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A review by gautamgopalk
The Barefoot Coach by Paddy Upton
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
4.0
Paddy (Patrick) Upton is a South African born coach who was associated with the 2015 cricket world cup winning Indian men's team, 2024 Olympic medal winning Indian men's hockey team, and the 2024 world chess championship winning team supporting Gukesh Dommaraju. These achievements are just a few that he has had in the sporting world as there are a plethora of other teams and franchises that he has worked with over the years. His role has been that of a "mental coach" for the most part (along with variants in title like "strength and conditioning coach", "fitness coach" etc.) and he has valuable insights to provide about mental conditioning.
This book titled The Barefoot Coach was written in 2019, before some of his accomplishments listed above, in which he clearly elucidates ideas about effective helping techniques for the mind. The exposition towards the beginning about instructing, advising, mentoring, abdicating and coaching is fascinating. There are many anecdotes and vivid descriptions about interactions with various famous sportsmen who he worked with, which are inspirational. One gets a glimpse of how great sportsmen dealt with success and failure, with regards to mental framework.
The lessons that can be picked up by the reader as the writing progresses applies to coaching in any sport, management in a corporate world, and even to everyday life! The narration seems to meander towards the end, but it is more than made up for by exciting stories full of life (especially those of experiences with barefoot surfing which gives the book its title). This is a fun and alluring read for introspective readers interested in improving their mental approach to challenges in life.
This book titled The Barefoot Coach was written in 2019, before some of his accomplishments listed above, in which he clearly elucidates ideas about effective helping techniques for the mind. The exposition towards the beginning about instructing, advising, mentoring, abdicating and coaching is fascinating. There are many anecdotes and vivid descriptions about interactions with various famous sportsmen who he worked with, which are inspirational. One gets a glimpse of how great sportsmen dealt with success and failure, with regards to mental framework.
The lessons that can be picked up by the reader as the writing progresses applies to coaching in any sport, management in a corporate world, and even to everyday life! The narration seems to meander towards the end, but it is more than made up for by exciting stories full of life (especially those of experiences with barefoot surfing which gives the book its title). This is a fun and alluring read for introspective readers interested in improving their mental approach to challenges in life.