A Vagabond Life

When it comes to a career in coaching sports, there is no teaching without doing—and practice doesn’t just make perfect, it makes a whole life.

In this heartfelt memoir, first-time author Thomas H. Peart recounts the story of his experiences growing up in Alexandria, Minnesota, playing hockey, joining the US Marine Corps, attending college, and eventually entering a lengthy and impressive career as a coach for high school, college, and professional hockey—both stateside and overseas—alongside a number of other sports.

Beginning in childhood and throughout his life, all the way up to the moment of his authoring this very book, Peart’s career as a coach is a testament to the value of learning through experience, teaching with care and respect, and always remaining open to opportunity.

A satisfying slice of life in the postwar American Midwest, this book will make a great addition to the shelves of Peart’s contemporaries, as well as anyone interested in the worlds of amateur and professional sports. Because those who do, teach—and those who teach, do.