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Break on through

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Inside break on through

What if rediscovering joy was the most radical thing you could do?

From suburban playgrounds to professional soccer pitches, Israeli classrooms to late-night soul-searching, Break on Through is a memoir of losing yourself, finding your way back, and learning to play again—on your own terms.

Blending raw vulnerability with poetic insight, Bryan VanDoorninck traces his unconventional path from Division 1 athlete to disillusioned young professional to globe-trotting teacher and coach. Along the way, he wrestles with identity, grief, burnout, spiritual longing, and the beautiful chaos of growing up.

This is a story for anyone who’s ever felt stuck, uncertain, or not enough—and dared to imagine something more.

Whether you’re a former athlete, a lifelong learner, or a seeker on the verge of reinvention, this book reminds you of one simple truth:

You don’t need permission to begin again.
You just need to break on through.

What readers are saying

Dr. Mara Levin
Counselor & Author of The Still Point

“Raw, wise, and wonderfully self-aware. Bryan VanDoorninck writes with the vulnerability of someone who’s lived through the questions most of us are too afraid to ask. A must-read for anyone who’s ever outgrown a dream and dared to imagine something more.”

Coach Eli Navarro
Former College Coach & Speaker on Athletic Identity

“This book is for the misfits who once lived for the game, then had to figure out who they were without it. Equal parts memoir and manifesto, Break on Through offers not just a story—but a way forward.”

Renee Marshall
Founder, The Play Project

“I laughed, cried, underlined entire pages, and called a friend halfway through to read them a paragraph. Break on Through is a deeply human reminder that we’re all still becoming—and that play is not just for kids, but for anyone who wants to feel alive again.”

Jonah Fields
Program Director, Global Youth Alliance

“Whether you’re an athlete, a teacher, a traveler, or a seeker of meaning, this memoir will find you where you are—and gently push you forward. Bryan has written a modern hero’s journey for the rest of us.”

Talia Rhodes
Educator & Author of The Art of Becoming

“This is what happens when a soccer player becomes a poet. Bryan’s voice is honest, soulful, and quietly electric. His journey is both intensely personal and universally relatable. If you’ve ever asked, ‘What now?’—this book has something to say to you.”

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