Tag Archives: book

Bob Wilber, Author, ‘How Far?: A Tale of Determination, DNA, and Drama’, Drag Racing, Sports PR

Tech of Sports, , ,

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Email | RSS

Great to catch up with Bob Wilber this week.

Wilber’s book How Far? explores the incredible friendship that blossoms between a baseball player from Southern California and a hockey player from Minnesota. How Far? is an inspiring story that isn’t just for sports fans — it’s for anyone who wants to be motivated to keep working toward their goals and overcome life’s inevitable setbacks.

Plot:

As the son of a major league baseball player and a former baseball player himself, author Bob Wilber has lived the athlete life, and in his new book, How Far?, Wilber weaves the compelling story of two disparate athletes who meet and form an unlikely bond. His creative use of first-person writing, having his fictional protagonists appear to write the book themselves in their distinct voices, immerses readers in every thought and word of the two characters.

Brooks Bennett is a gifted baseball player (and the son of artist hippies) from Southern California, and Eric Olson is an undersized hockey player from Roseau, Minnesota — where hockey is king. The two men come from vastly different worlds and couldn’t be more dissimilar. And in one spontaneous moment, their paths cross, and their lives change forever.

How Far? follows their serendipitous meeting and what happens as they each experience the emotional and physical highs and lows of their careers. Wilber takes readers on deep dives into the worlds of amateur and professional sports, down to the richest and most evocative details. On the ice, on the field, in the locker rooms and while facing life’s many personal challenges, the two characters tell the tale as it really is.

How Far? is a story that will appeal to sports fans as well as anyone who appreciates an inspiring story of personal growth and perseverance.

“When asked if it’s a sports book, my answer is, ‘It’s a life book, told through a sports lens,’” Wilber said.

Bob Wilber is no stranger to the world of sports. The son of Major League player Del Wilber, Bob Wilber grew up playing baseball. He graduated from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville with a bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism, then went on to play several seasons of minor league baseball for the Detroit Tigers and the Oakland A’s. When his playing days were over, Wilber spent time as a regional scouting supervisor for the Toronto Blue Jays.

Wilber also grew up with a passion for writing, and ended up journeying through the world of international sports marketing before he was a senior executive for three professional indoor soccer franchises. An interest in NHRA drag racing led to his 22 years as a public relations representative and team manager for professional racers. Wilber published his autobiography Bats, Balls, & Burnouts in 2017. How Far? is his first work of fiction.

A great talk with Bob, have a listen.

 

 

Former U.S. Congressman Ric Keller, ‘Chase the Bears: Little Things to Achieve Big Dreams’

Tech of Sports, ,

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Email | RSS

Former US Congressman, Ric Keller, joins Rick this week with a new book and “achieving your dreams.”

Former U.S. Congressman Ric Keller explores the upside of taking  educated risks and shares other success principles he wishes he’d  known as a young person in his new book, Chase the Bears: Little Things to Achieve Big Dreams.

An inspiring, humorous, and original book of conventional and unconventional self-help ideas from former Congressman Ric Keller, who rose from humble beginnings to the US House of Representatives.

We are all born with a gift—a unique skill or talent that brings us joy and serves the greater good. At some point, we come to a crossroads: should we take a risk and chase our dreams or play it safe? Should we “chase the bears,” a metaphor for chasing our dreams, or are we fearful? In Chase the Bears, Ric Keller shows you that it is never too late. No matter your age or stage in life, you can still be what you wish to be. This inspiring book weaves together practical, actionable steps with fascinating stories about how other successful people have applied secret techniques to convert their thoughts and dreams into reality. Learn how you can, too!

M.K. Lever, Author, College Athletics Novel, ‘Surviving the Second Tier’

Tech of Sports, ,

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Email | RSS

Rick is joined this week by former D-I student athlete and now author, M.K. Lever.

Imagine a world where coercion, control, surveillance, and manipulation reign. Where imbalance of power makes exploitation easy and where those at the bottom of the heap sacrifice everything to make a profit for those at the top. M.K. Lever’s knockout debut work of fiction, Surviving the Second Tier, weaves these issues and themes throughout a new fictional dystopia to display the real world truths that face athletes in the college athletic system.

This is a great candid interview and I believe this novel should be required reading for athletes.

“I wrote this book to educate readers about the reality of the college sports industry, as someone who has been there before,” shares Lever. “Sometimes, facts and statistics don’t stick with people and since we are intrinsically wired to follow narratives, I wanted to tell people a story in hopes that the message would resonate in a unique and powerful way. I wanted to give college sports the 1984 treatment and create a narrative that would be impactful and a little unsettling.”

Lever, a former Division 1 athlete and PhD candidate at UT Austin, combines her personal experiences as a college athlete and the weight of her academic research in areas concerning NCAA rhetoric, discourse, and policy to create her stunning and emotionally driven literary debut. Surviving the Second Tier depicts a new day in college athletics in which the old multi-sport model has collapsed and the bare bones, but extremely profitable Amateur Fighting Association has risen in its place. Where students once competed in a multitude of sports on a variety of playing fields, now college athletes have only the AFA ring in which to prove themselves in full-contact, no holds barred fights to the finish.

Have a listen and get the book!

Peggy Sullivan, SheCan! and Author ‘Happiness Is Your Responsibility’

Tech of Sports, ,

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Email | RSS

Peggy Sullivan joins Rick this week. Peggy is the Author of the book, “Happiness Is Your Responsibility”. The book is a combination of emotion, humor, and straight talk to inspire others to believe and see how they can have the life they want. By sharing practical wisdom and touching personal stories, Peggy provides insight into how to cultivate what makes people happy through a set of strategies and behaviors that anyone can practice. You can purchase “Happiness is Your Responsibility” at https://bit.ly/3B61rmg

Peggy is the CEO of a national women’s nonprofit that empowers women to grow personally and professionally. With a strong and supportive community, SheCAN! provides continuous learning and support to help women step into their power, as well as grow, thrive, and find their vibe.

Jotham S. Stein, ‘Negotiate Like a CEO’

Tech of Sports, , ,

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Email | RSS

Rick is joined by author and lawyer, Jotham S. Stein this week.

What does it mean to negotiate like a CEO? How important are employment agreements? How can you learn to protect yourself and your family if the worst does happen? These are all questions that Jotham S. Stein addresses in his book Negotiate Like a CEO, with the goal of equipping individuals with the tools they need to safeguard themselves in business and employment.

A lively, engaging read, Negotiate Like a CEO outlines how employees, executives, and entrepreneurs have protected themselves in the past, and gives readers eye-opening advice on how to make sure they won’t get taken advantage of. The book describes best practices, common pitfalls, and sky’s-the-limit possibilities at any career stage, whether you’re just out of college or you’re gunning for that C-suite job.

This book isn’t just for top executives but is for anyone at any stage of their career. It’s never too early or too late to start learning what to look out for, how to negotiate a better deal, and, most importantly, how to protect yourself.

“It is imperative to protect yourself in business and employment,” says Stein. “It’s essential to understand the dynamics at play in any work situation and how best to use them to protect yourself, your family, and your friends.”

Stein is the principal of the Law Offices of Jotham S. Stein P.C. He has more than two decades of experience representing entrepreneurs and C-Suite executives, board members, venture capitalists, private equity principals, and investment bankers as well as less senior employees of all size companies.

He is a graduate of Stanford Law School and Princeton University. He is admitted to practice in California, Illinois, New York, Colorado, and the District of Columbia as well as the United States Supreme Court, and several United States Courts of Appeals and United States District Courts. He is also a member of multiple bar associations, including the American Bar Association.

Stein is the author of Executive Employment Law: Protecting Executives, Entrepreneurs and Employees, a how-to guide for practitioners.

Kevin Gallagher, Author ‘Teach Your Kids to Hit’

Tech of Sports, ,

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Email | RSS

Kevin Gallagher joins Rick this week to talk his new book and “saving baseball.”

SAVE THE GAME ™ is a grass roots initiative to invigorate Major League Baseball and increase youth participation in the game; the initiative was launched by the nine-year veteran former MLB player Jeff Frye (Rangers, Red Sox, Rockies, Blue Jays), and two New York college standouts – Kevin Gallagher (Pace University) and Pat Geoghegan (Mercy College). Gallagher’s book, “Teach Your Kid to Hit … So they Don’t Quit,” was the genesis of the “Save the Game” ™ movement. The hope is that the initiative will ensure the revitalization of the game toward a healthy business future.

Visit www.savethegameus.com for more information and to sign the petition.
The initiative starts a one million signature petition-for-change effort to gain momentum toward a National movement, while grabbing the attention of MLB executives on a league and team level.  Visit www.savethegameus.com for more information and to sign the petition.

Simply stated, Gallagher, Frye and Geoghegan contend that MLB has lost its entertainment value because of its reliance on the power swing and little action between home runs. America’s youth is not engaged with MLB because the game has become too slow for this generation. Without the next generation’s involvement, MLB’s customer base will be diminished and baseball could lose its relevance and becomes a niche sport.

SAVE THE GAME ™ group wants to align with MLB on issues it has raised and problems already recognized in a grassroots effort.
Some of the focuses of SAVE THE GAME ™ include:
·       Give a Voice to the American baseball fan.
·       increasing youth participation in baseball with instruction from the book, and aligning with MLB to partner on the message.
·       reaching out to the RBI Foundations of each team (Revive Baseball in Inner Cities) to provide support and tools to help kids play the game
·       developing an app for parents which will provide a process to teaching kids, so they enjoy the game
·       Creating new fans.

It is the belief of the trio, and many experts are in agreement, that baseball has lost its luster because of its lack of action and strategy. Once America’s pastime, today it lags in television ratings (down 50 percent since 2003), sponsorship dollars and younger fan interest (only 7 percent under 18 watch baseball).

The hope is to revive baseball by bringing it back to its quicker pace of bygone years. The strategy, beginning with a player’s swing in youth baseball, includes: contact hitting and keeping the ball in play instead of swinging for the fences to increase action, thus making the game more entertaining; and by engaging younger fans and instructing younger players on the art of the game from Little League to High School to College.

Gallagher gives this example of the current “All or Nothing” approach: “There are only 2.46 home runs hit per game. In a three-hour game, you’re only getting a home run every hour. In between home runs is what is killing baseball. There is no action. We have to restore the game to the way it was historically played.”

Enjoyed this talk with Kevin.