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Every Moment Matters: How the World's Best Coaches Inspire Their Athletes and Build Championship Teams
How do the world’s most successful coaches get the best from their athletes? How do top coaches design practices, inspire their players, and build teams that sustain their excellence season after season? How do they instill high-performing behaviors? Do they coach men and women differently? What about coaching their own children? Most importantly, are these secrets available to the rest of us coaching youth, high school, and college teams? In Every Moment Matters, renowned coach educator John O'Sullivan has collected hundreds of interviews with top coaches, sport scientists, psychologists, and athletes and distilled them into a blueprint for becoming a more effective and inspiring leader. Great coaches realize something that others do every moment matters! You must be intentional about everything you do. Whether you are coaching your local youth soccer team, leading your high school football program, or competing for an NCAA championship, Every Moment Matters will give you the tools and strategies to become the coach you always wished you had, and the coach today's athletes are craving. Get ready to have your best season ever!
356 pages, Paperback
Published December 8, 2019
391 people are currently reading
749 people want to read
About the author
John O'Sullivan
3 books13 followersJohn O'Sullivan is the author of Changing the Game The Parents Guide to Raising Happy High-Performing Athletes and Giving Youth Sports Back to Our Kids and Every Moment Matters: How the World's Best Coaches Inspire Their Athletes and Build Championship Teams. He is a consultant for numerous sport governing bodies around the world including the US Olympic Committee, US Soccer, US Ski and Snowboard, USA Swimming, PGA Golf, Ireland Rugby, as well as a frequent contributor to CNN, ESPN, Outside Magazine and other sports publications. He is the founder of the Changing the Game Project, and has spent over two decades involved as both a soccer player and coach at the youth, high school, college and professional level. John received his BA from Fordham University and his MA from the University of Vermont.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
December 30, 2023
This is a topic of interest and very well done. The psychology behind good coaching has applications far beyond that one field. Strongly recommend this to anyone looking to make teams better—in sports, work, volunteering, etc.
February 14, 2021
I have too little experience to make a claim like this one, but I think O'Sullivan's doing some of the most important work in his field. This book's a classic -- it's readable, yet somehow dense. After a first read, it'll still serve as a reference book (and O'Sullivan suggests more of a gradual approach to change). O'Sullivan covers a wide array of issues. Fans of his podcast will be familiar with a quite a few of the points covered and anecdotes told, but they're worth revisiting. He's got a great knack for synthesizing the research of others with his own experiences and insights. The final phrase of the subtitle hardly matters: championships are great, but they're more a byproduct of inspired, healthy teams.
February 26, 2024
I have coached track and cross country on a high school level for over 35 years and I have never read a better book on coaching. Every Moment Matters by John O’Sullivan is an extraordinary book about relationship based coaching. O’Sullivan’s coaching background is in soccer but the principles he discusses are applicable to any sport on any level. This was an OUTSTANDING audiobook (narrated by O’Sullivan) but I am going to have to buy a hard copy so I can easily reference it.
April 14, 2020
Amazing book that anyone interested in coaching should read. It makes your mind think deeper, wider and what's best for the athlete. I'm strongly recommending this to all my coaching friends and our schools athletic director to be required reading
August 26, 2025
This book is a comprehensive and in depth coaching guide and is a combination of several other leadership/coaching books out there making it great for reminders and refreshers for key topics of coaching
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August 17, 2025“John, get out of my classroom.” This Franciscan Brother was not playing.
Young John had just received a big, red, “F” on a paper, and dialed up enough courage to confront his teacher: “Brother Jeff, there is no way this should be an F, because I know it’s better than a lot of the papers in this class.”
Brother Jeff was having none of it, and struck down his student not with his hand, but with words that would stay with John the rest of his life
“I didn’t give you a grade based upon what everyone else is capable of writing, John,” retorted Brother Jeff. “I gave you a grade based upon what *you* are capable of writing. And you put no effort into this at all. It’s crap.”
