Coach the Soul By Ken LaVigne

1/11/2019

Well respected high school educator and football coach, Ken LaVigne introduces us to his story of working with high school students and athletes, Coach the Soul:
Today’s children, especially teenagers, live in a world that is much different than the one that existed just twenty years ago. A drastically changed family dynamic and the advent of social media have forced young people to grow up in a more fragile environment, one without the stability they need and with the constant pressure of scrutiny from peers and others they don’t even know. The effects of these factors have led to suicide becoming the second leading cause of death in teenagers in America! Circumstance has deprived these kids of the stability and perspective that they so desperately need. This is a crossroads moment.
Coach the Soul is the first book that addresses these issues with real answers. It was born in Ken LaVigne’s classroom and on the football field during over thirty years as a high school teacher and coach. Its epiphany is just as unexpected as the dire circumstances in the lives of so many students. Coach the Soul sheds light on what today’s young people really need.
(Ken LaVigne)

This is an amazing book on multiple levels. I don’t pretend to be qualified to analyze Ken’s writing from all angles. That being said, I loved this book! Inspirational stories about helping teens overcome difficult circumstances hits a lot of my hot buttons. Most of the chapters focus on a student’s experience in Ken’s class or as their football coach. These chapters also highlight a particular virtue or trait of personality. There are so many ways that children suffer as a result of the choices parents and others make. The destruction of the family unit has been going on for a long time and there is no easy answer. But Ken, and educators like him, demonstrate a method that works and helps these kids get on the right track. It takes a lot of work and that builds character for those who complete the plan Ken lays out.
I award 5 stars for “Coach the Soul”!

You can buy this book:
https://rdrpublishers.com/products/coach-the-soul-by-ken-lavigne
https://www.amazon.com/Coach-Soul-Ken-LaVigne
https://www.goodreads.com/-coach-the-soul
You can follow the author:
https://twitter.com/coachthesoul
http://www.coachthesoul.net
https://www.facebook.com/coachthesoul
Tags: teaching, counseling, at-risk, memoir, biography
Copyright © 2019 Mark Schultz except for the author's introduction

22 Comments

Ken LaVigne link

1/12/2019 12:53:20 pm

Thank you for reading and reviewing my book. I am very glad you enjoyed it!

It is important and meaningful to me because the message has and can continue to change young people's lives.

Mark

1/12/2019 01:10:23 pm

I love reading about how peoples' lives are changed. Anytime a person is lifted up and experiences success in their life, it is good for everyone.
Please tell me a little about yourself, perhaps something that is not in your book also.

1/12/2019 05:31:52 pm

I couldn't agree more.

Well, I think it is safe to say considering the title of the book, I am a huge football fan. However, I like college football more than the NFL. What's more is that I usually like a team because of the character of its coach rather than its players or school's reputation.

Outside of the book, I think some fun facts about myself include that I am afraid of heights, Ralph Waldo Emerson is my favorite author, and "The Boxer" by Simon and Garfunkel is my favorite song. Although Al Green, Earth, Wind, and Fire, and Chicago are close seconds. I unwind every night with a cigar and good reading material. I also love cats! I think they are majestic animals.

1/12/2019 07:36:53 pm

Good taste in Music! You got me with the cat. I would have guessed you were a fan of dogs.
Who are your three favorite college coaches?
What inspired you to write this book?
Who designed the cover of your book?

1/12/2019 08:17:41 pm

I do like dogs too! I just like cats more. We have an all gray cat that runs our house. His name is Rampart (Rampie for short) and he brings us great joy after a long day at work.

In no particular order, Herm Edwards of Arizona State, Dabo Swinney of Clemson, and Pat Fitzgerald of Northwestern. I selected Herm Edwards because of his genuine, natural competitiveness. He stands for all the right things. Dabo Swinney has created a truly unique atmosphere of love, commitment, and faith that his players embrace. Pat Fitzgerald defies the odds in coaching greatness at a school better known for its academic excellence. He's tough and gritty, yet very humble.

Initially, I was inspired to write the book because of my coaches and what they taught me. Coach Dick Torres, Jack Mahlstede, and Clint South's lessons changed my life and allowed me to help change the lives of many others. I was also inspired by many students who overcame extreme adversity and showed tremendous resilience in rerouting their life's path from desperation to success. What inspired me to finish the book was my son, Mark, who reminded me of my lesson to never quit. In 2012, I had finished what I thought was my final draft. Weeks later, our house was burglarized and our laptop as well as the back-up flash drive were stolen. I was devastated after working so long on that draft. A few months later, my son pulled out a huge stack of notes and reminded me that I raised them to never give up on their dreams, so I should not give up either. He's become my "part-time" manager and full-time voice of encouragement.

