BLOOMINGTON-NORMAL, Ill. (PRWEB) June 12, 2017
Earlier that evening, Jim Collins was playing baseball, coaching alongside his youngest son Michael as they prepared their team for the season opener. A late-night knock on the door assured that neither of them would make it.
Instead, Jim spent the next five days at the hospital waiting to hear if Michael would survive a car crash perpetrated by a drunk driver. He didn’t. Still, life and baseball continued. Now, Jim reveals how baseball bonded his family in life and death in “Uncommon Hope: One Team…One Town…One Tragedy…One Life-Changing Season.”
“Uncommon Hope” shares the story of the Collins’ family’s love for baseball and their strong faith in God. A revered head coach, Jim’s life is forever changed when his son Michael, his assistant coach, is killed by a drunk driver. Overcome with grief, Jim clings to his family and seeks comfort in God and ultimately honors his son by returning to their second home on the dirt diamond.
“The worst experience in life is losing a child, equally as difficult is trying to find a way to move on without them,” Collins said. “In my heart, I knew Michael wanted me to return to our team. Uncommon Hope encompasses a story so much more than just our family, this is about an entire community gathering around us and sharing in our love of the game.”
When Jim returns to his professional duties to coach the University High School Pioneers a spirit of camaraderie takes over the community as the teenage players and parents band together to support the team on the field. No on-field adversity could compare to what the team had been through after losing Michael, allowing them to push through an emotional season on the way to a regional championship.
“This story has a profound local impact on our University and Bloomington-Normal, but also changed lives well beyond our community. It is a story about Michael, and a story about a baseball team, but there are life and leadership lessons in these pages that go well beyond this amazing young man and just one sport.” President of Illinois State University Larry Dietz said.
Proceeds from the sale of “Uncommon Hope” will help support The Michael Collins Foundation. For more information on the author and book, please visit http://www.coachcollins19.com or http://www.mcstrong.com.
“Uncommon Hope: One Team…One Town…One Tragedy…One Life-Changing Season”
By Jim Collins
ISBN: 9781512772043 (hardcover), 9781512772036 (softcover), 9781512772029 (e-book)
Available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Westbow Press
About the author
Baseball has been a big part of Jim Collins' life, first as a player and then as a coach. He was the head baseball coach at University High school for four years and spent the last two seasons as a baseball chapel leader for Heartland Community College. Jim has a Bachelor of Science degree in Mass Communication and a Master in Business Administration. He has spent most of his career in the banking industry in a variety of leadership roles. Jim has been married to Kelly for 33 years. Together with their son, Jimmy, they oversee The Michael Collins Foundation to glorify God and honor Michael's legacy.
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