"Keep up the good work, Dan and Brian, in building good young men through the sport of wrestling." Dan GableYou most likely already know how hard wrestling is and how hard life also can sometimes be. Life is messy. Having a life goal of doing something very hard very well helps lay the path to a better future. In Trying to Take the Mat, Dakota wants to use his quest to become a state champion wrestler as the vehicle for developing himself into a good man someday. He wants to be tough enough to lead himself and those he loves to a better life where they all win more often.In this sequel, Dakota continues to have to overcome injuries, periods of low morale and self-doubt, and now a pandemic. Dakota must train harder than he has ever trained before. He must continue to believe in the process of doing something very hard, like wrestling, even though he hasn't been able to get on the mat. Against even greater odds now, he has to win a state championship for his even bigger plans to fall into their proper place.It would be easy for Dakota to give up. If he does, he certainly won't win a state championship, and he could miss out on a lifetime of opportunities to be a good man. When things get really hard, as they have been, he must continue to choose between mediocrity and a life where he isn't afraid of doing hard things. This book is endorsed by Dan Gable, Lee Kemp, Barry Davis, and Mike Foy, as well as, Terry Davis- the author of Vision Quest, and many more extraordinary wrestlers and extraordinary people. So, don't wait any longer to join this fantastic group of people. Invest in yourself right now by picking up this book.