the audience
For those dealing with aging or illness.
For every competitor adapting to stay in the game.
For anyone who loves a “you won’t believe this” comeback story.
The Story
A world-class skier, first responder, and competitive pickleball player, he was a lifelong athlete who regularly pushed his body to its limit.
Until a devastating diagnosis changes everything.
With pickleball as its backdrop, The Second Bounce follows O'Leary as he fights to stay in the game he loves, showing his family and friends how to face life's final points.
A True-Story-Inspired Narrative
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The Second Bounce captures something every athlete eventually learns: the game is about much more than winning. It’s about resilience, friendship, determination and finding a way to keep competing when life changes the rules. O’Leary’s journey is amazing and Lee Zaben tells it with heart, humor and an athlete’s understanding of why we keep coming back to the court.
Jodi Elliot
Co-Founder, Engage Pickleball
The Second Bounce reminds us why pickleball has become so much more than a sport. Through Mike O’Leary’s remarkable journey, we see the power of friendship, connection, and a community that rallies around its own. It’s a story that captures what has always made pickleball special, It’s not just the game we play, but the people who make us want to keep playing.
Melissa McCurley
2025 Pickleball Hall of Fame Inductee
Lee Zaben’s The Second Bounce offers a unique perspective of how the human spirit can overcome the physical and emotional challenges of illness. Each chapter reminds us of the daily importance of love, family, friendship, and faith in God. This book delivers a story of hope, introspection, and piercing review of who we are in difficult moments. A wonderful guide and necessary read for patients, caregivers, and anyone who has faced life’s most difficult challenges.
Paul David Nussbaum, Ph.D, ABPP
Clinical Neuropsychologist, Chair-Champagne Center for Brain Health
Adjunct Professor of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
About the Author
Lee Zaben is a retired financial executive and attorney who lives in Marco Island, Florida, with his wife, Joy, and their Collie, Gage. He is the proud father of two amazing daughters and pickleball coach to his young granddaughter and her unicorn.
A portion of the proceeds from the sale of The Second Bounce will be donated to MDR - Your Brain Health Matters and to organizations supporting wheelchair pickleball.