The Coach’s Son

The world of sports abounds with superstition. Have you ever felt that your presence at a sporting event influenced the result? Are you certain your team could not possibly succeed without you at the game? Do you believe your adherence to a precise routine on game day, whether at the stadium or in your own home, is the key to winning or losing? And if you don’t hold to these rituals exactly, do you believe in your heart that your team is doomed?

The legends of famous hexes, curses, and jinxes, from the “Curse of the Bambino” to being on the cover of Sports Illustrated, are well known and documented. Even more recently, a swell of evidence has arisen supporting the “Madden Curse.” But there are other stories similar to these that have never been told. The Coach’s Son is one of those stories–the story of a boy named Mark O’Bern.