I was recently given a book to review by a professor and good friend of mine from "The Eastern Washington University." She gave me the book and said, "Enjoy." I looked at the books title, Teaching Sport and Physical Activity and thought to myself, "great, another book on teaching sports!" Well, let me tell you something, this book is completely different than any other book I have read in my long and never ending college experience. This book is a MUST, in my opinion, for ALL college level courses in teaching physical education / activity. Let me explain why.

The book is 221 pages long and is divided into five (5) parts with a total of sixteen (16) chapters. Part one (1) discusses the current issues surrounding the decision to become a teacher. Part two (2) deals with the critical elements teachers need to know and the best learning conditions for students. Part three (3) is creating stimulating learning environments. Part four (4) takes a close look at the skills and knowledge a teacher needs to focus a lesson, maintain a dynamic instructional pace, communicate effectively, and maximize student learning with practice and feedback, and part five (5) is dedicated to making you a better teacher or coach.

Each chapter has incorporated sidebar stories from actual teachers and coaches that are intended to help stimulate ideas about all aspects of teaching / coaching. There are also discussion questions at the end of each chapter that I found very useful. One of the greatest parts of the book is the appendix in the back. Everything from lesson plans to sample systematic observation sheets are provided, plus one of the largest lists of websites I have ever seen.

As I mentioned earlier, I found this book to be extremely beneficial. Especially if your like me, new to the profession. Though, the author states it best in his preface when he says, "This book was designed as a comprehensive guide for new teachers, but it also offers experienced teachers and coaches some new ideas that might serve their instructional practices. The book was also written for experienced teachers who are searching for some fresh ideas to invigorate their teaching as well as looking to test and validate the practices they currently use."

The author has over twenty-five (25) years experience in his field and the book was over five (5) years in the making. In my opinion this book is a MUST for anyone going into teaching physical education or coaching. On a scale from one (1) to five (5) stars, I definitely give this a five (5).

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