The Oldest Sport: A Novella of Grit and Glory

Alan Martinez isn't an academic champion, a computer wiz, or a superstar athlete. By all accounts, he is in fact one of the most average teenagers in all of East Hamilton High. But that all changes when Alan stumbles into a wrestling practice one day after school.

Before long, Alan joins the team and embarks on an athletic endeavor tougher than anything he could have ever imagined. As he learns the ropes of the world's oldest sport, this one-time slacker learns the true meaning of grit, self-confidence, and determination. And just when he starts to get the hang of wrestling, a new challenge arises...one that seems impossible to overcome. Alan might be a quick learner, but will he be able to dig deep and discover his true potential?

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I've been coaching the Jeffersonville Red Devils four years, going on five. I have been blessed beyond measure with this unique opportunity to coach a group of kids who willingly choose to train in the most difficult sport in the world. Day after day, I walk into the wrestling room and breathe in that unique funk of sweat, foam mats, and suffering. To the uninitiated, wrestlers probably seem like madmen, and in fairness, to choose a sport like this, we probably are.

No matter what kind of school day I had before practice, the Jeffersonville High School wrestling room is always a second home. Over the past several years, I've seen this incredible sport of wrestling transform the lives of hundreds of kids. I only wrestled for a little while in high school, but I'm proudly able to give back to the sport now in a new way.

It didn't take long for me to decide that I wanted to write my own story inspired by the thousands of lessons I learned from wrestling. "The Oldest Sport" may not be based on a true story, but the lessons within it? That's about as real as it gets!

The Oldest Sport will be available in ebook and paperback on November 17th, 2023. It will make an outstanding Christmas gift for the wrestler, coach, or aspiring young athlete in your life.

Preorder Your Copy Today!