{"product_id":"breaking-serve-from-championship-coach-to-prison-and-the-journey-back-9781662965951","title":"Breaking Serve: From Championship Coach to Prison - and the Journey Back","description":"\u003cp\u003eA national championship coach. A public arrest. A federal prison sentence. And a fight for redemption.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor three decades, Michael Center was one of college tennis's most respected leaders-coaching at Kansas, TCU, and Texas, where he built the Longhorns into a national powerhouse and a rock-solid reputation.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eUntil March 2019, when the FBI stormed his home.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCaught in Operation Varsity Blues-the federal investigation into Rick Singer's admissions scheme-Center was shackled and arrested in front of his family. Overnight, he lost his job, his identity, and eventually, his freedom.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhile the team he built went on to win the University of Texas's first-ever NCAA Tennis Championship, Center watched from the sidelines-unemployed and spiraling. A guilty plea sent him to Three Rivers Federal Prison, just as COVID swept through the country. Alone in a sweltering solitary cell, he made a choice: survive-and rebuild.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBreaking Serve\u003c\/em\u003e is Center's raw, redemptive memoir of losing everything and fighting his way back. He shares what really happened at Texas, his harrowing experience in court and prison, and the deep emotional toll on himself, his friends and family.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut this isn't just a scandal story-it's a roadmap for resilience. At the heart of his comeback are the Five Pillars that transformed his life: Empathy, Role Clarity, Purposeful Process, Standards Over Goals, and How to Compete.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIf you've ever faced life-altering failure, shame, or adversity, Breaking Serve is proof that you can get up-and come back stronger.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eCenter, Michael:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - \u003cp\u003eMichael's life is a powerful testament to resilience, redemption, and growth. A former all-conference athlete and championship tennis player, his greatest legacy emerged in coaching. He's the only coach in Division I history to lead four programs into the NCAA top 10, amassing more than 500 career wins, 10 Conference Coach of the Year honors, and developing 38 All-Americans. His crowning achievement came in 2019, when his team won the NCAA championship.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut that same year, his life was turned upside down.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCaught in the national spotlight of the Varsity Blues scandal, Michael faced one of the darkest chapters of his life. The intense fallout could have crushed him. Instead, he turned inward-drawing on the very leadership principles he had taught for decades. Through pain came clarity, through pressure came strength.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNow, Michael channels his journey into helping others rise. He knows firsthand the weight of adversity-and the power within us to overcome it. Whether speaking to individuals, teams, or organizations, his mission is the same: to find and expand your comfort zone and unlock the full potential.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eYou are capable of more than you know. Let Michael show you the path forward.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gatekeeper Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51623897661714,"sku":"9781662965951","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_bb1126e0-8eb1-42c0-ace6-25c3a3307bd7.jpg?v=1758648051","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/breaking-serve-from-championship-coach-to-prison-and-the-journey-back-9781662965951","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}