It's the mantra I harp on with all the sports books I look at on this blog. Willkom makes it a point of the book to stress that lessons learned on the court are transferable to life. It's actually refreshing, in today's AAU "what can you do for me" culture, to see a guy who busted his ass at every turn, for every break, like it was a 50/50 ball on the court.
Nothing is handed to him, which is another great lesson for kids. It's a great message for teens to find mentors in those around you.Īt every turn, Willkom has a knack for aggressively pursuing opportunities and contacts. Throughout the book we are introduced to these characters and are left with a clear vision of just how influential these folks were to Willkom. The gifts of wisdom that coaches, counselors, and parents subtly offer through words and example are not lost on Willkom.
Willkom's ability to recognize important people in his life and how the people you surround yourself with have a hand in shaping you was thoughtful. His feat of starting a successful hoops camp as a high school kid and leading the charge on AAU opportunities for kids in the northern rural part of the state was amazing and showed drive well beyond his years. I was a little leery at first that this book might be a little too cute of an "overcoming the odds" story, but it ended up being much more.įrom the start, Willkom established himself as a playmaker in life. The book covers Willkom's entire life, from grade school to post college, focusing on how he moved up the ladder of basketball and career. Using these gifts, he fashioned himself into a solid basketball player and better person who would eventually earn a spot as a walk-on at Marquette University.
Willkom is a small town kid from Marshfield, Wisconsin who was gifted not with a strapping 6'-10" frame, but with a work ethic, brain, great family, and solid mentors. I bring this up because without a doubt, one of the takeaways of John Willkom's new book Walk-On Warrior is that in life, you are largely responsible for your own success. In basketball, it is often said that good players know how to "create their own shots." The great players create their own shot when the ball is in their hands as well as when the ball is across the floor.
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