One Shot Away: A Wrestling Story by T. Glen Coughlin
About T. Glen Coughlin
Coughlin’s first novel, The Hero of New York, was finished when he was 23 years old and explored the dark side of the middle class suburban dream. New York Times reviewer, Dennis Smith (1986) wrote, “The Hero of New York is solid tough-guy entertainment, and Mr. Coughlin’s descriptions can be hilarious.”
Coughlin’s second novel, Steady Eddie, is a coming-of-age story set in Long Island, New York in 1977. George Needham wrote “Coughlin neatly captures a person’s essence in the simplest gesture, but each character is drawn with sympathy and wit, even when the characters themselves lack these attributes. A fine novel.”
Coughlin has published short stories in Doubletake Magazine, the South Dakota Review[3] and DUCTS, an on-line magazine. His story, “The Grief Committee” was analyzed in The Politics of Mourning: Grief Management in a Cross-Cultural Fiction.[5] Coughlin”s poetry has appeared in The Dead Mule – School of Southern Literature and Hanging Moss Journal.
In 2012, Coughlin published his first YA novel, One Shot Away, A Wrestling Story, Harpercollins. The novel is the story of three high school wrestlers trying to balance their personal lives, family conflicts and maintain their weight class on the Varsity Squad.
About One Shot Away
It’s senior year and the last season for Diggy, Jimmy, and Trevor on the Molly Pitcher High School varsity wrestling team. And they all want the same thing: to win.
But Diggy’s got to compete with his older brother’s legacy, and now he’s in danger of losing his spot to newcomer Trevor. Jimmy’s got the cops after him, and a girlfriend who looks down on him. Then Diggy does the unthinkable—he betrays a teammate. Can the team forgive him? And can he forgive himself?
Experience the pressure with Diggy, Jimmy, and Trevor as the stakes rise and loyalties splinter. They’ve got just one shot to make weight and get onto the mat. But pinning your opponent is about more than just winning.
My Review for One Shot Away 4 Stars
Ok so I was kinda glad that this book didnt have much wrestling in it. I don't really know much (ok ANYTHING) about it. This book was in three POVs which was pretty easy to understand. It was done very well! This book is filled with these teens finding their way learning lessons that change their lives. This book was very good and wasn't boring at all. I think this one will really bring in the boys which if you ask me they need some books to read. With most books being from a Girl POV this book was a breath of fresh air!
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Guest Post:
T. Glen Coughlin, One Shot Away
Origins of the Novel:
I became interested in wrestling when my son, Tom, joined
his high school wrestling team. He was a
99 pound freshman and wrestled 103, under the former weight classes. He had a tough first year and finished the
season 5 and 5.
Tom fell in love with the sport. He’d come home from grueling practices, ready
to show me what he’d learned. He
recognized that he was years behind his competition, as many wrestlers hit the
mat at 7 years old. My son attended
wrestling camps and joined the town’s wrestling club. The work he put in at camps and practices
gave him a good shot at breaking into his high school’s varsity line-up during his
senior year. He put on some muscle and size, won a few JV tournaments and was
wrestling 135.
Senior year, my son was ready to be a varsity wrestler. He had trained for three years. The only problem was every weight on the
varsity team was filled. He challenged
the 135 pound wrestler to a wrestle-off.
My son lost in a close match, 5 to 2.
The loss meant he would not have a starting position. There were no seniors on the JV team, so in effect. The only option he had was to be a backup
wrestler on the varsity team.
After the wrestle off, we went home. The years of training, practice, camps,
traveling, and devotion to a sport that had molded him into a physically and
mentally strong young man, brought tears to his eyes. He told me he was sorry that
he didn’t win. He talked about quitting
the team. I told him it was okay. I told
him I was proud of him no matter what. I said he was a champion.
He decided to stick
out the season. On the opening day, he sat in the bleachers, dressed out in his
singlet and sweats. I always carried a
notebook with me. I opened it and wrote
the first chapter of One Shot Away, A Wrestling Story. My character, Trevor Crow, was modeled after
my son’s experiences.
Wrestling gave my son self-worth, confidence, and values. He
learned the rewards of hard work and the ache of physical limitations. The
sport gave him a sense of belonging. The word “proud,” hardly describes my
feelings for him.
Wrestling is more than a sport. It’s a way of life. If a
wrestler wants to be proficient on the mat, he can not stop wrestling when the
season ends. He has to be dedicated all year long. It separates the good wrestlers from the
great ones.
And, my son did get his shot on varsity after a wrestler left
the team. He had a great season!
Thalli has fifteen minutes and twenty-three seconds left to live. The toxic gas that will complete her annihilation is invading her bloodstream. But she is not afraid.
When Krista McGee isn't living in fictional worlds of her own creation, she lives in Tampa and spends her days as a wife, mom, teacher, and coffee snob. She is also the author of Anomaly, First Date, Starring Me, and Right Where I Belong.
