Talent and The Secret Life of Teams: Comments From Readers

My wife bought the book to read herself. As I saw the book sit on the nightstand unopened for a couple of days I figured I’d start the book and see what insights a former coach might have  about coaching volleyball players. My daughter plays in college and I thought I might pick up some information that would help me relate to my daughter’s experiences. As I started reading I thought that the book was light, eclectic, and interesting. Well, you got me.

I was in the last half of the book when my wife and I went down to Anaheim, CA. to watch my youngest daughter start her young volleyball “career” in a 15′s tournament.In between matches sitting in the stands I was near finishing the book.Little 15 year old girls and their parents sitting nearby…… Then I started reading about your championship season. Do you know how out of place a 50 year old man is, sitting in the stands of a juniors volleyball tournament, trying to hide the tears running down his face? You set me up. I will try to get my daughter in college to read your book. Hopefully, the rest of the team will read it too. Knowing the coach I wouldn’t be surprised if they all haven’t already read it. Thanks for
the effort. Next time though shout out a warning that the male reader may wish to be sequestered in reading certain parts of the  book.

– Steve Spelman

There are only a handful of coaches who can stop me in my tracks when I have the opportunity to listen to them speak or to read something they have written. Terry Pettit is one of them. He is a magnificent writer…the best we have in our volleyball world. If I could for only a moment see the nuances of coaching through his eyes.  Terry’s intimate and extraordinarily perceptive framing of the many coaching challenges that all of us encounter, whether at the youth or elite international level, make for an incredibly smooth and thought-provoking read. Talent and the Secret Life of Teams stands alone as the finest contribution to volleyball literature over the past 25 years.

– Mike Hebert

Hello Coach Pettit…. ENJOYING EVERY WORD ! I came by your book through USAV (John Kessel) who I have known for a few years, from when he hosted a Clinic for our Club TEAM (HighLineVBC) in Hatboro, PA. I just finished reading your chapter about the  ”SETTER” and you are right on the money w/ BALANCE, HANDS, etc… I am also going to use your analogy of the Boat and Rowers and the  importance of everyone pulling their rowing weight w/ Coach at the rudder. . . Please know that I intend to purchase additional copies of your book to give them out to other coaches from HighLine and Panthers at the end of our seasons. Thank you for all the great stories; and thank you for signing your book.

– Joe McCloskey