What turns a skinny Black kid from Louisiana into a hero coach transforming hundreds of children from low-income neighborhoods into educated, go-getter adults while they earn national track medals along the way?
And why does he repeatedly bang his head against racism to no effect? Walters Way: A Coach, His Runners and His Race is the biography of one Black man’s fight for decency in a Midwest city that wants to remain innocent of racism. It is an American story of success against the odds, where a realized potential is stronger than the tidal wave of common belief.
As the exuberant teller of his own tales, Coach Walters, in his 90’s, will satisfy the history buff of any color to come away feeling smarter, wiser and restored in their belief in humanity. As an early founder of a youth traveling track team he will inspire today’s coaches and parents to focus on character. After all, as he says, “It’s not about winning.”
Published February 9, 2026, by Koehler Books, Inc.