MSI Press Blog

  The first modern Olympic marathon was won by Spyridon Louis, a Greek water carrier who ran 25 miles through dust and disbelief to victory. He wasn’t a professional athlete; he was a man who knew how to pace himself and keep going when everyone else was spent — which, frankly, feels like the definition of adulthood. I like to imagine him crossing the finish line not with fanfare, but with that quiet, stunned look of someone who’s just realized persistence can rewrite history. So today, in honor of Louis and every long‑distance soul who keeps moving forward: here’s to the marathoners of life — the ones who hydrate, endure, and finish strong, even when the crowd has gone home. Read more posts about marathons:  MSI Press Blog image and some text AI generated post inspired by  Racing against Time  by Jeffrey Weiss Book Description: In  Racing Against Time , Jeff Weiss shares the story of his late middle-age transformation.  Weiss went from running a first 10K ...

We tend to imagine athletes as people who started young—kids who grew up on fields, courts, and tracks. But some of the most passionate athletes I know found their way to sports not in childhood, but in midlife. And when you look closely, it makes perfect sense. Midlife is a hinge point, a moment when identity, time, and meaning shift just enough to open a new door. The question isn’t “Why didn’t they start earlier?” but “Why does now feel like the right moment to begin?” In early life, sports are often tangled up with external pressures: parental expectations, school culture, performance anxiety, the fear of not being good enough. By midlife, those voices quiet. People choose activities for reasons that are internal, grounded, and deeply personal. They’re no longer chasing approval; they’re chasing curiosity, vitality, and self-definition. Life transitions play a role too. Children grow up. Careers stabilize or change shape. Caregiving rhythms become more predictable. Suddenly the...

    Coming Soon! Available now on pre-order!  Nothing So Broken  - war, memoir, more. Book description:  Born and raised in a small New England mill town, Chris Richards was 19 years old when a close friend was crippled during an accident. At that same time Chris’ father began to present symptoms from his service in the Vietnam War. The immense challenges that followed both men would haunt Chris, shaping his adult life. It wouldn’t be until many years later, when faced with his own crisis that he would be able to look past his fears and grief and find inspiration within their broken lives. For more posts about Chris and his book, click  HERE . Read more posts about memoirs HERE . Read more posts about PTSD HERE . Pre-order this book at 25% discount with coupon code FF25 at  MSI Press webstore ! Want to buy this book and not have to pay for it? Ask your local library to purchase and shelve it.   Sign up for the MSI Press LLC monthly newsletter (rec...

  The following excerpt comes from Soccer Is Fun without Parents by Peter Jonas.  The Screamer (Parent) The Screamer is loud, and you know them right away. They scream about the refs, the coaches, and most often, the players: “Get the ball!” “Big kick!” “Hustle Timmy, hustle!” Their voice typically carries into the next town, as if the louder they yell the better the kids play. It does not work that way, sorry. However, there is a direct correlation between how loud you yell and how embarrassed your kids are to be from the same family.   Have you ever thought about what the player thinks when parents are screaming at them? Here is someone twice as large as you, hollering at you all the time to perfectly complete tasks that you might not be skilled enough to perform. Talk about pressure! Freud would have a field day with the Screamer.    Sometimes it is not just one or two parents that do the unbelievable. Maybe the crowd mentality takes over and a group simply g...