Recently my son's soccer team has become very critical of eachother, the referees, etc. The coaches tend to be caustic and a little like flame-throwers in response to less than optimal play. Not surprisingly, a negative atmosphere has begun to surround the team, and they have not been playing as well as before. Do you know of any solid popular book on the psychology of coaching and team building that I might recommend for the coaches? They have a genuine interest in looking more carefully at what is happening to take the fun and sense of accomplishment out of an otherwise great soccer season, and I have offered to send some material their way. Any favorite summaries of this rapidly developing field?

-- Brian R. Monsma, Ph.D. (BRMonsma@aol.com), October 18, 1999