eBook

Martin “Marty” Urand was born in Brooklyn, New York. His parents moved within the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens, eleven times. Because of this transit childhood, education was difficult to come by! He turned to sports, mainly basketball for his ticket out of N.Y. and start a new life!

A basketball scholarship was just what he needed to turn his life around. From a class clown to an author and a State Director for Health and Physical Education for the Texas Education Agency, in Austin, Texas.

Marty has two daughters, Marti and Jacqui and has remarried to Pamela Knoppers after his wife of 53 years passed away. Marty and Pamela live on Lake Conroe, in Montgomery, Texas. He is currently in his 20th year of teaching Kinesiology at lone Star College, Kingwood, TX.

Marty stays busy with teaching swimming lessons at April Sound Country Club Resort and writing. His writing has become extensive since his retirement.

What a journey of achievement! There are many in the health/wellness profession who have achieved, but not many who have achieved with excellence! In this profile of the life of a man who has developed into a philosopher in the purest sense of the word; Marty Urand became a leader in fitness across the State of Texas. The discipline to play the game of basketball and the people who created opportunities and the encouragement and belief in what he could do created his mode of personal extension to thousands of children, teachers, administrators and parents. This is a story of a young man who dreamed he could be the best he could be, but wasn’t sure of the conveyance to get him there. Basketball gave him that carriage! Dribble. . .cut. . .pivot. . .shoot. . .Score! The rhythm of basketball surged through his veins, but learning the basics of an education were the farthest from his thoughts. The rigor of the classroom was not an easy task to achieve, but without eligibility, basketball could not happen.

Through the quarters of his life, Marty’s experiences and tenacity moved him steadily up the court and his approach to coaching/teaching developed. In my opinion his life story stimulates…activates and through his philosophical introspection…SCORES!

Joel A. Bloom, Ph.D. MSE
University of Houston