Jim Morris

Biography

Jim "The Rookie" Morris` inspirational and transformational message about following your dreams and having a game plan for success connects with audiences, young and old, male and female. His life story is the inspiration behind the Walt Disney blockbuster film, "The Rookie," starring Dennis Quaid. It is also the model for the greatest sports film of the 21st century, "The Blindside."

To motivate his rag tag high school baseball team, Jim, as a 35-year-old schoolteacher, made a bet that he would try out for the big leagues if his team won a district championship. When Jim`s team won, he followed through on his promise, going to a tryout where he threw 12 consecutive pitches at 98 mph! Three months later in front of family and his high school team, Jim achieved his dream of pitching in the big leagues by striking out the first hitter he faced. That`s what Jim Morris accomplished and - it doesn`t matter who you are - we can all relate to fulfilling our goals and dreams. Jim Morris` story takes place on a baseball diamond, but it`s really about life.

Imagine having Jim tell you his story over a cup of coffee. Jim Morris brings that level of intimacy to your corporate meeting, church, school, or fundraiser. A schoolteacher by trade, Jim Morris is a polished inspirational and motivational speaker, but never slick. In a world lacking in real-life heroes, Jim connects with his audience, because he transformed himself from a man who was struggling into an incredible success. Audiences connect with him because they see themselves in Jim Morris.

Jim Morris is a great speaker who inspires and motivates his audience with honesty and humor. He is candid about his early-life failures and he uses them to provide a roadmap for success in business, family, and community. His is an uplifting, heroic tale about overcoming a tough upbringing. One of the most magical things about Jim Morris is how he takes his stories and weaves them into a roadmap for changing all aspects of your life for the better, whether in business, family-life, or within your community.

Jim Morris can tailor his inspirational and motivational message to a corporate setting, to a school, an association/non-profit, or a church. He works closely with customers to deliver a great meeting and he is a great storyteller! Long after he has left, Jim Morris` message will continue to resonate with your group.

Publications

The Oldest Rookie

Jim Morris escaped the desolation of his youth by dreaming of pitching in the major leagues. But as with most kids, it was just a fantasy, made all the more impossible by injuries he suffered in his early twenties. Having hoped only for a professional baseball career, Jim found himself facing an adult world he barely recognized. He turned away from baseball and toward the real world.

Years passed, and on his thirty-fifth birthday Jim Morris found himself settled in as a high school physics teacher in a hard scrabble West Texas town. He had a wonderful wife, three kids, and students who adored him. His baseball career was restricted to coaching, and he believed his purpose in life was to inspire his students and players to dream bigger dreams than their harsh surroundings and homes generally allowed.

Then came the bet.

Jim`s young players had a proposition for their coach: If they won the league championship something their school had never done-he`d try out for a major-league team. Jim laughed, knowing he was way too old to be considered by a professional squad, but he accepted.

Well, they won. And what happened next surprised everyone, especially Jim Morris. Keeping his end of the bet, he headed off to try out for the major leagues. There, he threw faster and better than he had ever thrown before. Suddenly, Jim Morris was reborn. A few months later, he took the mound at Texas Stadium and became the major leagues` oldest rookie pitcher in forty years. Jim Morris`s dream had come true.

A book about hope, about fathers and children, about husbands and wives, about players and competition, and about the power of dreams, The Oldest Rookie is more than just a tale of one man`s inspiring journey. It is for everyone who refuses to give up, and its moral is that we may very well have succeeded beyond our wildest aspirations without even knowing it.

Titles

Never Give Up on a Dream