6 Sports Business Books That Should Be on Your Holiday Wish List

The holidays are upon us once again. While we may have grown out of writing letters to Santa Claus, plenty of us still keep track of the things we want to give or get on our Amazon Wish List or something similar. To quote the late, great Nelson Mandela, “If you make one gift this year, make it the gift of knowledge.”

The SportsBiz Book Exchange is a project headed up by Mark Hodgkin of NeuLion College in which sports industry professionals can share their favorite reads with one another. The exchange includes folks from every stage of their careers from interns to CEOs, all learning from each other as well as the material.

A few of their most active members offered recommendations for your must-read list this holiday season.

“Year of Yes” by Shonda Rhimes

Rhimes, a very successful television producer, has a lot going on. But in this book, she details how being open to new experiences and new challenges helped push her to the next level both as a person and as a professional.

“I’ve been on a kick to read more books written by women, and after checking out the reviews, I quickly ordered this one. This book was absolutely incredible and I recommend it to everyone I know who enjoys a good read. Like me, Shonda is an introvert; she works hard and spends whatever free time she has at home with her family.

“However, she challenged herself to a yearlong journey of saying ‘yes’ to everything, whether it be media requests, speaking engagements, family time, etc. The book is her story of that year and what she learned about herself. Easily one of my all-time favorites!”

– Katie Gwinn Hewitt, associate director of external communications and PR at the University of Michigan

“Brands Win Championships” and “Athletes Are Brands Too” by Jeremy Darlow

A veteran of the brand-building world, Darlow wrote two books that are essential for every marketing student. In “Brands,” Darlow details the key elements of building brands that top-level athletes want to play for. In “Athletes,” he focuses more on how to create a personal brand for individual athletes, or anyone else.

“I really enjoyed Jeremy Darlow’s ‘Athletes Are Brands Too,’ his follow-up to ‘Brands Win Championships.’ ‘Athletes Are Brands Too’ focuses on how building a brand can lead to success off the field during and after an athletic career is over. The book serves as a blueprint on how to capitalize on opportunities that will reach far beyond sports. Even if you are not an athlete, the book highlights how to build a personal brand through strategic marketing. Both ‘Brands Win Championships’ and ‘Athletes Are Brands Too’ should be on your holiday wish list if you are in the sports industry.”

– Joe Centeno, art director at Team Infographics

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“Shoe Dog” by Phil Knight

Ever been curious about how Nike grew from a prototype shoe in the 1960s to a multi-billion dollar company today? In “Shoe Dog,” Knight goes over that process extensively, as well as the experiences that helped shape him into the kind of businessman that he is today.

“It’s a fascinating read for sports junkies and entrepreneurs. Nike is about as transformative a company as there’s ever been in sports business, and though I wish this would have a sequel on the later years, it’s fascinating to see where the company started.”

– Mark Hodgkin, director of product innovation at Neulion College

“Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration” by Ed Catmull

This book contains lessons on leadership and overcoming creative obstacles that came from the inception and rise of Pixar Animation Studios. Catmull’s stories are helpful in not only showing new ways to find way good ideas, but in how to make good ideas become great ideas.

“What I found most appealing in ‘Creativity, Inc.’ was learning about creating a culture of creativity and originality, being comfortable with breaking the norm. I was so refreshed by the self-awareness, humility, and sense of whimsy that was woven throughout Catmull’s messages. And what I love about the #SBBX, in general, is that Mark Hodgkin has paired me with such great reads that I may not have picked up otherwise, while also fostering an environment of stronger relationships with others in the sports industry.”

– Katie Cavender, strategic communications and digital/social media at the College Football Playoff

“What Made Maddy Run” by Kate Fagan

An essential quality of anyone who works with young athletes is empathy. The story detailed in this book is evidence of what high school and college athletes deal with in terms of pressure and, hopefully, can lead to fewer outcomes like this in the future.

“Fagan does an excellent job telling the story of Maddy Holleran, a Penn track student who committed suicide because of the pressure she put on herself and unrealistic expectations she set for herself. Maddy’s story is more common than people realize, and anyone who works in college athletics or interacts with student-athletes should read this book.”

– Hannah Bradley, media relations for the Southern Conference

For more great reads that can help you take the next step in your professional development, consider joining the SportsBiz Book Exchange. They do new exchanges every couple of months. To get updates on new exchanges, follow the #SBBX hashtag on Twitter.