THE MEASURE OF A MAN Paperback Is HERE! #BASKETBALL #FORTHELOVEOFTHEGAME

 The Measure of a Man is being released November 24th on ebook, but the paperback is now available. Get your copy here. 

THE MEASURE OF A MAN PAPERBACK

EBOOK   ON AMAZON     ITUNES     KOBO     NOOK

COMING NOVEMBER 24th!

The Measure of a Man was inspired by the New Site Royals great run for the overall State title in 1969 after winning State for 5 straight years. It was an amazing feat. One that will never be repeated. I say this with confidence because the Grand Slam no longer exist because it was deemed unfair to the smaller schools such as New Site.

But what an incredible story it is!

 

In the fall of 1960, Gerald Caveness, my dad, started coaching basketball at New Site High School in New Site, Mississippi. After coaching at much larger schools, he took the job to be closer to family. New Site was situated in the middle of what was known as Basketball Country.

It was the beginning of an incredible story.

This remarkable story is the inspiration behind The Measure of a Man. In this fictional account of the Royals’ incredible run, I wanted to convey the man Dad was and the importance of having a mentor in your life. I wanted readers to get a glimpse of the Mississippi where I was raised. I wanted the impressive feat accomplished by a group of remarkable young men led by a phenomenal coach to be remembered.

I have talked to so many of Dad’s ballplayers. Most of what you will read is based on those conversations.

Dad cared about every player he coached. More important than wins, he believed in his kids, teaching them more than basketball.

Having served in the Marines, Dad had a staunch work ethic with hard-nosed discipline. He also had an overwhelming, driving desire to succeed.

He always believed there was a way to win no matter the odds.

Behind the coach was a man, a dad. The man I knew wasn’t much different than I imagine he was as a coach.

Dad was a workaholic and taught us by example. We used to pray he would get a summer job. If he didn’t, we would be working all summer long. One summer, all four of us hoed out an entire cotton field. Dad said we needed to know what hard work really was.

There was more to Dad than a coach. He loved his family and home. He taught history and instilled in all his kids that love and respect for those that came before us, not to mention his uncanny ability to train dogs.

Dad taught us to judge a man by his actions, not by the way he looked. I believe we grew up in one of the most unbiased households in Mississippi.

Though in my eyes, he was perfect. In reality, I realize he was only human. Yet, he never let those human flaws define the man he was.

Dad wasn’t a person one could ignore. He would elicit some emotional response from you when you met him, whether it was love or hate.

There was no middle ground with Dad.

Moreover, he made no apology for the man he was.

Time has moved on. Dad is no longer with us. His feats as a coach are now only a distant memory, but I felt a need to preserve the history of that moment when Coach Gerald Caveness helped boys become men.

I hope that this story will inspire someone to believe in themselves and do the impossible.

 If you like rooting for the underdog, stories based on true-life, and the triumph of the human spirit, then you’ll love this inspiring novel—The Measure of a Man!