C3: Christ Centered Coaching: Utilizing Faith to Impact Athletes

Imagine a more disciplined, balanced, stress-relieving way to impact your athletes for good.

In an environment that is highly emotional and sometimes volatile, it's critical to have core principles that promote centering yourself for balance, leading through intrapersonal skill development, and recognizing what your athletes are looking for in a coach. C3 presents just these principles, drawing from the Christian way of life and sport.

Most of us never achieve coach at an elite level, but that doesn't mean we don't bring the same passion, commitment, and ownership to our profession. The uniqueness of C3 is that the author is one of those everyday, ordinary people that immersed himself for four decades into the two-year college athletic world. This book encourages and equips all coaches, whether they coach elite athletes or young beginners.

Author and coach Dr. David Holstein discusses his three decades of coaching and athletic administration―sharing stories that address self-leading skills and those skills passed on to his athletes. In addition, he aligns scriptural interpretation with his spiritual journey and experiences, analogizing their relationship to leadership. Intrapersonal leadership skills are emphasized to help create a healthy competitive environment. C3 additionally aligns scriptural analogies with the intent of bringing the reader down a path of daily self-reflection and evaluation. Christ Centered Coaching is intended specifically for coaches of athletic teams; however, the scriptural analogies and leadership characteristics discussed can be used in all facets of life skills.

Finally, C3 discusses how Christian living can promote an environment of trustworthiness, valuing the individuals in your group and recognizing each for the gifts they bring, and create an atmosphere of sustainability and open dialogue, thus promoting core group values.

Dr. David Holstein grew up in the first row of his father's church. He had a tremendous love of sports growing up, particularly basketball. He was fortunate enough to play organized basketball from the seventh grade through college, but realizing in high school he was not going to fulfill his dream of playing in the NBA, he concentrated on staying in the sport through coaching. He was groomed from the "ground roots" by being an assistant coach, head coach, and athletic director in his hometown junior college. In 2001, his professional journey culminated in a doctorate of ethical leadership as part of the first cohort at Olivet Nazarene University. Now a two-time retiree (Kankakee Community College and Palm Beach State College), Dr. Holstein lives in southeast Florida with his wife, Cynthia. The Holsteins are non-denominational Christians and have five grown children.