And with that stinging line he directed John to leave, then shocked the young student by gathering the books from his desk and throwing them out the third-story window of the school.
This 11th grade student was John O’Sullivan, who went on to become a writer, speaker, podcast host, and longtime soccer coach, and the confrontation took place in the late 1980s at St. Anthony’s High School in South Huntington, NY. I can easily conjure up a mental image of this scene, having had seventeen years of Catholic education with the Dorothean nuns, Christian Brothers, and Jesuits, coming of age in the 1970s and 80s.
O’Sullivan relays this story in his book, “Every Moment Matters: How the World’s Best Coaches Inspire Their Athletes and Build Championships Teams.” I saw a recommendation and took a chance on it, because it occurred to me that winning coaches and effective heads of city agencies are likely grounded in the same fundamental leadership skills.
After reading early in the book O’Sullivan’s assertion that “coaching is a relationship business” and that “this book is about the human side of coaching and making the most of every moment,” I knew I hit a learning jackpot. It is replete with wisdom that can benefit leaders of any type, but I want to highlight one lesson in particular that O’Sullivan shares with the reader via the Brother Jeff anecdote — his “Rule of One."
“One person, one comment, one time can change a life,” writes O’Sullivan. “As coaches, each and every time we interact with our players, we have opportunities to create these ‘Rule of One’ moments. We have the opportunity with just a few words to change the trajectory of a person’s life. We have the ability to create extraordinary moments, if we are intentional about those moments.”
This revelatory mindset applies to anyone in a leadership role. It’s an energizing and inspiring notion, as well as a reminder that despite the aggravating and nonsensical BS beyond our control, and which we are forced to endure, this potentially transformative power lies within our reach. It’s an awesome responsibility that should be understood, cherished… and exercised.
Think about the Rule of One as you commence this upcoming week. Look for these moments and realize the impact you can have.
Put an effort into it that would make Brother Jeff proud.
Young John had just received a big, red, “F” on a paper, and dialed up enough courage to confront his teacher: “Brother Jeff, there is no way this should be an F, because I know it’s better than a lot of the papers in this class.”
Brother Jeff was having none of it, and struck down his student not with his hand, but with words that would stay with John the rest of his life
“I didn’t give you a grade based upon what everyone else is capable of writing, John,” retorted Brother Jeff. “I gave you a grade based upon what *you* are capable of writing. And you put no effort into this at all. It’s crap.”
And with that stinging line he directed John to leave, then shocked the young student by gathering the books from his desk and throwing them out the third-story window of the school.
This 11th grade student was John O’Sullivan, who went on to become a writer, speaker, podcast host, and longtime soccer coach, and the confrontation took place in the late 1980s at St. Anthony’s High School in South Huntington, NY. I can easily conjure up a mental image of this scene, having had seventeen years of Catholic education with the Dorothean nuns, Christian Brothers, and Jesuits, coming of age in the 1970s and 80s.
O’Sullivan relays this story in his book, “Every Moment Matters: How the World’s Best Coaches Inspire Their Athletes and Build Championships Teams.” I saw a recommendation and took a chance on it, because it occurred to me that winning coaches and effective heads of city agencies are likely grounded in the same fundamental leadership skills.
After reading early in the book O’Sullivan’s assertion that “coaching is a relationship business” and that “this book is about the human side of coaching and making the most of every moment,” I knew I hit a learning jackpot. It is replete with wisdom that can benefit leaders of any type, but I want to highlight one lesson in particular that O’Sullivan shares with the reader via the Brother Jeff anecdote — his “Rule of One."
“One person, one comment, one time can change a life,” writes O’Sullivan. “As coaches, each and every time we interact with our players, we have opportunities to create these ‘Rule of One’ moments. We have the opportunity with just a few words to change the trajectory of a person’s life. We have the ability to create extraordinary moments, if we are intentional about those moments.”
