The Reading Bud

Welcome to the TRB Lounge. Today, we are featuring authors Scott Martin and Coryanne Hicks for their latest release, Play From Your Heart: A Journey Through Loss, Resilience, and the Beautiful Game.

Book: Play From Your Heart: A Journey Through Loss, Resilience, and the Beautiful Game
Author: Scott Martin and Coryanne Hicks
Publication Date: 9 June 2026
Publisher: Library Tales Publishing
Genre: Soccer Biography
Formats Available: E-book and Paperback

About the Book

When rising college soccer coach Scott Martin was struck down by a rare, flesh-eating infection that took both hands and parts of his feet, doctors told him he was lucky just to survive. But survival wasn’t enough. Overnight, the man who lived for the game had to relearn how to move, teach, and live without the very tools that defined him.

From hospital beds and courtroom battles to the touchline of a dusty youth-league field, Martin’s twenty-year odyssey is one of heartbreak and rebirth. He rebuilt his body, lost—and found—his purpose, married the doctor who saved him, adopted five children from around the world, and, when everything seemed over again, rediscovered his passion by leading a ragtag team of twelve-year-olds to an undefeated state championship.

Told with unflinching honesty and humor, Play From Your Heart is a memoir about endurance, grace, and the power of sport to heal what medicine cannot. For anyone who’s ever faced the unthinkable, and still chosen to stand back up, this is a story that proves the human spirit is undefeated.

Fans of Wild, Crying in H Mart, and Good for a Girl will find themselves cheering, weeping, and ultimately believing again in the beautiful game, and in the resilience of the human heart.

You can find Play From Your Heart here:
Amazon | Website

About The Author

Scott Martin

Scott Martin is an award-winning soccer coach, educator, and advocate for the disability community. Holding an advanced national coaching license, he has spent over 30 years coaching at the select youth, high school, and college levels, earning Coach of the Year honors four times and leading multiple teams to state championships. His expertise has connected him with top coaches in the U.S. and internationally.

Beyond the field, Martin is a dedicated educator in Wisconsin and the host of the Life’s a Road Trip podcast, where he highlights stories of resilience and disability advocacy. After surviving a life-threatening illness that led to the loss of his hands and feet, he became a powerful voice for amputee abilities and prosthetic advancements. His contributions to research at the University of Washington and Johns Hopkins University have helped shape innovations in the field.

Recognized for his advocacy, Martin serves as a Global Advisor for Billion Strong, a worldwide disability organization. His journey has been featured in Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Power of Positive, and he is the author of Play From Your Heart (Library Tales Publishing), a memoir that chronicles his remarkable path of perseverance, reinvention, and the unwavering spirit that has guided him forward.

You can find author Scott here:
Website

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