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Another Season: A Coach's Story of Raising an Exceptional Son
When beloved University of Alabama football coach Gene Stallings's son was born with Down syndrome and a serious heart defect, doctors predicted he wouldn't live to see his first birthday and urged Coach Stallings and his wife to institutionalize him. But for Gene and Ruth Ann that was not an option. Johnny quickly won the hearts and adoration of the Stallings family and everyone who took the time to know him, and, proving the doctors wrong by leading an active life, he became a vital and important part of his family, his community, and his father's career. With intimate glimpses of family life and thrilling football anecdotes, ANOTHER SEASON is brimming with poignant lessons about defying the odds and finding joy in every moment.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published August 11, 1997
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
July 27, 2007
Amazing story of an amazing family. Very highly recommend.
January 17, 2023
Thank you, Coach Stallings and Ms. Cook for taking the time to share a wonderful, heartwarming story about a unique, special human being, who defied the odds and made the world a better place with him in it. I think we could all learn something by reading this book.
July 6, 2019
Heart-warming story as well as good insight into coaching football in the '60s-80s.
September 1, 2022
Excellent book Gene Stallings and his Down syndrome son, John Mark
October 14, 2011
Gene Stallings, the coach of Alabama, had a son with Down Syndrome. The doctors didn't expect Johnny to live past his first year. His purpose for writing Another Season was to show the people in the world, who have children with Down Syndrome, that even though its tough you can't give up. There are answers for the questions they are asking. It is hard and it takes a toll on family. If you love your child enough, you will get through it for them.
The theme of this novel is that when life gets tough, you have to work harder. Another Season was written by a football legend. Gene Stallings was very well known for being a fantastic coach who never gave up. Throughout his life he dealt with some difficult things. His third child was born with Down Syndrome, going from one job to another, and juggling family with coaching.
Another Season is an example of a narration. The story starts out foreshadowing thirty years later in Gene's life. Then it goes back to the day Johnny was born. From there it goes in chronological order of Gene Stalling's life. He tells us about his different coaching jobs, Johnny's health and family. The style is very effective in being that it was almost like he made a timeline first and then wrote them for the book.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I particularly liked it because I know someone with Down Syndrome. What really caught my attention where the parts about Johnny. I think it is so fascinating reading about his life. Talking about his job and the drama he deals with in his job was boring to me. I just couldn't stay focused because it wasn't interesting to me. If i could have changed something in the book it would be more excited. Another Season is about 45% about Johnny and 55% about football. I would make it so it was more even between football and Johnny. The football portion of the novel should be more interesting so you won't lose readers. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who likes football who just a simple book about real life.
The theme of this novel is that when life gets tough, you have to work harder. Another Season was written by a football legend. Gene Stallings was very well known for being a fantastic coach who never gave up. Throughout his life he dealt with some difficult things. His third child was born with Down Syndrome, going from one job to another, and juggling family with coaching.
Another Season is an example of a narration. The story starts out foreshadowing thirty years later in Gene's life. Then it goes back to the day Johnny was born. From there it goes in chronological order of Gene Stalling's life. He tells us about his different coaching jobs, Johnny's health and family. The style is very effective in being that it was almost like he made a timeline first and then wrote them for the book.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I particularly liked it because I know someone with Down Syndrome. What really caught my attention where the parts about Johnny. I think it is so fascinating reading about his life. Talking about his job and the drama he deals with in his job was boring to me. I just couldn't stay focused because it wasn't interesting to me. If i could have changed something in the book it would be more excited. Another Season is about 45% about Johnny and 55% about football. I would make it so it was more even between football and Johnny. The football portion of the novel should be more interesting so you won't lose readers. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who likes football who just a simple book about real life.
July 20, 2011
My only real problem with this book was it shouldn't have been two books. While I recognize there is obviously some overlap between the story of Gene Stalling's coaching career and the relationship he had with his son Johnny, I fel tat times that I was hearing stories entirely about football that had no relation back to raising a child with Down Syndrome. Both parts of the book were interesting but didn't belong together in this format. The writing itself isn't spectacular but I'll also say it wasn't so dreadful as to become distracting.
