but her spotless record is running her life. She’s living on pennies and nursing a debilitating injury. Her teammates have their share of struggles, too. Striker fights to support his struggling family. Rip has a secret. Cal harbors a grudge.
Topping it off is their cut-throat coach who pushes them beyond their limits for the sake of his own career.
It’s a new order in the world of college athletics. After a financial crisis, the AFA had to salvage its profits. Fighting became the only sport, a brilliant and violent solution to the economic collapse. But at what cost to the athletes?
Sis and her teammates have made it through nearly four years together at their little second-tier university. But all bets are off when the AFA puts Sis against one of her own. Will the Association survive the aftermath?”
Title: Surviving the Second Tier
Author: M. K. Lever
ISBN – Trade Paperback: 978-1-948261-27-2
ISBN – EBook: 978-1-948261-27-2
LOCCN: 2019916938
Pages: 368
Price: Trade Paperback – $19.95. UPDF E-Book – $8.95
Trim: 6 x 9 Black & White: Crème, Paperback: Perfect Bound Matte Lam
Publication date: February 15th, 2022
Susan Keefe –
As a former college athlete, Katie Lever who is currently a doctoral candidate studying college sports, has written this insightful book as a behind the scenes expose into the struggles which affect college athletes.
The protagonist, Sis Jones, is a highly motivated and talented athlete, who, with her team mates continually juggle a college education with rigorous athletic training. Dedicated, and surrounded by equally motivated fighters, in the same position, they all are very much aware that they must do their best and push themselves to the very limits to achieve the goals set by Coach. These second-tier fighters don’t have the first-tier fighters’ luxury of wealthy parents, they rely on scholarships, a failure in the ring can result in being cut from the team, and that means the ruination of not only their athletic, but also academic career.
Sis has a good network of friends surrounding her, each battling to survive in their cutthroat world. They study together, train together and compete in the same tier, yet each has their own secret. As this fascinating story unfolds the author takes us into the hearts and souls of these young athletes, who after all are normal young people battling the day-to-day struggles all of us have, both physically and emotionally.
Yet, as the story progresses the reader discovers that the team are not the only ambitious people, Coach has his own agenda and knows each team members Achilles heel, and just how to use it to his advantage.
However, when James Merritt, the AFA (American Fighting Association) Director takes the rule book into his own hands he makes a grave mistake. Too long the underdogs, when Sis and her second-tier team members are pushed too far at Nationals, everyone discovers that united the second tier are a force to be reckoned with. Despite the potential repercussions, they decide there has finally become a time when they must bite the bullet. Truth will out! And then, readers, the repercussions begin…
This book will I am sure make fascinating reading for those considering a career in amateur fighting, and college sports. However, within its pages readers will also discover the individual characters’ stories, their secrets, dreams, ambitions and fears, and through their fortitude discover that nothing is impossible if the will is strong enough. Highly recommended.