Becoming Coach Jake

September 1, 2019
Martin "Coach Jake" Jacobson is the winningest high-school soccer coach in New York City history, building the Martin Luther King Jr. High School boys' soccer program into one of the best in the country. Along the way, he has changed the lives of numerous students, most from tough neighborhoods, immigrants who arrived in this country with bright dreams only to encounter tremendous obstacles and racism. As a coach, he is a staunch advocate for the rights of his players. Along with recounting his coaching career, Jacobson also discusses his own story: a middle-class New York Jewish kid, he adopted a hippie lifestyle in college, ultimately spiraling down a destructive path of alcohol and heroine use before eventually landing in jail. However, through the love of his sport ( There's no better drug on the planet than a soccer ball and some open space ) and a natural affinity for helping disadvantaged kids, he embraced sobriety and renewed purpose. Soccer fans will enjoy reading about this charismatic coach and his players, but the book is also a testament to our ability to evolve.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)