This revelatory mindset applies to anyone in a leadership role. It’s an energizing and inspiring notion, as well as a reminder that despite the aggravating and nonsensical BS beyond our control, and which we are forced to endure, this potentially transformative power lies within our reach. It’s an awesome responsibility that should be understood, cherished… and exercised.
Think about the Rule of One as you commence this upcoming week. Look for these moments and realize the impact you can have.
Put an effort into it that would make Brother Jeff proud.
August 12, 2025
I previously read and loved John O'Sullivan's other book, Changing the Game as just a parent of a young athlete. This season I am taking on more assistant coach responsibilities so I turned to this book to learn more about coaching. This book is a treasure trove of advice for all coaches. It's easy to read, and each chapter is tightly focused. The summary at the end of each chapter is worthwhile without making the chapter's content redundant, which is a complaint I often have with these types of advice driven books. There's more than enough content in each chapter that you should read rather than just skimming the bullet points in the summary. I also like the dedicated "action items" section of each chapter, which provides a handy way to revisit the book and implement changes.
The concepts behind O'Sullivan's coaching advice isn't about tactics and strategies. His style is very focused on coaching the athlete in front of you, not the sport. Since the audience is intended for youth and collegiate coaches, a lot of effort goes into ensuring the kids learn to love the sport, forge bonds with teammates, and come out of sports with better character and values. If you happen to win some games along the way, all the better, but a winning record shouldn't be the be-all-end-all for a coach or a team.
There's some repetition throughout the book. And a few coach and team examples come up more than other (e.g. the All Blacks, Steve Kerr). But none of that detracts from the quality of the material and the manner in which it's presented.
The world would be a better place if all coaches would read Every Moment Matters, take its message to heart, and implement its advice at practice and in the game.
The concepts behind O'Sullivan's coaching advice isn't about tactics and strategies. His style is very focused on coaching the athlete in front of you, not the sport. Since the audience is intended for youth and collegiate coaches, a lot of effort goes into ensuring the kids learn to love the sport, forge bonds with teammates, and come out of sports with better character and values. If you happen to win some games along the way, all the better, but a winning record shouldn't be the be-all-end-all for a coach or a team.
There's some repetition throughout the book. And a few coach and team examples come up more than other (e.g. the All Blacks, Steve Kerr). But none of that detracts from the quality of the material and the manner in which it's presented.
The world would be a better place if all coaches would read Every Moment Matters, take its message to heart, and implement its advice at practice and in the game.
February 7, 2025
John O'Sullivan's explanation of his coaching philosophy is different than many other coaching books I have read. Rather than explaining his greatness as a coach or the greatness of athletes he has coaches and attributing their success in part or in whole to himself, as many who write these types of books do, O'Sullivan takes a humble approach. Focused primarily on high school level and lower coaching, this book is still relevant to all ages. O'Sullivan never pushes his philosophy as "The Way" of doing things as many coaching books do, but rather as simply one way of doing things. O'Sullivan explains all of his rules and principles calmly with reasoned arguments that never cross over into self-righteous statements, and instead presents readers with observations of his successes and failures, and what he has learned. Further, O'Sullivan does not brag and say how someone should be, rather he gives specific and actionable examples that anyone can take, writing them down clearly so they can be quickly and easily translated to another team, and with specific reasoning as to why he is including these rules. Further, O'Sullivan never pretends that all of these tactics work, but rather that they can and have for him. This is, without question, the best book on coaching I have ever read to this point. I strongly recommend it to anyone who is looking for advice or guidance on coaching.
June 13, 2024
You do NOT have to be a coach to read and love this book. Everyone should read this.
This is a book about coaching, but it's also not. It's actually a book about leadership and parenting and relationships, because the outstanding lessons here apply to pretty much any area of your life.
I'm a sports fan, but not a coach. This book made me want to be one someday, not professionally, just for a kids T ball team or an intramural team maybe. And it also reminded me that I actually am a coach, in friendships, teaching Sunday School, with kids, and that these life lessons are valid and valuable on just about any of my relationships.
