Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN:  978-1977250391

The title sets the pace for the two voices we hear. How far will two athletes go to create success in their chosen sport careers? Brooks Bennett and Eric Olson met but how and why?

Two athletes one a surfer and turned baseball player and an overachieving hockey player from Roseau, tell their stories from childhood to adulthood in their own voices as you the reader will learn just How Far they went to achieve their dreams.

Dreams take time to come to pass and each of these athletes shares his childhood, parent support, coaches at the start of their careers even when just in elementary school or going to high school. I really like Eric’s coach who told him if he wants to succeed he needs to empty the tank. Going to be the best requires practice, never letting your guard down, dealing with other players and never giving up.

Both Eric and Broder wanted to be on the top teams for their age group. Brooks although a freshman the coach realized had more potential in many areas and became involved in pitching, recording information, pitching himself and hopefully enticing a scout to consider him for major leagues. But, when his mother becomes ill, and the situation is critical he and his family must make a life changing decision to move to where she can hopefully get the treatment she needs.

Eric was outstanding too, and two twin brothers, Jon and Bennett take him under their wing and create an extensive training program to build up his core, make him stronger and you can take on the program along with him. How amazing that they decided to help him. Each player or athlete has many teams they play on, parent involvement but Brooks must make the decision of his life when his mother is ill, and he must decide how to handle what is happening to his father.

Eric and his dad must deal with what a business partner named Don reveals about himself and Eric and his teammates must decide their next direction. Life for both was sports but in the end how did they meet, what impacted both and their lives?

Bumping into each other and helping with their books and things that fell, both Eric and Brooks realized that they were going to good friends. With each one going ahead with baseball and hockey, parents going through difficult times, they manage to bond. Coaches that encouraged, positions on teams that older students would get but they did because of their outstanding skills and dedication to the sports

. Going to meets, practices and exhibitions and both getting injuries and combating them with surgery or rehab neither giving up. The author presents the narratives in two voices and you the reader take the long and hard journeys with both of them.

Each one played with major teams and Eric’s team that he worked so hard with and coached won the Stanley Cup how amazing and you could feel his pride and excitement. But, then something financial happened between him and Brooks and the edge was on, and their friendship took a back seat as both tried to rectify what happened with the SEC and the money that Eric felt he did not want.

Both had careers, both had hopes for the future as Eric and Carol tied the knot and Diane and Brooks were just getting started. Family difficulties, lives that were changed, hopes that might have been shattered and careers that soared at the beginning, middle and different at the end.

Brooks became a scout for the Texas Rangers and Eric still with the New York Rangers.

Read the author’s epilogue and learn how he researched the players, created them, told their stories, learn more about the Roseau Rams, who actually did go to Des Moines to play junior hockey and take the journey along with Brooks and Eric and author Bob Wilber as the excitement never stops, the games are tense and the players take the field or the ice and you can see just how the title fits: HOW FAR will you go to be a success and fulfill your own dream?

Forgiveness, regrets, unsaid words and then an ending that will endear you to both Brooks and Eric plus Diane and Carol.  This is one book filled with so much information, so much hope and two athletes that are in inspiration to so many today and in the past.