online test requires an access code which is only available in the back of each book, and it is only good for one use.  This means a book for each staff person.  It would be nice to be able to just purchase additional access codes for the test, but this is the only negative I have regarding the book and test.

StrengthsFinder 2.0 is available at Amazon.com for around $14 in hardcover or $13 for the Kindle version.  If you scroll through the carousel widget at the top of this post for the most recent Amazon prices.

The Science of Swimming - James E. Counsilman

When I was in Jr. High my father gave me a wonderful gift...a book by James "Doc" Counsilman, The Science of Swimming.  The book was written in 1968 and the information within those pages is a salient today as it was when it was written.  On the recommendation of Guy Edson (ASCA) I recently re-introduced myself to the original reference book of the sport of swimming.

Virtually every aspect of the sport of swimming is covered in the volume.  With some exceptions on body position, much Counsilman's details on each of the strokes as well as starts and turns are still very much as are being taught today.  The much of artwork and photography in the book could be used in any swim text today.

The methods of training in the book include interval training (cutting edge methodology at the time), dryland training, and progressions within a season.  In his detailed writing he gives example sets, exercises, etc used in his program at Indiana.

Counsilman covers season planning, Age Group swimming, educational concepts, nutrition, even motivation of swimmers.  Fundamentally speaking, this book is as sound as any swimming text.  There have been others (Maglischo & Colwin) who have written other great swimming books but, in my opinion, Councilman's remains the seminal work on the sport.

I strongly encourage you to acquire a copy.  I found a few copies at Amazon.com that I am giving to my staff, but the book is no longer in print.  If you want to add a copy to your coaching library I wouldn't wait too long.

Book Review; Maglischo's "Swimming Fastest"

Ernest W. Maglischo's Swimming Fastest is his third iteration of the ultimate competitive swimming reference. Swimming Fastest (2003) was preceded by his Swimming Faster (1982) and his Swimming Even Faster (1993). Much like his first two books, the huge volume is broken into three parts: Technique, Training, and Racing.

In this third version Maglischo has made many updates to his previous works. Most of the changes have come in the Technique part of the book. Maglischo had promoted a theory of swimmer propulsion based on the idea that athletes were using their hands and limbs like foils, or even propellers, through the water. In Swimming Fastest, Maglischo, has modified his theory to account for recent research that suggests athletes use their limbs like paddles to push water backward, thus propelling them forward. As someone who had read Swimming Faster and Swimming Even Faster, I must say I am relieved that he has modified his stance. I never found the foil theories of lift and propulsion very intuitive. The Technique portion of the book uses the laws of physics, graphs, diagrams, and his descriptive text to throroughly cover every stroke, turn, and start.

The Training portion of Maglischo's book may be the most useful. It is filled with scientific explainations of muscle fibers, the circulatory system, and the repiratory system. It covers the effects of training and suggests methods and volumes for training the various energy systems thought to be in use during workouts and competition. It is written for the science buff and the layman alike.

The final and smallest part of the book is Racing. In Racing Maglischo covers the importants of warm-up/cool down as well as race pacing and strategy. He also covers evaluation techniques including calculating stroke rates and stroke lengths.

It is impossible to give more than a cursory overview of this all-in-one manual. It is truly a must for any coach's library. As it says on the cover of Swimming Fastest: "The essential reference on technique, training, and program design"

Book Review; Guzman's "The Swimming Drill Book"

The Swimming Drill Book by Ruben Guzman, and published by Human Kinetics, is a concise and well illustrated compilation of 128 swimming drills. Drills are broken down into 10 Chapters:

1. Body Position and Buoyancy
2. Breathing and Kicking
3. Sculling
4. Backstroke
5. Freestyle
6. Breaststroke
7. Butterfly
8. Freestyle and Backstroke Turns
9. Other Turns and Finishes
10. Starts

Guzman has done a good job pulling together drills from many of the masters of competitive swimming. Experienced coaches will recognize drills that have been created and/or promoted by Boomer, Colwin, Maglischo, Hannula, and others. In addition there are several drills that seem to come directly from Guzman himself.

New and experienced coaches, as well as swimmers, will find The Swimming Drill Book a great reference for their coaching library. Guzman's book is a tool box coaches will be able to draw from to help teach and correct form and stroke technique. 4 1/2 out of 5 stars for The Swimming Drill Book!