As you know, every Wednesday we provide you with a new athlete or coach who exemplifies the featured character trait. It is called, Role Model Wednesday. I wrote 132 chapters to cover 3 seasons a year x 4 years. Even if you are a 3 sport athlete, you will never have to read the same chapter in a 4-year high school career.  You should see a variety of athletes representing diverse sports, diverse ethnic backgrounds, diverse time periods (historical and contemporary), diverse childhood experiences and diverse life perspectives. The idea is to give you a new athlete to inspire you on and off the field. You don’t have to identify with each role model, but you should be able to glean something from their life that you can apply to your life. The people that I choose for determination are probably very different than the people I choose for integrity because they probably grew up differently and have different world views.

No athlete or coach ever sees these books as we placed the chapters on the app. Buying books for every athlete in your school would be an insanely high bill for a school to pay. However, every time that I provided a friend with a chapter from the book, they suggested that these chapters need to reach a broader audience. “The average everyday sports fan would love to read the stories of the people they admire,” they would say. “And to also read the stories that they did not know existed in the world of sports. These are the stories behind the stories. We all can use a little inspiration.”

So, last year, I put these stories into books and printed thousands of copies. It was a $20,000 bet that the average sports fan would want to read these books. So, we began marketing these books across America.  To date, I have been interviewed 41 times by TV hosts, radio personalities, journalists and podcasters.  We average about 2 interviews per day. It’s been a lot of fun talking about the athletes and explaining the significance of these stories in our culture. I will provide you with one of those interviews below. This one is from the morning program of WGN Chicago.

I do hope that you like the chapters. I do hope that you learn something from each of these role models. None of these individuals are perfect. I did not choose many boy scouts or saints, which means that they are all flawed human beings (as are you and me). Some were actually chosen for the hardships in their lives and what they had to overcome. Others did not always make the best choices. However, I hope they all teach valuable life lessons and they inspire you to do better and be better. If you or your parents would like to order 1 or all 3 books, you can do so at www.amazingrolemodels.com.

Your Turn: I would love to hear your feedback on these chapters. What are your overall thoughts? Do you have a favorite? We still have about 10 chapters to write for book 4, is there someone you think I should write about?