I am so very happy to say that one of my very best friends of 50 years, a fellow teammate, Ron Imada, designed the cover. It is incredibly meaningful to me because he is every bit as much of a brother to me as he is a friend. He has been, and continues to be, a big part of my life's journey. The cover depicts a quilt that symbolizes the quilt that my grandmother passed down to my mother who used it to comfort me as a child. Each patch represented the things that made our family strong and special. The beautiful stories of my students and football players are the patches of the cover's quilt. Their stories bring me solace and joy, a feeling only matched by the comfort I felt with my grandmother's quilt. They have changed my life every bit as much as they've changed their own.

1/12/2019 10:00:11 pm

Don't tell Grizz, my four-legged, homophone-sniffing assistant, I do like cats and have known many different cats. Some I remember fondly and some from a distance.
Thank you for sharing about those three coaches. They sound like remarkable men.
I know that I like your son, Mark built the proverbial fire under you and helped you to keep going. In essence, you had to rewrite your book, this is the 2nd edition even though the first was never published.
I do like the cover, the quilt motif is a good one. My wife has made many quilts. Does your friend have a website for making covers? If he does, feel free to share it.
New questions.
Was it hard to find a publisher?
How did you pick your publisher?
How do you think your book compares to a book published by a major publisher?

1/13/2019 12:43:49 pm

Ron Imada is a graphic designer and does not typically do book covers. He did this as a gift and favor for his old friend. It was a creative process for both of us because it was unknown territory! I wanted him to design it because no one knows me better than him.

I think it's easier and best to address those questions in one response:

The initial process was more than a bit daunting. Being a first time author submitting a book, I wasn't a beacon of self-confidence. I believed in the message of my book immensely, but wasn't quite confident of my own ability to deliver it. My older son, Clint, gave me a book that identified major publishers and literary agents. Thick book! I went through the entire thing and selected a little over a hundred contacts and sent them my book proposal and query letter. I received several (nicely phrased) rejections and a few interested publishers. I was drawn to Robert D. Reed Publishers because I sensed something different and special about them. Both Bob and Cleone Reed are not only gifted at their craft, but also care deeply about messages that help people. I am glad and grateful that they took a chance on me.

I received personalized direction and support from my publishers. Being a smaller publishing house, there was direct and continual contact between us. Cleone Reed was a constant source of direction and encouragement and she patiently led me through the process. I truly appreciate that and her. I have no concept of how large publishing houses work, but working with Robert D. Reed Publishers was the best experience of first publishing that I can imagine.

1/13/2019 02:07:58 pm

Ron is certainly a good friend! I can tell you treasure his friendship and he yours.
Proposals and query letters, I have heard so many authors talk about that. Multiple rejections are so very common.
It sounds like you and the Reeds have been a good match. I am happy you had such a great first experience.
New questions.
Did you have a favorite book as a child?
Do you have a favorite book by another author or authors?
Does writing have a spiritual or healing component for you, does it energize you or make you feel tired?

1/14/2019 10:40:32 pm

My apologies, but I really don't remember enjoying a single book. However, I vividly remember the intense joy when my mother took me to the local public library. This sounds strange, but I can still remember the smell of the pages when you opened up the book for the first time. It's funny how those things stick out in your mind, right? I found it a wonder that one could check out a book, bring them home to read, and return to check out more. To pull back the curtain on this response, as I wrote this, I told my son, Mark, about how I would take them to our local library. I would make up a "magical cat that lived in the library" story to get them excited to go. Things have come full circle. I apologize for not giving you a great answer to your question, but it sparked one of the most vivid memories I have from my childhood.

Two recent favorites of mine are "Tattoos on the Heart" by Gregory Boyle and "Season of Life" by Jeffrey Marx. The former deals with similar, but much more serious environment for youth than what I experience on a daily basis in my classroom. The genuine faith of Father Boyle by seeing the goodness in all the gang members was truly inspiring. The latter perfectly verbalizes what I felt while coaching, but could never find the words to explain. It is a Pulitzer Prize winning book about the power of relationships. Also, an old favorite of mine is "The Old Man and the Sea" by Ernest Hemingway, but I fear I could bore you to death talking about that book.

