Coaching isn't just about the shot. It's about the person taking it.
The moments that shape a player rarely happen mid shot. They happen in the chair beside the table, where confidence is steadied, trust is built, and a teammate is reminded of who they are before they stand back up.
The most important coaching moments in billiards rarely happen while someone is shooting. They happen from the chair beside them. Coaching From the Chair is a practical guide for billiards players, team captains, coaches, mentors, and anyone committed to helping others perform with greater confidence. Matthew Rodriguez explores the principles that help coaches build confidence, strengthen character, develop trust, and create a team culture where people can grow. This is not simply a book about choosing the right shot. It is about becoming the kind of teammate people trust, the kind of mentor people remember, and the kind of leader who makes a lasting difference.
Also available on Amazon
The hands-on companion to Chairside Coaching. Built on the TRUST, READ, and CLEAR frameworks, the Workbook pairs practical teachings and real-world examples with reflection questions, assessments, and reusable planning pages — for coaches, mentors, and leaders helping people become more confident, capable, and connected.
Also available on Amazon
Your pocket reference — every match, every moment. A portable companion to the Chairside Coaching system, with quick-reference tools for reading the player, managing timeouts, building confidence, and communicating under pressure — so when a match starts going sideways, you know what to see, what to say, and what to do.
Also available on Amazon
$11.99
Learn From the Chair
What Is Being Built Next
Certifications, tutorials, and mentoring are in development. Nothing is open yet, and each one will be announced here the moment it is ready.
Coming Soon
Coaching Certifications
A structured path for coaches and captains who want a shared language for developing players.
Coming Soon
Tutorial Video Series
Short lessons on decision making, practice structure, and coaching through pressure.
Coming Soon
Mentoring Sessions
One to one mentoring for coaches, team leaders, and players stepping into a leadership role.
More Than Billiards
The Table Is Only Where It Starts
A team that learns to trust each other on league night carries that into the shop floor, the office, and the family table. The same habits that steady a player under pressure steady an employee, a captain, and a friend.
Chairside Coaching is a movement built around the betterment of your team. Stronger players, stronger people, and leaders who know that the work is about the person in front of them.
The Story Behind the Chair
Matthew Rodriguez
Coach. Mentor. Author. Leader.
The business is modeled around helping your team grow to and past their potential. Lessons on decision making and how to coach and train your teams on becoming stronger players and employees alike.
Great coaching isn't about controlling someone else's game. It's about being present when they need you most.
Matthew Rodriguez
Why the Chair Matters
The Seat Beside the Table Is Where Coaching Lives
01
You see the whole table
From the chair you read patterns, pace, and pressure that a shooter standing over the cue simply cannot see.
02
You see the person first
Body language tells you what the score sheet never will. The chair is where you notice it and decide how to respond.
03
Timing matters more than advice
The right words at the wrong moment land as noise. Waiting for the moment is part of the coaching.
04
Silence is a coaching tool
Sometimes the strongest thing you can offer is steady presence while a teammate works through the rack alone.
05
The chair sets the tone
How a coach carries a loss from the chair teaches the entire team how to carry their own.
Questions Answered
Straight Answers
It is a coaching approach built around the moments beside the table. The focus is on developing the person, not only correcting the shot, using four pillars of confidence, trust, accountability, and growth.
Billiards players, team captains, coaches, mentors, and anyone responsible for helping a group of people perform and grow together.
No. Billiards is the entry point and the storytelling device. The leadership lessons apply to any team where people are learning under pressure.
All three books — Coaching From the Chair, The Chairside Coaching Workbook, and the Field Guide — are available to order. Certifications, videos, and mentoring are still being built.
They are planned and in development. Dates are not set yet, and they will be announced here as soon as they are.
Send a message through the form on this page or email rodriguez_matthew22@yahoo.com. Every message comes straight to him.
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Ready to Change the Way You Coach?
Pick up the book, or send a note about your team and what you are trying to build. Every message comes straight to Matthew.