I enjoyed the specific anecdotes about Steve Kerr, the New Zealand All Blacks, and others helping to show the points he's making. I appreciate the section about coaching boys vs girls, and about coaching your own child. A lot of this comes off as common sense, but in a good way -- useful tips told in a straightforward manner, worth hearing and storing away. This is a book you could come back to time and again for a refresh in a particular area.
Highly recommended for anyone and everyone, all the more enhanced if you're a sports fan or an actual coach.
This is a book about coaching, but it's also not. It's actually a book about leadership and parenting and relationships, because the outstanding lessons here apply to pretty much any area of your life.
I'm a sports fan, but not a coach. This book made me want to be one someday, not professionally, just for a kids T ball team or an intramural team maybe. And it also reminded me that I actually am a coach, in friendships, teaching Sunday School, with kids, and that these life lessons are valid and valuable on just about any of my relationships.
I enjoyed the specific anecdotes about Steve Kerr, the New Zealand All Blacks, and others helping to show the points he's making. I appreciate the section about coaching boys vs girls, and about coaching your own child. A lot of this comes off as common sense, but in a good way -- useful tips told in a straightforward manner, worth hearing and storing away. This is a book you could come back to time and again for a refresh in a particular area.
Highly recommended for anyone and everyone, all the more enhanced if you're a sports fan or an actual coach.
August 13, 2020
This may not be a book many of you pick up, and it is not typically the one I pick up either. I rate this book a 5/5
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I have been a coach for 15+ years and I do it because I love it. The ability to give back to the game that has given me so much is truly a gift.
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This encouraging book by John O'Sullivan very clearly highlights the highs and lows of coaching sports, how winning is not the sole purpose, and how athletes as well as coaches are growing individuals. Many great real-life stories, influential sports figures, and realizations are presented wonderfully in this book. Also included are great skill-building activities, thought invoking questions, and amazing resources. There is so much more to coaching then wins and losses and it is exceptionally outlined and supported throughout this book.
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I recommend this book to anyone involved in sport. Parents, athletes, coaches, and volunteers should all read this as there are outstanding takeaways for everyone.
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I have been a coach for 15+ years and I do it because I love it. The ability to give back to the game that has given me so much is truly a gift.
.
This encouraging book by John O'Sullivan very clearly highlights the highs and lows of coaching sports, how winning is not the sole purpose, and how athletes as well as coaches are growing individuals. Many great real-life stories, influential sports figures, and realizations are presented wonderfully in this book. Also included are great skill-building activities, thought invoking questions, and amazing resources. There is so much more to coaching then wins and losses and it is exceptionally outlined and supported throughout this book.
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I recommend this book to anyone involved in sport. Parents, athletes, coaches, and volunteers should all read this as there are outstanding takeaways for everyone.
December 14, 2021
I'm always intrigued by reading stories of success, and this book seems relevant in just about every area of life. How do you bring people together? How do you create a community? How do you create a system that utilizes each person's unique skills for the maximal team benefit? These questions are relevant on the baseball diamond, but also in the workplace.
The author interviews people like Steve Kerr, but he also goes to successful parks and recreation leagues to see what is working right and how to help people and all kinds of different organizations thrive. Obviously I think sports fans will get much more out of this book, but I would actually recommend this for a variety of applications.
The author interviews people like Steve Kerr, but he also goes to successful parks and recreation leagues to see what is working right and how to help people and all kinds of different organizations thrive. Obviously I think sports fans will get much more out of this book, but I would actually recommend this for a variety of applications.
June 11, 2025
I picked this book up after browsing on my library’s audiobook collection. If has just been a great season for my club, Barcelona FC, and you can see that much of the reason is because of Hansi Flick’s coaching. So, I picked this book up wanting to learn the approaches that coaches use to create a great mindset in their team. I had no idea it was about youth coaching, but it still suited my purposes. One day, I hope I’ll have a legal team to lead, and it’s good that I have felt out these coach books and I’ll be sure to read more of them. I especially loved the focus on creating the values that your team will lead with and building around that. Athletes have to push themselves every day, and it’s very hard to do that when you don’t have a strong driver.
