The extraordinary journey of quad amputee Scott Martin, a rising college soccer coach whose life was forever changed by a sudden and devastating illness, has been revealed in his deeply personal memoirs, Play From Your Heart.
Once a man defined by his athleticism, energy, and passion for the game, Martin’s trajectory was abruptly derailed when he was struck down by a rare, flesh-eating bacterial infection. The infection ravaged his body, forcing doctors to amputate both of his hands and portions of his feet.
While they told him he was lucky to be alive, survival was only the beginning of a much longer and more grueling battle – a fight to reclaim not just his health, but his sense of self, purpose, and belonging in the world.
The memoir opens with the raw and disorienting aftermath of Martin’s illness, as he grapples with the reality of life without the physical tools that once defined him.
The soccer field, once his domain of control and creativity, suddenly feels unreachable. He must relearn the most basic actions – how to move, how to communicate, how to teach – while confronting waves of frustration, grief, and uncertainty.
Yet amid this physical and emotional devastation, Martin begins to rebuild. Through perseverance, humour, and an unrelenting desire to return to the sport he loves, he starts piecing his life back together one hard-fought step at a time.
Martin’s story unfolds across a twenty-five-year odyssey marked by both pain and perseverance.
His recovery is not just a medical challenge but a deeply human one, encompassing legal struggles, personal loss, and moments of profound introspection.
The book delves into his experiences in hospital rooms and courtrooms, where he must fight not only for his body but also for his rights and his dignity. These battles are juxtaposed with moments of resilience and rediscovery – his return to coaching, his reconnection with the rhythms of the game, and his growing understanding that true strength extends far beyond physical ability.
Eventually, Martin finds new purpose through coaching a group of underdog twelve-year-olds.
At first, the task seems impossible: how could he, a coach without hands, meaningfully lead and inspire young athletes? But through his sheer determination, creativity, and empathy, Martin not only adapts but thrives.
He channels his own experiences of loss and endurance into lessons that transcend sport. Under his guidance, the “rag tag” team of kids learns to play with heart, unity, and courage – qualities that ultimately carry them to an undefeated state championship.
This triumph, though smaller in scale than his earlier collegiate ambitions, represents something far greater: a victory of spirit over circumstance, and of love over limitation.
Throughout Play From Your Heart, Martin’s voice is marked by unflinching honesty and surprising humour.
He refuses to romanticise his suffering or portray himself as a victim. Instead, he confronts each setback with grace and wit, revealing the contradictions of recovery – the moments of absurdity amid despair, the unexpected kindness of strangers, and the stubborn flicker of joy that refuses to die.
His writing captures not only the physical pain of rehabilitation but also the spiritual rebirth that comes from redefining one’s identity and rediscovering one’s purpose.
At its core, the memoir is about endurance – both physical and emotional – and the power of sport as a vehicle for healing.
Soccer becomes a metaphor for life itself: unpredictable, demanding, and at times cruel, yet always capable of beauty and redemption. Martin’s journey demonstrates that even when the body fails, the human spirit remains undefeated. The book celebrates the resilience that emerges when a person faces the unthinkable and still chooses to stand up again, not just to survive, but to live fully and passionately.
Play From Your Heart offers readers more than a story of personal recovery; it’s a meditation on the meaning of perseverance, community, and love. It challenges traditional ideas of success and strength, showing that true victory lies not in physical perfection but in the courage to keep going when everything seems lost.
Whether read as a sports memoir, an inspirational tale, or a reflection on the human condition, the book leaves readers with a lasting message: that the game of life, like soccer, is not about avoiding defeat, but about how we choose to play through it – with heart, grace, and an unwavering belief in what’s possible.
