I first read this book when I was instructing sports massage for a massage school. I liked it a lot but forgot the title and author after leaving that school. Gratefully, I found it again after a bit of search.As a teacher, this book is my go-to when I need to review before a sports massage class, but it also has all the basics that you need for the PRACTICE of athletic massage.I am especially grateful for Pat Archer's treatment of how to deal with the various stages and grades of injury. Many books will not tell you what kind of work might be indicated for an acute injury, for example, but this text goes into the exact type of work that a massage therapist MAY perform, the benefits and the contraindications.If you are only going to get one sports massage text, this is the one to buy.