July 27, 2021
I really enjoyed this book that I was assigned for a coaching class I took this summer. It covered a lot of ground from thinking about what makes a great coach/team culture to how organizations are making changes to better retain athletes for longer periods of time, thus giving them more opportunities to develop, build community and grow as young people. Although endurance sports were not directly addressed much, I took away a lot of great ideas that I can use this year. If you work with young people, I would recommend this book as there are a lot of great ideas whether you are a coach or educator or both.
June 21, 2024
This book was gifted by a dear friend heading into my first official coaching season and it was such a treat to read. John writes with great and engaging examples and I loved thinking about how I want to lead and reflecting on the coaches who I have been influenced by and why. Coaching feels natural and extremely daunting and it was comforting to read that no matter the level many people who embark on coaching can feel the same. Tons of good lessons and many dog eared and highlighted notes to return back to!
October 4, 2025
This book will provide some good reminders and also new ideas to any coach out there. O'Sullivan uses personal anecdotes from his own time as a coach, but also pulls lessons from John Wooden, New Zealand's All Blacks, Gregg Popovich, Anson Dorrance, Pete Carroll, Steve Kerr, etc.
O'Sullivan is thorough in his research. Additionally, he organizes his ideas / chapters in a logical manner and he covers a wide variety of topics. As an example, there is a chapter on coaching boys compared to coaching girls and also coaching your own child.
O'Sullivan is thorough in his research. Additionally, he organizes his ideas / chapters in a logical manner and he covers a wide variety of topics. As an example, there is a chapter on coaching boys compared to coaching girls and also coaching your own child.
February 8, 2020
What an absolutely fantastic book on coaching youth sports. It has tons of insight on developing the right environment for kids to become self-motivating, high-performing, and resilient on and off the field.
The only thing keeping me from giving this 5 stars is that I would've liked more specific, real-world examples or scenarios. For me, that might fully cement specific lessons for me. There's tons of useful ideas in the book, and some of them would've been easier for me to pull into my day-to-day coaching if I had a few more examples.
Regardless, I'd recommend this book to anyone coaching kids. I'll definitely be referencing the book often over the next few seasons.
The only thing keeping me from giving this 5 stars is that I would've liked more specific, real-world examples or scenarios. For me, that might fully cement specific lessons for me. There's tons of useful ideas in the book, and some of them would've been easier for me to pull into my day-to-day coaching if I had a few more examples.
Regardless, I'd recommend this book to anyone coaching kids. I'll definitely be referencing the book often over the next few seasons.
August 10, 2025
Tons of great stuff
Whether you are new to coaching or a seasoned veteran, you will find something in this book that will either make you better, or inspire you to be better. Take the ideas or concepts of the author and create your own plan, method, or project. Or, take the ideas directly and incorporate them into your coaching. Either way, it would be hard not to find something of value in this book.
Whether you are new to coaching or a seasoned veteran, you will find something in this book that will either make you better, or inspire you to be better. Take the ideas or concepts of the author and create your own plan, method, or project. Or, take the ideas directly and incorporate them into your coaching. Either way, it would be hard not to find something of value in this book.
August 13, 2025
This book is a must read for anyone who coaches. Or leads a team at work. The research and experiences explained in this book will make you not only a better coach, but a better parent, friend, leader, employee…person. I loved every moment of it. Some of it reinforced things I already know and challenged me on things I thought I knew. I took my time reading it and took notes as I went along. I will reread it as I continue as a coach and manager. Often.
March 15, 2020
One of the best coaching books I have read! While it touches on many other ideas and topics I have read in other books, it is well put together. O'Sullivan organizes this book very well and makes it informative and also easy to digest. Every time I put this book down I was inspired to continue coaching.
