Circle of Success: Lessons from a Lifetime of Sport

“Circle of Success – Lessons from a Lifetime of Sport” is an inspirational collection of anecdotes on the value of sport in bringing out the qualities we all need to be successful in life. Drawn from the experiences of an Olympic athlete and an NCAA Championship water polo coach, each of the twelve chapters in the book contains between two and four stories that illustrate qualities such as self-discipline, confidence, persistence, responsibility and attitude – qualities that can be developed through sport. The book is written in a conversational tone that makes it easy to read. The anecdotes are challenging, amusing, and enlightening, and each is partnered with a page of motivational quotations by noteworthy figures.

Hugh Hewitt, three-time Emmy award-winning broadcast journalist, said of this book: “Newland and Leach have something important to say to everyone who values success. They know about training the body, but they speak about training one’s life”.

“Circle of Success – Lessons from a Lifetime of Sport” will appeal to a wide range of readers and will be a timeless addition to any home.

Bill Leach

Bill Leach was born in Southern California in 1946 and has participated in sport his whole life. His first success in athletics came at Corona del Mar High School, where he was on the All CIF water polo team and the All American Swimming Team and was named Athlete of the Year. Later, after playing on the U.S. National Water Polo team, Leach switched to the sport of kayaking, and earned a place on the Olympic team. He raced in the Montreal Olympics in 1976, and when the boycott of the 1980 Olympics was imposed, he began participating in triathlons. Hard work and effort over a period of years culminated in a first place award at the ITU World Championships in 1996. In 1998 he co-founded the Pacific Coast Triathlon, of which he is now the Race Director. In addition to his career in sports, Leach has taught history at Corona del Mar High School for over 30 years. His experience has convinced him that the character and strength we need to face life can be learned through participat! ion in sports, and this book is an expression of that conviction.

Ted Newland

Ted Newland is a legend in the world of water polo in Southern California. Born in 1927, he began his teaching career at Newport Harbor High School, California. The water polo programs he founded at this school and at Corona del Mar High School became two of the strongest high school programs in the U.S. In 1965 he coached his team to a CIF Championship victory, and then accepted a head coach position at U.C. Irvine where he still coaches today. Newland was the national coach for the Pan Am Games in 1971 and 1974, and was head coach of the World University Games in 1973, ’79, ’91, ’95, and ’99. He holds the honor of having the most wins in NCAA Water Polo history. His philosophy of hard work and self-discipline yields results: he has coached 64 players to All American status, and 12 of his athletes became Olympians. Newland has coached in over 5,300 water polo games and swim meets, and the book “Circle of Success – Lessons from a Lifetime of Sport” distills the wisdom he has ! gained from his vast experience in athletics.

Lesley Bindloss earned a degree in English at the University of Southampton in England. Working closely with Newland and Leach, she helped put into words the principles they passionately believed in.