For players seeking the next level... Based on the training logs and notebooks of Olympians and other world-class athletes, Court Notes Volleyball Journal provides a wide variety of reflective activities that can optimize an athlete's thinking, training, and performance. The journal includes match analyses, writing prompts, and note pages that will help players become "students of the game." Coaches & Athletes' Thoughts on Writing, Team Notebooks, and Athletes’ Journals "I like to have my student-athletes write about their experiences, be it about practice, a game, or even an injury. Writing helps them to analyze their play, thought processes, and feelings. It brings more meaning to what they are experiencing. Writing ... is a reminder of what we all are playing for and working towards." –Nicole Moore, Coach, Stetson University "Team notebooks create a different way for players to learn." –Mike Keller, Head Coach, University of Southern Maine Men's Soccer "I like free writing... it's a meditation, trying to open up the mind and go for it." –David Chamberlain, Nor/Am SuperTour Cross-Country Ski Champion "Writing provides another avenue for strengthening the player/coach relationship." –Brian Bold, Head Coach, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Soccer "No one likes skiing with a cluttered mind, so put it on paper and free some space."–Carter Robertson, Alpine Ski Racer “If this book did nothing else other than lay out opportunities for reflective writing, it would be a useful guide for coaches. But the book is more than a set of suggested practices; it is filled with examples of Richard Kent and other coaches interacting with their athletes. We get excerpts from the writing of coaches at all levels, and from athletes - high school soccer players to world class skiers. […] Through his own example, Kent teaches us how to read this writing - generously, thoughtfully, learning from the experiences of his athletes, even appreciating their goofy humor. He has the ability to pull nuggets of insight from writing that a less alert and sympathetic reader would miss. He is the kind of teacher who makes you feel smart.” Thomas Newkirk, University of New Hampshire, from the Foreword of Writing on the Bus: Using Athletic Team Notebooks and Journals to Advance Learning and Performance in Sports (Kent) “Leading us outdoors and onto the playing field, Richard Kent offers a systematic approach to writing that has already assisted coaches to cultivate athletes’ reflection, shared consciousness, and improved performance. What an athlete needs, he makes clear, is writing.” –Julie Cheville, Illinois State University, Author of Minding the Body: What Student Athletes Know about Learning “ Writing on the Bus: Using Athletic Team Notebooks and Journals to Advance Learning and Performance in Sports illuminates a largely hidden side of coaching and athletics, one where writing is increasingly a part of the cultural norms for coaches, individual athletes, and entire teams. Richard Kent brings the powerful combination of sport and writing to life throughout the book by smartly weaving the literacy production of athletes into the discussion. Educators and coaches alike would do well to learn from the insights provided in this book […]” (Jeff Duncan-Andrade, San Francisco State University, Author of What a Coach Can Teach a Teacher ) "Writing in a journal can help clear out negative thoughts and emotions that keep you feeling stuck." -Serena Williams, U.S. Tennis Champion "Athletes should write down anything that they think is important... thoughts about their technique, goals, favorite foods... keep track of their aspirations and their passion." - Mikaela Shiffrin, U.S. Olympic Gold Medal Skier "I enjoy writing in my journal when I'm sitting on the plane. I'm sureI'll go through a couple of pages and write down all the moments and experiences that I've had here in London." -Michael Phelps, U.S. Olympic Gold Medal Swimmer "Writing is a way to process what is buzzing around in my head. When I put my thoughts on paper, I begin to see things more clearly." -Samuel Morse, U.S. Ski Team "Keep a journal... This type of daily 'mental muscle' work will gradually improve your focus in practice and games." -Leif H. Smith and Todd M.Kays, sport psychologists "We write not to say what we know, but to learn, to discover, to know. Writing is thinking, exploring, finding out..." -Donald Murray, writing teacher "Writing organizes and clarifies our thoughts. Writing is how we think ourway into a subject and make it our own. Writing enables us to find out what we know--and what we don't know--about whatever we're trying to learn." -William Zinsser, writer Richard Kent, Ph.D. , is a professor at the University of Maine. A former Olympic Development Program soccer coach and state ski coach, Kent is the author of many books, including Writing on the Bus : Using Athletic Team Notebooks and Journals to Advance Learning an