Wrestling: A Boy's First Book

[kdsmith27 14]

How do you introduce a child to the sport of wrestling?

Some kids discover the sport through family and friends -- a dad or uncle or sibling who wrestled, or a neighbor who coaches. For others, an interest in wrestling comes from attending wrestling events in person and watching them on TV. Still others have been inspired by the success of a particular wrestler.

Now there's another option that's very much "by the book."

Wrestling: A Boy's First Book by William Bauer is a book designed for parents to read to their youngsters ages 7-9, to introduce them to amateur wrestling. The book, an illustrated paperback with 8.5 x 11" pages, is published by Palaistis Publishers of Palm Harbor, Florida.

Meet the author

If anyone were qualified to write Wrestling: A Boy's First Book, it would be William "Doc" Bauer. He's a former wrestler and coach who has been involved in education as a teacher and administrator for most of his life.

Bauer's introduction to wrestling didn't come from a book. "I went to North Allegheny High School, which, back in the 1950s, had a great wrestling program," according to the Pennsylvania native. "Back then, my dream was to make the football team. I was 123 pounds soaking wet. As hard as I worked at practice Monday through Friday, I usually found myself on the bench Friday night at the game."

Dr. William Bauer reads Wrestling: A Boy's First Book to his son, Ken (Photo/Wrestling: A Boy's First Book)"A friend had suggested I enter an intramural wrestling tournament at my high school, and I won," says Bauer.

"After high school, I attended Slippery Rock State Teachers College. They were just starting a wrestling program."

"I went out for the team," says Bauer. "Being the lightest guy on the team, I was the first guy to wrestle for the team, first to get a win, and first to score a pin."

After graduation, Bauer became a sixth-grade teacher in the North Hills district in the Pittsburgh area, where he was able to attend wrestling matches. Subsequent jobs -- including two years in the Marine Corps at El Toro, California -- took him away from wrestling