Take Diana Asher’s ALA Notable and Parent Choice Award Book Side Tracked or the highly acclaimed Chasing Pacquiao by Rod Pulido, change the sport to wrestling, add a mentally unstable parent, and you have my newest novel W IS FOR WRESTLING, which currently is being solicited to several publishers by my agent Tina Schwartz.

My protagonist is Alex Corrigan who joins – almost by accident – the Amherst High School wrestling team. Why?  He sees an opportunity shake off that disappointment label his father has given him. But wrestling? Alex knows nothing about the sport other than that at 104 pounds he’s perfect for the 106-pound weight class. Alex wonders, can wrestling change the tense relationship I have with my dad? Will it start a romantic relationship with wrestling cheerleader Marci Sommers? Will I even survive? Alex seeks answers to those questions as he engages in a wrestling season where he and his father learn as much about themselves as they do each other.

Check out my daughter Brittny’s engaging video at https://vimeo.com/mvmntvideo/review/781237540/0a9e3d0719.

Keith was the featured interviewee on Thomas Frederickson’s “Middle School AD Podcast.” Keith speaks about his books for coaches and athletic directors and his tenure as an AD. You can view that podcast at https://lnkd.in/gTvhW5W9.

Believe it or not, Hillary Clinton and I had our first books published in the same year by the same editor at Simon & Schuster in 1995. To be sure, her advance was way bigger than mine! I received a $3000 advance for Wrestling Coaches Survival Guide.

Recently I was interviewed by wrestling guru Jason Bryant on his wrestling podcast: WWL Wrestling Podcast. I talked about my recent Coaches Choice books and revealed some amusing writing anecdotes. Please check it out. It will last 30 minutes. Please forward to anyone you think might like viewing it.

Here’s the link: mattalkonline.com/727 

Check out my recent publication @ http://www.defenestrationmag.net/2022/12/my-hallmark-holiday-movies-addiction-by-keith-manos/.

Coaches may worry about their wrestlers succumbing to peer pressure, but they have to keep in mind that they cannot pick their wrestlers’ friends for them. Even more importantly, they cannot order their wrestlers to abandon certain friends regardless of any worries about the friends’ sleazy backgrounds or immoral intents.  A better approach by a coach is to pose questions to their wrestlers:  How do your friends support you as an athlete?  What are they doing to help you succeed?  How often do they attend your competitions?  Do they encourage or discourage you from breaking training rules?  What are their attitudes toward this team and the coaches?

Elite wrestlers simply must make the right decision when faced with peer pressure. They should encourage teammates to support each other and make reference to the team as a “family.” In this viewpoint, teammates can deal collectively with any type of peer pressure. All wrestlers, to be sure, need to be diligent to resist peer pressure. Here, mental toughness is the key. The unfortunate reality is that most kids will confront peer pressure almost daily, so the elite wrestler and his/her coach must be ready to deal with it frequently. 

Read more suggestions like this in the book The Elite Wrestler, which is available on Amazon and at coacheschoice.com.

Over the course of a year, my daughter Brittny’s guidance as my yoga instructor dramatically improved my physical, mental, and spiritual health. I participated in her virtual Monday morning sessions (a wonderful way to start the week!) where her approach was always welcoming and cheerful. At 65-years-old I struggled to do some poses, but I listened to Brittny’s encouraging talk and at the end left feeling energized and inspired. So did my fellow participants.