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Coaching Athletes to Be Their Best: Motivational Interviewing in Sports (Applications of Motivational Interviewing)
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The measure of a great coach is bringing the best out of athletes. This is the first guide to motivational interviewing (MI)--the proven approach to harnessing the power of conversations to build relationships and trust--for coaches, sport psychologists, training and rehabilitation specialists, and other affiliated staff. Revealing why conventional ways of giving feedback and addressing conflict are often counterproductive, the book presents tried-and-tested methods for getting through to athletes and helping them to thrive. Leading sport psychologists and MI experts--including MI cofounder Stephen Rollnick--provide effective strategies to fire up motivation, promote ownership of personal goals, address problem behavior on and off the field, enhance performance, and improve teamwork. Included are step-by-step examples and inspiring stories from coaches at all levels. Purchasers get access to a Web page where they can download and print the book's reproducible quick-reference sheets on key MI skills.
This book is in the Applications of Motivational Interviewing series, edited by Stephen Rollnick, William R. Miller, and Theresa B. Moyers.
- ISBN-101462541267
- ISBN-13978-1462541263
- Edition1st
- PublisherGuilford Press
- Publication date4 Dec. 2019
- LanguageEnglish
- Dimensions15.24 x 1.52 x 22.86 cm
- Print length218 pages
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From the Publisher
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Review
"The information age offers endless possibilities that can help teams and organizations succeed. But we can never forget the importance of connecting as people and building a winning culture of communication, trust, and teamwork. I appreciate the insights of Coaching Athletes to Be Their Best, and its focus on the motivational power of a common purpose.”--Hall of Famer Joe Torre, four-time World Series champion manager of the New York Yankees and MLB’s Chief Baseball Officer
"This book provides a brilliant approach to relationship coaching that will resonate with coaches and today's generation of athletes, allowing both to reach new levels of performance and quality of experience."--Kathy Delaney-Smith, all-time winningest Ivy League basketball coach, Women's Basketball, Harvard University
“To help athletes reach their potential, I try to understand their personalities, see what makes them tick, and ultimately find their ‘drivers.’ Using MI would definitely help this process. Anyone who aspires to be as good a coach as he or she can possibly be should read this book.”--Matthew Maynard, MBE, Head Coach, Glamorgan County Cricket Club, United Kingdom
"I know where I will be heading the next time I am struggling to make that initial key communication breakthrough with a player! If you wish to build quicker relationships with your athletes, and deliver those vital corrections without causing resistance, buy this book!"--Matt Wells, First Team Coach, Fulham Football Club, United Kingdom
"This book provides insight and instruction on how to use MI to help my athletes determine their own course of action and become the performers they want to be."--Matt Rhule, Head Coach, Carolina Panthers
"MI can enable coaches and psychologists to unlock the solutions that lie just beneath the surface of everyday challenges. I highly recommend this book."--Michael Gervais, PhD, sport psychologist; cofounder, Compete to Create
"Read this book and read it again. Fill it with notes in the margins and use it as a guide for 'being your best' as a coach. Your athletes will thank you for it!"--Steve Rainbolt, Director of Track and Field and Cross Country, Wichita State University
"The ideas, skills, and strategies presented in this book are so applicable in everyday life that it would be easy to underestimate their transformative power. The book is a treasure trove….Essential reading for coaches, senior leaders, and executives in sport."--James Vaughan, MPhil, Head of Football and Coaching Psychology, AIK Football Club, Sweden; cofounder, Player Development Project
"Having spent 15 years as a college soccer coach, I can only imagine the type of coach I could have been had I known about MI--and used it.”--Ben Freakley, MS, Head of Mental Performance, Toronto Blue Jays-
About the Author
Stephen Rollnick, PhD, is Honorary Distinguished Professor in the School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Wales, United Kingdom. He is cofounder of motivational interviewing, with a career in clinical psychology and academia that focused on how to improve conversations about change, and helped to create the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (https://motivationalinterviewing.org). He has worked in diverse fields, with special interests in mental health and long-term health conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and HIV/AIDS. Dr. Rollnick has published widely in scientific journals and has written many books on helping people to change behavior. He is coauthor (with William R. Miller) of the classic work Motivational Interviewing: Helping People Change, now in its third edition. He has traveled worldwide to train practitioners in many settings and cultures, and now works as a trainer and consultant in healthcare and sports. His website is www.stephenrollnick.com.
Jonathan Fader, PhD, a clinical and performance psychologist, is cofounder of Union Square Practice, a mental health center, and SportStrata, a performance coaching group, both in New York City. He regularly works with professional athletes in Major League Baseball and the National Football League, and spent 11 combined years with the New York Mets and the New York Giants. Dr. Fader also works with performing artists, entrepreneurs, businesses, schools, health care professionals, and first responders, and speaks to groups on the topics of motivation, improving performance, stress reduction, improved communication, and team building. He is a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers. His website is www.jonathanfader.com.
Jeff Breckon, PhD, is a Chartered Sport and Exercise Psychologist and member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers. Based in Sheffield, United Kingdom, he provides MI training to organizations across the United Kingdom, Europe, and North America; has published over 40 peer-reviewed articles; and presents internationally on the role of MI in sport, exercise, and health contexts. Dr Breckon has worked clinically in sport and health contexts since 1992. His main area of interest is the role of MI in building a therapeutic alliance between practitioners and clients. He has played cricket in India and South Africa and played and coached volleyball and soccer in the United Kingdom and United States.
Theresa B. Moyers, PhD, is Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of New Mexico, where she conducts research on treatments for addictive behaviors, with a focus on motivational interviewing (MI). Her primary interests are identifying the active ingredients of MI as well optimal methods for disseminating it in addictions settings. Dr. Moyers has published more than 35 peer-reviewed articles and has presented on MI and addictions treatment in 16 countries. She is a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers. In addition to her academic pursuits, she trains and competes with her border collie in the sport of dog agility.
Product details
- Publisher : Guilford Press
- Publication date : 4 Dec. 2019
- Edition : 1st
- Language : English
- Print length : 218 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1462541267
- ISBN-13 : 978-1462541263
- Item weight : 340 g
- Dimensions : 15.24 x 1.52 x 22.86 cm
- Part of series : Applications of Motivational Interviewing
- Best Sellers Rank: 578,336 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 192 in Psychological Training & Coaching
- 303 in Health Psychology
- 3,632 in Business Careers (Books)
- Customer reviews:
About the authors

Jonathan Fader, PhD, is the team sport psychologist for Major League Baseball's New York
Mets and a Resource Doctor for the MLB rookie program. He is a certified consultant and member of the Association of Applied Sport Psychology. Dr. Fader works with many professional athletes, teams, and other elite performers to improve their performance using proven sport and performance psychology techniques. He consults with a wide array of businesses and organizations on how to improve leadership and performance. Also a licensed clinical psychologist, Dr. Fader is the co-founder of the Union Square Practice, a psychology and psychiatry practice in the heart of New York City.
Learn more at jonathanfader.com.

Stephen Rollnick's family were Russian/Polish immigrants to South Africa, and he grew up in Cape Town. After removing himself from Apartheid South Africa, he settles in Cardiff, Wales, UK. He trained as a clinical psychologist, and became interested in what makes for a helpful conversation about change. By coincidence he found himself on a fellowship to Sydney, Australia in the office next door William R. Miller, himself on sabbatical from New Mexico, US. They collaborated on the 1st edition of the now best selling text on Motivational Interviewing, and spent the following decades exploring it's use in diverse settings across the world. The journey took Stephen through a clinical and academic career, training efforts worldwide, work on HIV?AIDS in African countries, and more recently in education and sport. Making every conversation count, in building empathy and strong relationships remained the thread that bound his academic, clinical and training efforts. His writing and books were all designed to make a practical difference on the frontline of care and other settings.
Customer reviews
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Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings, help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyses reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonTop reviews from the United Kingdom
- 5 out of 5 stars
GREAT
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 January 2026BEST BUY THUS FAR
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An important book for anyone in coaching behaviour change
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 January 2024The authors take MI from it's basic premise to theory and demonstrate it's flexibility and usefulness. I am an experienced coaching psychologist (not in sport) and I found the book to be highly informative and inspiring. For a serious book, the style is very accessible and the playbook section was so useful I bought a second copy for my son who is training as a fitness coach. First rate and highly recoommended.
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A must read for any domain we work or live in
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 21 February 2020Having listened to Steven on a few different podcasts, I had to read the book. I have been coaching and/or teaching for 20 years. What Steven shares not only helps with establishing connection in an authentic and meaningful way, he also shares how to build a successful culture in our own workplaces, relationships and interactions with others through effective communication, establishing trust and navigating difficult moments/conversations. I can not think of one industry or situation where these principles, concepts and tools could not be useful. Will need a second read and likely a third just as those podcast episodes have been replayed many times.
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A fascinating read for coaches
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 September 2020The book is highly valuable for all coaches and challenges many current practices within sport.
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Top reviews from other countries
Logan5 out of 5 starslove this
Reviewed in the United States on 29 August 2024i had to buy this book for a class and usually i do not find them the most interesting, but after the first chapter i really already have loved this book i would highly recommend
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Jeffrey Anderson5 out of 5 starsAWESOME
Reviewed in Canada on 9 April 2022A TON of incredibly valuable info for those coaches who want to be the best they can be!!!
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Amazon Customer5 out of 5 starsCoaching Dialogue
Reviewed in Australia on 25 March 2024Fantastic read - everyone who coaches should read
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Percy Hoff5 out of 5 starsIf you coach, read this book
Reviewed in Canada on 27 January 2022One of the best reads ever in my coaching career
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Johnny5 out of 5 starsBig fan of Dr Fader
Reviewed in the United States on 22 February 2020Loved his Life As Sports book and loved this one as well. Great coach
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