November 21, 2022
More of a summary of the author's takeaways from other popular coaching and related books (Legacy, Culture Code, books on trust or the power of moments, etc.). If you have read many of those it might feel more like a refresher, but if not it seems like a solid introduction to some of the talked about positive coaching and positive culture ideas that are out there.
February 13, 2025
One of the best coaching books I have read. Covers such a broad range of topics and issues that any coach should self-evaluate and assure that they have squared away in order to best communicate with their players. Provides example conversation starters, as well as gives insight to how several NCAA national champion coaches communicate, which I always find intriguing as a fellow NCAA coach.
October 22, 2025
A great book for coaches of all levels and all sports. It focuses on building relationships with your athletes. Despite being packed with information, it is clear and concise. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to build a strong team culture to get the most out of your athletes and your experience as a coach.
April 30, 2020
Thank you John O'Sullivan
One of the best all encompassing books on coaching I've ever read. Filled with great research and knowledge and John does a tremendous job of breaking down the research and providing ideas that can be implemented into your coach. A must read!
One of the best all encompassing books on coaching I've ever read. Filled with great research and knowledge and John does a tremendous job of breaking down the research and providing ideas that can be implemented into your coach. A must read!
February 18, 2021
This is a great book for anyone who coaches youth sports. I have read John's other book, Changing the Game, and together these give a great overall thought process around improving our youth sports and how we can improve it.
November 26, 2021
This is the best coaching book I have read.
Thank you Brother Jeff Pederson for planting a tree that you would never see!
If John O'Sullivan ever reads this review I hope he can feel hoe grateful I am for this book!!!
Thank you!
Thank you Brother Jeff Pederson for planting a tree that you would never see!
If John O'Sullivan ever reads this review I hope he can feel hoe grateful I am for this book!!!
Thank you!
July 5, 2022
Suuuuuch a good book for new coaches, or seasoned. I literally kept a paper notebook and a notes file on my phone while listening to this book on Audible for all the tips and knowledge shared! I will be sharing this book with my entire coaching team!
November 1, 2022
Every moment matters
This book will challenge and make you rethink all you know and do in coaching. From the youngest athlete to life coaching, you will be pushed to make every moment matter. Great reading for life!
This book will challenge and make you rethink all you know and do in coaching. From the youngest athlete to life coaching, you will be pushed to make every moment matter. Great reading for life!
July 21, 2023
I highly recommend the book to all coaches and parents. Main idea for me from the book is that sport should be fun on the first place and it is more about person, rather than sport itself.
I’m outlining below my highlights and notes from the book - which was great read full of wisdom in coaching, with practical examples from soccer.
If you won’t read the book or at least the highlights below (more than 50), read and think over this one quote:
“If you try to do free play to improve and get better, it will not work,” says Kroeten. “It can only be for one reason, and that is enjoyment. “
Ted from the author with some key ideas - John O’Sallivan - I love watching you play!
To see the whole review, see my note - https://teletype.in/@tigranmamikonian...
I’m outlining below my highlights and notes from the book - which was great read full of wisdom in coaching, with practical examples from soccer.
If you won’t read the book or at least the highlights below (more than 50), read and think over this one quote:
“If you try to do free play to improve and get better, it will not work,” says Kroeten. “It can only be for one reason, and that is enjoyment. “
Ted from the author with some key ideas - John O’Sallivan - I love watching you play!
To see the whole review, see my note - https://teletype.in/@tigranmamikonian...
August 13, 2023
I highly recommend this book for anyone coaching at any level, but especially coaching in youth sports. Whether you are a new coach or have been doing this for many years, there is something you can take away from this book. 5 stars!
May 5, 2025
I cannot even begin to explain why this is the greatest book for coaches/teachers/directors/parents to read. WOW!!!! so much information. So much great information. As a coach, I could listen to it over and over again and learn something new every time.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews