A coach's job is all-embracing and covers many areas including how to deal with the media. I remember reading that Tim Percival's first book was something a little different and have thoroughly enjoyed On the Record & on the Ball

I doubt that I am the only person who is rarely interested in listening to sportspeople being interviewed: personally, I watch it for the sporting action but, as Tim has proven with a book of 210 pages, dealing with the media is an important aspect for coaches to consider even if it may hold little interest for people like me. What is interesting about Tim's book is the relationship between coach (and players) and the media and how it can work to the benefit of the team if done correctly and well. Coaches give their thoughts and views on how they have approached the subject.

On the Record & on the Ball is engagingly written and makes use of top coaches from a wide-ranging number of sports thus giving a balanced perspective and insight from many sports. All the points and sports are interwoven amongst different categories mentioned and makes for interesting reading.

Sports coverage has undeniably evolved and quite dramatically and Tim's examples of some media interviews given by coaches show, it may be fair to say, how some have worked well and how some have been disastrous. There are so many different media forms now available that coaches need to be on top of this important area.

Tim's role as Communications Lead for the England Rugby team makes him ideally placed to write such a book and he has held other senior communication and marketing positions in professional sport. I have undoubtedly learnt a good deal about how current media works and terms which I have heard of make better sense now although I am still not encouraged to give social media a go.