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The Coach's Son
Have you ever felt that your presence at a sporting event influenced the result? Are you certain your team could not possibly succeed without you at the game? Do you believe your adherence to a precise routine on game day, whether at the stadium or in your own home, is the key to winning or losing? And if you don't hold to these rituals exactly, do you believe in your heart that your team is doomed? If you are a sports fan, you know about superstitions, curses and hexes. The sporting world is littered with these legends. Some, like the Curse of the Bambino, the Curse of the Billy Goat, or being on the cover of Sports Illustrated, are well known and documented. More recently, there has been a rising swell of evidence supporting the Madden Curse. But there are other stories similar to these that have never been told. This is one of those stories. It is the story of a boy named Mark O'Bern.
248 pages, Paperback
First published August 28, 2006
3 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 2, 2012
Further Explorations of Unique Lads Coming of Age
Jeffrey Hickey understands the challenges and the glees of young boys coming to grips with the ominous threat of adulthood. As he so successfully accomplished in his novel MOREHEAD he sets out in THE COACH'S SON to offer an insider's vantage of what stumbling blocs and opportunities face the maturing brain and body of boys climbing the ladder to manhood. Though the book is not (by the author's note) a memoir, it is based on experience cum research that keeps the frontline story of a lad (Mark O'Bern) who mirrors the being the `seer son' of a football coach. But for many the storyline of the adventures and highlights of this strange gift that the coach's son has in advising his father regarding sports decisions are not nearly as entertaining as the study of Mark O'Bern, a kid subjected to all the steps and missteps of growing up in America during the 1960s and 1970s.
That is not to say this book will not appeal to sports fans: there is enough quality information in this book to satisfy even the most obsessed football fan. But more than that we have the pleasure of getting to know a boy challenged by rules of education, of etiquette, of relationships with both boys and girls, the thwarted attempts at sexual encounters, and such obstacles as dealing with the fact that he has a chronic problem with defecation (see the hilarious cover photograph) and with the outlet of masturbation, and with moving through life as ordered by the world.
Jeffrey Hickey has that ability to inform and entertain simultaneously, and as he continues to prove to his readers, he has the ability to create unforgettable characters - not too far removed form the status of Holden Caulfield and Jonathan Safran Foer in his own `Everything is Illuminated'. Hickey makes us recall and even relive the tightrope of walking the line of the growing child in each of us.
Grady Harp
Jeffrey Hickey understands the challenges and the glees of young boys coming to grips with the ominous threat of adulthood. As he so successfully accomplished in his novel MOREHEAD he sets out in THE COACH'S SON to offer an insider's vantage of what stumbling blocs and opportunities face the maturing brain and body of boys climbing the ladder to manhood. Though the book is not (by the author's note) a memoir, it is based on experience cum research that keeps the frontline story of a lad (Mark O'Bern) who mirrors the being the `seer son' of a football coach. But for many the storyline of the adventures and highlights of this strange gift that the coach's son has in advising his father regarding sports decisions are not nearly as entertaining as the study of Mark O'Bern, a kid subjected to all the steps and missteps of growing up in America during the 1960s and 1970s.
That is not to say this book will not appeal to sports fans: there is enough quality information in this book to satisfy even the most obsessed football fan. But more than that we have the pleasure of getting to know a boy challenged by rules of education, of etiquette, of relationships with both boys and girls, the thwarted attempts at sexual encounters, and such obstacles as dealing with the fact that he has a chronic problem with defecation (see the hilarious cover photograph) and with the outlet of masturbation, and with moving through life as ordered by the world.
Jeffrey Hickey has that ability to inform and entertain simultaneously, and as he continues to prove to his readers, he has the ability to create unforgettable characters - not too far removed form the status of Holden Caulfield and Jonathan Safran Foer in his own `Everything is Illuminated'. Hickey makes us recall and even relive the tightrope of walking the line of the growing child in each of us.
Grady Harp
November 19, 2013
Master storyteller Jeffrey Hickey does not disappoint. Although Mark O'Bern is a completely fictional character, Mr. Hickey's own father was head coach for the San Francisco 49ers as well as an assistant coach and then scouter for the Dallas Cowboys. And yes, he did invent the shotgun formation. But this story is so much more than football games and superstition. It is the coming of age story of young Mark and his struggles to gain his own identity during the late 1960's and 1970's. A protective, narrow-minded mother, Mark's not always internal clash with the Catholic faith, and his grappling to understand the family "gift" make for great reading. The humor infused here is truly delightful.
It may seem odd for a woman to like a male coming of age story, but it actually gave me a lot of insight into what men go through when puberty strikes, and I feel more educated for it.
A delight to read from beginning to end whether you are a sports fan or not.
Disclaimer: I received this book from the author free of charge in exchange for an honest review.
It may seem odd for a woman to like a male coming of age story, but it actually gave me a lot of insight into what men go through when puberty strikes, and I feel more educated for it.
A delight to read from beginning to end whether you are a sports fan or not.
Disclaimer: I received this book from the author free of charge in exchange for an honest review.
March 8, 2014
great
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews