Dodgeville: Capturing Hearts - Paperback

by Rick Birk (Author)

The year was 1963, and little Dodgeville High School captured the state of Wisconsin's imagination with an improbable run to the state championship game under Coach John "Weenie" Wilson. The hard-driving coach was on a mission to nurture and build a class of champions, building on his own background of being a highly accomplished athlete and motivator.

Wilson took a group of gifted and dedicated student-athletes, indoctrinated with small-town values, and put them on a course that lifted the Dodgeville basketball program to undreamed-of heights. In an era when every school in Wisconsin competed in a single division, Dodgeville - with just 400 students - found itself matched up against schools more than four times its size as it made its state tournament run. Dodgeville would come up one victory short of the title in 1963, taking home the silver ball for the school's trophy case. However, Wilson and his players had no intention of being a one-hit wonder, and when the 1963-64 basketball season began, they had only one goal in mind: getting that gold ball.

The Dodgers cruised through the regular season unbeaten and incredibly found themselves as one of the tournament favorites when they returned to Madison for the state finals. This time, against a vaunted Milwaukee North squad, the Dodgers would not be denied. Wisconsin had its own, real version of the Hoosiers story, and the Dodgeville Dodgers of 1964 had staked their claim to history.

Author Biography

Rick Birk is a former college athlete who has had a lifelong love of sports. He earned his Master's Degree in Sports Management in 1990, and coached for more than twenty-five years at the grade school, high school, and college levels. In addition, he has more than thirty-five years of financial management experience, including many years in the sports industry. He also has several years of teaching experience and has served as a host for cultural home-stays with individuals from a variety of countries. Rick resides with his wife Terry in Scottsdale, Arizona, where he writes and pursues sports year-round. Rick's passion and sense of community spirit is demonstrated through his years of volunteer work with groups ranging from youth to senior citizens. He is deeply committed to promoting moral and ethical standards and is a strong advocate of family values.