Beyond Championships: A Playbook for Winning at Life

Beyond Championships: A Playbook for Winning at Life

Coaching whether it is a basketball team or a group of scholars is a heavy burden. We have all read the stories about how coaches overstepped their position of trust. We don’t hear much about the coaches that go beyond the role of “coach” and make positive changes in their team. In the book, Beyond Championships, Coach Dru Joyce writes about the lessons he has learned, along with the values he has worked to instill in his players, through coaching basketball.

To Joyce, coaching and life are both about serving others:

Growing up doesn’t mean getting bigger or getting older. It means coming out of the delusion that we are here just for ourselves, just to have our own needs met. It means realizing we were put on this earth to make a difference. It means stepping further and further away from the misconception that we deserve things and more into the idea that we are here to serve.

Coach Joyce has had a long and successful career in coaching for a couple of reasons. The list of championships that he has led teams to win is certainly impressive. He clearly knows the sport and how to encourage players to achieve the skills necessary to win. But secondly, and more importantly to me, are the stories his players share about how he has been the most important force in their lives and is the one responsible for helping them to make the needed changes to be successful both on and off the courts.

One of the young men who Joyce coached—LeBron James—wrote this in the book’s forward:

On the court, the goal will always be to win a title. But off the court, the more important goal remains to shape the lives of young people in the community in the same way that Coach Dru shaped mine. And if I can do that, even just a little bit, then I will have accomplished something that means so much more to me than any championship.

From the cover:
As the coach of one of high school basketball’s greatest programs, Coach Dru Joyce has been mentor and motivator to some of the nation’s best young players, including basketball legend LeBron James. Despite having virtually no experience in the sport, in less than ten years Dru went from a no-name fan to one of the highest profile basketball coaches in the country.

With insight and grit earned from his years on and off the court, Coach Dru shares for the first time the secrets to his teams’ success and his own coaching achievements. Far more than a sports book,Beyond Championships is a blueprint for anyone looking to make better choices, reach their full potential, and become winners in all areas of life.

As Dru outlines the nine principles that he promotes to his players and tries to live in his own life as well, you’ll discover that the solid foundation on which he built so many successful basketball programs can be applied to almost any situation.

About the Author
Dru Joyce II was born and raised in East Liverpool, Ohio. He is a graduate of East Liverpool High School and Ohio University, with a degree in Business Administration. Dru moved his family to Akron in 1984 for his position at Con Agra. In 2004 Dru left Con Agra after twenty-six years to coach basketball full-time.  For more information about Coach Dru check out www.neobasketball.com.

While I am not a huge basketball fan, I enjoyed this book. The principles and encouraging work ethic can be applied to any area. It’s not all about winning. It’s more important to be made of honor and integrity..and to help those around you to reach their potential. Beyond Championships is far more than a book about basketball, it is a outline for anyone looking to make better choices, reach their full potential, and become a winner in life.

Beyond Championships: A Playbook for Winning at Life can be purchased on Amazon in both the Kindle and Hardcover formats.

For more information on this book, visit Beyond Championships online site and make sure to connect on Twitter for the latest promotions and news.

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