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A unique book for the youngest of wrestlers

November 27, 2006

Wrestling – A Boy’s First Book is the newest tool in the job of teaching little guys about real wrestling and its benefits. Written for the parents of boys who are eight years of age or younger, the title works, in part, to dispel some of the common misconceptions associated with the sport.

Bauer, a native of Pittsburgh now living in Florida, wrestled for Slippery Rock State Teacher’s College in the late 1950s. Strangely enough, that mat-time was not the inspiration for this publication. His son’s first wrestling practice, more than fifteen years later, was the true fuel for the fire. Within moments of arriving at that initial session, Bauer realized that his son had a wrong impression of the sport. The boy’s image was more akin to a mix of professional wrestling and boxing. He was disappoint at a missing roped-off ring and heavy punching bags and asked his dad if they could leave. Bauer persuaded his son to stay and it proved to be a life-changing event. The younger Bauer would go on to be a high school state champion and a four-time Division I “Nationals” contender for Edinboro University.

The first impression that his son had about wrestling was far from unique to Bauer’s mind and it spawned the recognition of the need for a new means of instruction. Bauer had undertaken coaching duties with his son’s team and many others that followed. From this teaching vantage point he was able to see that his boy’s misunderstanding of wrestling was shared by many others in their early going. Additionally, Bauer found that involved and well-meaning parents had little to use in the way of tangible teaching tools.

Bauer retired after twenty years as a college instructor and administrator and decided that his time spent in education and wrestling could be put to good use. Improving on the crop of educational materials aimed at the sport became a personal goal. He reasoned that those inspired to enjoy wrestling at an early age because of a story read by a parent might stick with it and perhaps do much better than those who are poorly introduced to the sport or initiated at a later stage. He went to work and crafted an age-appropriate tale that addresses seventeen topics that are, in his judgment, essential to the making of a good wrestler.

To further enhance the book, Bauer enlisted nationally renowned artist Rachel Mindrup who illustrated each page to tell the story in pictures as well as words. More about the book can be found at drwkbauer.com.