I think it does both. At its core, I am painting a picture with my words - simply releasing from my mind a visual, an emotion, or an idea by using the words that best capture those fleeting images. This can be energizing when I get excited about constructing the perfect sentence that translates the precise image in my mind to my readers. Many times, it is tiring because I have found the process of writing cathartic. I don't see myself as a great author, but I certainly put all my energy into every word I write and I hope it shows.

1/14/2019 11:16:06 pm

Thank you, no apology is necessary, for sharing such wonderful memories! Those are truly wonderful from your childhood, and so creative for your kids. I am glad you enjoyed that memory.
The day I got my own library card was one of the proudest days of my life as a sixth grade student.
Both of those books sound quite wonderful, I have no doubt I would enjoy reading them.
New questions.
Is it important for writers to tap into the emotions of the characters?
What is your writing routine when you sit down to write?
Now that your book is published, is there anything about it you would like to change?

1/15/2019 08:01:50 pm

Absolutely! Emotions determine motivation and intent. A story is typically a story of events that are driven by the emotions of the characters. At least, that’s how I see it. My book is nonfiction, things that really did happen, and its stories and events are all driven by what went on in the hearts and minds of real people.

I try to have a purpose for that day, a goal. I see and remember something in my mind and try to do the best job at describing it as authentically as I can. In Coach the Soul, I simply focused on a core value that we teach in our program and matched it with a good example of how that principle changed the life of someone. I framed the book first, decided exactly what principle in what sequence, and then I went at it.

I write (type) on a laptop during the daytime while sitting outside in our backyard under a beautiful pergola. It is really a beautiful and tranquil setting. There is always a cigar burning next to me, a big glass of iced tea, and sometimes a coffee, too. I try to break the overall job into small pieces and then focus on making each piece unique and clear. Each sitting/writing period is devoted to one tile of the mosaic.

No. Not a thing. I can’t change reality, so that’s out. I described things as authentically and honestly as I could, so I’m okay with it all.

1/15/2019 08:25:54 pm

Emotions determine motivation and intent. That is so true, every action begins as a thought and is given a certain amount of impetus or gravity by the emotion attached to it.
You have a wonderful writing process, a beautiful setting in which to do your work.
New questions.
How long does a writing session last for you, on average?
What software do you use to write and publish your books, and why do you use those?
How much time passed from when you started to rewrite your book because your computer was stolen, to finishing the first draft?

1/16/2019 10:58:07 pm

Typically I will write for two to six hours. I have written longer, but I stop when the images are not clear in my mind.

I use Microsoft Word. It is the only damn thing I know how to use! (haha) I type everything with two index fingers and I stop every once in a while to take a hit from my cigar. Weird, but true!

That is a good question! (Takes some time to recollect memories...) Our house was burglarized in the fall of 2012. Mark's lesson on persistence lasted a few months before I started writing again. I could not write when I was teaching full time, because I was consumed by my students and the OASIS program. The majority of writing occurred during the recovery process of a back surgery in February of 2013 and ankle reconstruction a year and a half later. During those periods, I was virtually immobile and could not teach. I would write into the wee hours of the night, until two or three in the morning. My internal clock became screwed up! Ultimately, I finished the first draft in the summer of 2017, but waited until the following summer to submit book proposals because time had run out and the school year was starting again!

1/16/2019 11:16:23 pm

I am not much of a typist also, I use more fingers, but I make so many mistakes, it is brutal!
I use Word also, if I ever write a book I am going to try and do it in Scrivener. Very powerful, I have heard, with a steep learning curve, of course. My first book will be simple.
That makes a lot of sense, writing when you couldn't teach. The OASIS class took a great deal of your time and energy, you were pouring your heart and soul into those kids.
Were you able to make a second draft before submitting to publishers?
New questions.
Going back in time, did you do any kind of creative writing, even back in grade school?
How early was it that you realized how powerful words can be?
Do you have other writers you connect with, as in a critique group or support group?

1/18/2019 10:52:45 pm

I edited the version that I finished in the summer of 2017. It has had several proofreads and edits, so "first draft" may seem like a misnomer.

Yes!! OASIS still takes up a large portion of my brain. It is the reason I am getting back to you so late on this response. My apologies.

To be honest with you, my Bachelor's Degree is in English with an emphasis in creative writing. I remember writing poetry and short pieces throughout high school and college. I just never had the time to develop those skills, especially while coaching. Once I stopped coaching, I finally had time to write.

