RIVAL
"To win, you have to outscore them...
To triumph, you have to earn their respect."
Rival is a novel set amidst a high school football rivalry as one senior attempts to overcome great tragedy, make new friends and rally an underachieving team in pursuit of the Copper Bowl against a seemingly unbeatable opponent. Released February 2009.
Praise for RIVAL:
Prior to picking up "Rival", by Frank Agin, I had recently consumed his earlier work, "Out Of The Comfort Zone". This was a thoroughly enjoyable read, painting a personal picture of the trials and tribulations of student-athletes engaged in the small college football experience. In "Rival", Mr. Agin reaches back a bit further to those tumultuous adolescent years, replete with the dreams, insecurities, passion, disappointments, angst, and the joy of sweet successes encountered during that fleeting time. I thumbed past the cover while beginning a long flight, and found myself wishing for more pages a few days later!
Though small town high school football is the common thread, the story reaches beyond this theme. Life does not always wrap situations up in the neat little packages we might desire, yet hopefully we move on stronger from the challenges we often unexpectedly face. I found it encouraging to see the story's young hero, Mickey Ford, encounter personal struggles and crises, deal with peer issues and other problems, and grow from the experiences without being compelled to engage in alcohol or substance abuse... I intend to share it with my own teenagers, and look forward to Mr. Agin's next story!— David Hess
Just wanted to tell you what a hit your book was with my sons. Brady, especially, is sooooo proud that you signed it! I went to parent teacher conferences last week and the teacher said he was so proud of that book and that they talked about goals and teamwork and how they could apply those things to his everyday life. He is excited that maybe someday he might actually get to meet you.— Karen Bastien