The story of Johnny itself was excellent. It was interesting, as a father of a child with Down Syndrome born in 2010, to compare the things that have changed and those that haven't since the early sixties and beyond. To hear how Coach Stallings grappled with his situation as the laws allowing his child access to a free and appropriate education were being rolled out was eye-opening. Even more fascinating was the way in which the laws and the progress being made inspired Stallings himself to aspire for us son things he would never have believed possible.
The story of Johnny itself was excellent. It was interesting, as a father of a child with Down Syndrome born in 2010, to compare the things that have changed and those that haven't since the early sixties and beyond. To hear how Coach Stallings grappled with his situation as the laws allowing his child access to a free and appropriate education were being rolled out was eye-opening. Even more fascinating was the way in which the laws and the progress being made inspired Stallings himself to aspire for us son things he would never have believed possible.
April 5, 2016
Fantastic memoir about raising a son with Down Syndrome through the overall context of Gene Stallings's football coaching career.
While the football provides context, the real story is about Stallings's son, Johnny, born in 1967. Two things stood out to me:
The first is how in '67 most children with down syndrome were put into state hospitals, horrible places, and left there. Stallings visited one after his son was born and decided that no one he loved would be left in one, no matter how many challenges came with raising a son with special needs.
The second was Stallings devastating sadness after Johnny died. He doesn't go into it, but he's such a story teller throughout the book, and he addresses his son's death in just a few pages with short, clipped sentences. His love for his son is so evident throughout the book, addressing his son's death in the afterwards is a powerful way to finish the memoir.
While the football provides context, the real story is about Stallings's son, Johnny, born in 1967. Two things stood out to me:
The first is how in '67 most children with down syndrome were put into state hospitals, horrible places, and left there. Stallings visited one after his son was born and decided that no one he loved would be left in one, no matter how many challenges came with raising a son with special needs.
The second was Stallings devastating sadness after Johnny died. He doesn't go into it, but he's such a story teller throughout the book, and he addresses his son's death in just a few pages with short, clipped sentences. His love for his son is so evident throughout the book, addressing his son's death in the afterwards is a powerful way to finish the memoir.
March 30, 2009
You don't have to know anything about Gene and Ruth Ann Stallings before you read this book. But you'll close the book (probably in one sitting) with a greater appreciation for your own life, not to mention the wonderful life John Mark Stallings was given. As a personal friend of the family, I cherish the good days and the bad knowing one day Johnny would rest eternally in Heaven. But the saying "one person can make a difference" was certainly talking about Johnny.
Raised by an amazing family with four loving sisters, this book is filled with Johnny-isms that resonate in my mind all the time.
Never one to forget a name or a face, Johnny was a hero to all who knew him and a winner in every aspect. I'll read Another Season each season and be thankful for the 46 of them we learned so much from Johnny! I would trade my personally autographerd copy buy Johnny ....oh, yeah, and Coach, too!
Raised by an amazing family with four loving sisters, this book is filled with Johnny-isms that resonate in my mind all the time.
Never one to forget a name or a face, Johnny was a hero to all who knew him and a winner in every aspect. I'll read Another Season each season and be thankful for the 46 of them we learned so much from Johnny! I would trade my personally autographerd copy buy Johnny ....oh, yeah, and Coach, too!
June 25, 2012
This book was beautiful to me. I have a brother who has Down Syndrome, and it made me smile every time Johnny did something I'd seen my brother do a million times. My brother cannot speak, and this book helped me understand why he does some things. It's really informative, detailed, and real. I would recommend this to anyone who would like to know more about children with Downs.
June 3, 2012
I give this book five stars not for its writing or its editing, but because it is truly an exceptional story. The story of John Mark Stallings is one to be enjoyed by everyone regardless of football allegiance.
April 16, 2016
Just an OK book to read. However if you're a Dallas Cowboys fan from the Landry days you'd probably enjoy it all the more. It's Coach Gene Stallings' story of life with his son, Johnny, who had down's syndrome. It's a beautiful memorial & tribute to Johnny.
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September 2, 2013Read 3/98
February 12, 2015
A great read about a famous football coach's love for his disabled son.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews