Sunday, May 11, 2014

New book: Water Polo Team Notebook (36/60)


Last month we finished the Water Polo Team Notebook. I had the great good fortune of working on this book with John Vargas, Stanford University coach ... former Olympian, US National Team and Olympic coach who also has won a NCAA national championship as a coach and as a player. This is John's 13th year with Stanford and his 35th year coaching and playing the sport on the professional level.  


There's something special about working with people at the top of their professions. In John's case, he's ultra organized as well as responsive and respectful. He didn't ponder life while coauthoring this book with me; we got to it. He invited players to write models for us; he shared drafts with fellow coaches, players, and former players. Even his 84-year-old mom got into the act providing feedback and finding a typo!

This summer, John will direct the Junior Olympics festival at Stanford. He and his partners will host 8,000 swimmers in a slew of pools around the city. Eight thousand…   

Writing is hard. Collaborating on a creative project like a book can be extraordinarily difficult. But working with a thoughtful professional like John Vargas made this project not only an enjoyable experience, but also an opportunity to make a friend.  

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