Three Books Every Athlete Should Read

The year was 2015 and in the scorching heat of Spring in Texas, a small Baptist university from Houston was about to make school history. The Houston Baptist University Huskies (now Houston Christian University Huskies) were not just a small university compared to other Southland Conference schools. They were among the smallest of NCAA Division 1 schools in the nation.

30 unknown players battled through the season and became the first team in H.B.U. history to make the NCAA Region Tournament, “Road to Omaha”. The 2015 team also made H.B.U. history in one other way. 3 players, more than any other team in the school's history, earned their way onto professional organizations.

Zach Nehrir (Outfield), Samm Wiggins Jr. (Catcher) and Taylor Wright (Pitcher) had very little in common. They came from different backgrounds, states, had different builds, strengths and weaknesses. But all three shared one thing in common.

If you found one of them at any point in the season on the road, in the locker room or in their player apartments you’d find them working on a part of their game that no other athlete on the 2015 roster was working on: their mentality. Each player was an avid reader, devouring books on athleticism, self-betterment and motivational works by successful people.

They wanted to be successful so they read to discover the path to success.

I’ve been asked for books I would recommend to athletes looking to grow their mental and emotional strength on and off the field. There are three books I always give first and foremost:

1. The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle

The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle

Athletes have existed for thousands of years and athletic training has been referenced in pieces of literature going back to the Bible and even the Ancient Greeks. The Talent Code goes into what makes training successful in producing results and where talent actually comes from. Through examples ranging from professional tennis players to the world’s most renown musicians, David Coyle breaks down the science of ‘muscle memory’, ‘deep practice’ and beyond. Every athlete and coach should read this book to truly understand how to get the most out of athletic performance. It’s an easy read with interesting stories and can be found on amazon.com.

2. Mind Gym by Gary Mack and David Casstevens

Mind Gym by Gary Mack and David Casstevens

The greatest athletes and most successful teams in history have shown over and over again that they have a mental element to their game that few or none others have. The level of mental preparation to become successful is vastly underrated and over time can be the difference between a player being drafted or drifting into anonymity. Mind Gym dives into the routines of the world’s most elite performers on any field, track or court and gives valuable insight into the inner workings of athletic success. It’s a quick and easy read forwarded by Yankees All Star Alex Rodriguez and can also be found on amazon.com.

3. Nolan Ryan’s Pitcher’s Bible by Nolan Ryan and Tom House

Nolan Ryan's Pitcher's Bible by Nolan Ryan and Tom House

While this book is the only one on the list to go into a particular niche of a sport, the lessons within carry out to any and all sports. With a professional career spanning 27 years and four decades, The Ryan Express had one of the most dominant careers of any athlete in their respective sport. His level of preparation mentally, physically and emotionally was unrivaled by any other athlete in history and allowed a man of 46 years old to continue dominating with fastballs reaching 98 miles per hour. By his side during his time with the Texas Rangers was pitching guru Tom House, the founder of the National Pitching Association. House, a former MLB pitcher himself, has worked with some of the greatest pitchers in history and has dedicated his post MLB career to forwarding his knowledge of mental, physical and emotional conditioning for athletes of all ages. This book comprises the multitude of disciplines that go into a successful athlete from weight lifting to dieting to recovery and off-season calculations to avoid breaking down in season. This is an incredible read to discover how to create durable and lasting success as an athlete of any sport with baseball in particular. Along with the previous two, this book can also be found on amazon.com.

If you’re an athlete who seriously wishes to reach the next level of play, then reading is a must. For non readers, break out the audio books and even podcasts. The bottom line is mental growth and maturity is a key element in every successful athlete and will allow you to break barriers you never thought you could.

-Michael Hernandez