I entered high school in 1968, right in the middle of the social revolution this country was going through. I was keenly sensitive to music of the time, especially Bob Dylan, Buffalo Springfield, Sly and the Family Stone, Peter, Paul, and Mary, and Crosby Stills, Nash, and Young. (Is that a world record for commas in a sentence?) They had very powerful lyrics that spoke to me and my conscience, and I first experienced the power of words through the lyrics of songs.

I don't really have a formal group with other writers, but I do have a support/critique group that is comprised of dear friends and colleagues. These are three people that I really listen to when they read my work: Karen Lantz, Dina Tsuyuki, and Susan Verstegen. Karen was a constant voice of direction and encouragement. Dina and I have taught together for over 25 years and is like my little sister whom I have unbelievable confidence. Susan is one of my dearest friends, extremely well read, and a natural sense of what good writing should be.

1/19/2019 01:01:25 am

With all the editing and rewriting you were way past the first draft, just as it should be. Did Cleone tell you? I only found two spelling errors. Of course, I may have missed a few because my eyes were sweating so much through out the book.
That is a lot of commas. There was so much amazing music in the day. The messaging was anything but subliminal.
We were in high school at about the same time. I graduated from high school in 1971. Do you have your draft card? I saved mine. The lottery saved me from being drafted.
That group sounds very supportive. You are a blessed man in many ways.
New questions.
What is the most important thing you learned from publishing your book?
What is the most valuable piece of advice you have ever received from another writer?
What are common traps for beginning writers?

1/20/2019 07:41:36 pm

No, I do not have a draft card. In fact, I don't think I ever got one. I am not entirely sure, but I think my year, 1972, was the first year they did not do the draft, but I could be wrong.

I learned it was a daunting task. Exploring possible literary agents and publishers was a large undertaking because no one tells you where or how to start. Honing the message of my book to a concise query letter or book proposal forced me to assess the overall message of my book and summarize the large problems I saw facing children and how my book addressed them.

Be disciplined and write to the purpose. Don't get off the path. It is no secret to those who know me that my mind goes at a hundred miles per minute. I have discovered that writing emails, letters, or notes are my small moments of complete focus on the message I need to convey. By focusing on that ultimate purpose, I can create a line of clear thought from the beginning, middle, to end of whatever I am writing.

First off, I have been guilty of all of these: too many words, falling off the path of purpose, and trying to sound smart and erudite instead of simply conveying your message. This goes back to the best advice I have received concerning writing: focusing on your purpose. You can be the smartest person in the room and if you can't convey your message, you have lost your audience.

1/21/2019 08:29:11 pm

In 1970, they only drafted the first 150 birthdays pulled in the lottery. I think I was #238. My draft card shows I was classified 1-H. It meant I was not being drafted at that time, I like to think of it as being put on hold.
You are probably right, I don't know if they drafted anyone that year.
Thank you for sharing your experience. I think it's common to many writers.
Last questions.
Do you think you were born to write or did you have to learn the craft?
What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?
What is the easiest part of writing a book in general?

1/21/2019 10:19:01 pm

This may sound corny, but it's really true. I don't believe I was born to write, but it seems that I have always felt things very deeply and reacted to the challenges that others faced. Seeing someone alone, sad, isolated or picked on has always affected me deeply. I think that has led to me teaching and coaching and has also led me to writing. Writing is my way to express what I see and feel people who are either inspired or disenfranchised.

First, I wouldn't call it an artistic process. I am certainly not an artist. (haha) I simply explain what I have seen and experienced and the impact that it has had on me. I suppose the process is mainly an ongoing effort to achieve clarity.

The easiest part about writing is the freedom of framing it and composing it as I want. That freedom allows me to express things in my authentic voice.

Thank you for this opportunity to do an online interview that has been a new experience for me. I appreciate your interest in the book and direction in conducting this dialogue! Thank you!

1/21/2019 11:02:41 pm

I appreciate you taking the time to join me, I have learned a lot from you. This has been fun also. My best to coach Jack and Billie.

1/28/2019 10:25:56 pm

Thank you very much for everything. Thank you for your words about my coach and his wife, who is now his widow. It is a difficult time for all of us, but especially for her because she had him for 59 years. He is raising hell in heaven right now :) I hope to see him someday!

1/28/2019 10:29:05 pm

Thank you for the update. I look forward to meeting him also.

Coach the Soul By Ken LaVigne

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