Cover Image: Who Says I Can't?

Who Says I Can't?

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Member Reviews

Great story from a clearly inspiring figure. If you're looking for a good, solid, inspiring story to remind you about the resiliency of humanity then this is a great book for you. Rob has truly stood up to everything put in front of him, and he shares his story with humility. Rob is willing to give the people who supported him credit, and he shares the positivity of his family. Its a true, warm, and meaningful story that was fun to read.

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I've never heard of Rob Mendez before picking up this book. Nor do I know anything about football (or sports in general). But, wow. This was the best memoir I've read this year and may be one of my favourite memoirs ever.

Rob Mendez is a football coach who was born without arms or legs. You might wonder, how does someone without any limbs coach football? (Read the book and find out!)

You can probably tell by the title, cover, and synopsis of this book that it's going to be inspiring and motivational. Which it was. But what I enjoyed the most about this memoir was that Mendez' personality really shone through. He seems like such a likable and genuinely great guy. His optimism and passion for football and his students really radiates from each and every page without coming across as being overbearing or cheesy.

This may sound weird, but Mendez reminded me of my high school music teacher. (Just hear me out, ok?) My high school music teacher was, hands down, the most passionate and enthusiastic teacher I've ever met. His excitement (and borderline mania) is contagious and makes us eager to practice and improve. The amount of time, effort, and dedication that he poured into his music and students is what made him everyone's favourite teacher. I've never met anyone who is as passionate about teaching music. When you meet him, you can feel the positive energy emanate from him, which makes for a great learning environment and has helped many gifted musicians grow under his tutelage. Mendez is essentially the football coach version of my music teacher. His knowledge of the game coupled with his love, passion, and enthusiasm for coaching is incredibly heartwarming and inspiring. I don't doubt that his students love and respect him, and love the sport even more because of his coaching. There needs to be more teachers like these to help shape young talents and minds. It's teachers and mentors like these who help keep kids in school and make high school a more enjoyable place.

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