UND’s Kyle Myers publishes book outlining journey with Multiple Sclerosis

General manager of Ray Richards Golf Course, former UND assistant football coach encourages resilience, reinvention in face of adversity

A UND athletics administrator and former football coach has written a book outlining his journey following a childhood diagnosis with Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

The book, authored by Kyle Myers, who serves as both athletics operations director and general manager of UND’s Ray Richards Golf Course, is titled “Beating MS: Lessons in Resilience, Reinvention and Leadership.”

Myers said the writing process entailed several years of “trial and error,” a microcosm of sorts for his battle with MS.

“Being diagnosed at 14, I went through a whole process of being told what I wasn’t going to be able to do,” Myers said. “I had parents and doctors who were supportive enough, along with me being stubborn enough to keep pushing in terms of what my body could handle. It turned out that I was able to accomplish a little bit more than anyone anticipated.”

“I tried to put the book in terms of how people can apply it to their lives,” he added. “It’s for people who are going through life-altering experiences. I think it introduces how a person should not run from those issues but figure out ways to use them as motivation – exercising courage and stretching their comfort level.”

Myers’ journey with MS began as a standout youth baseball player in his hometown of Palmyra, N.J. – a borough located across the Delaware River from North Philadelphia. He began having difficulty seeing the ball, and on one occasion outlined in the first chapter of the book, missed a routine catch at first base – the ball bouncing off his chest.

Realizing something was amiss, Myers sought medical attention and was diagnosed with optical neuritis — an inflammation of the nerve that sends messages from the brain to the eyes, and one of the first symptoms experienced by those diagnosed with MS. Further testing confirmed the diagnosis, throwing his future in the sport into doubt.

“I was told that I wasn’t going to be an athlete anymore – that my body was going to start to shut down in various ways with relapsing and remitting Multiple Sclerosis,” he said. “Being a baseball player was my identity. I didn’t know I could be anything else besides that.”

Determined to continue his athletic career, Myers reinvented himself as a football player, first as a kicker and punter and then transitioning to more physically demanding positions. Despite several MS-related setbacks, Myers was recruited to play collegiately at the University of Minnesota Crookston as a linebacker.

Myers’ time on the football team also led him to his next calling as a coach. He served as an assistant with UND’s program from 2009-14, specializing on the defensive line and linebackers corps.

“I was fortunate enough to meet some guys on the UND football staff who invited me to come work with them at a football camp,” Myers said. “That was my first taste of coaching at a high level. It’s been something that I’ve pulled lots of lessons about life from, and before I knew it, a lot of those skills I picked up along the way put me in a position to lead people in a different industry.”

Myers then followed one of his coaching mentors – former UND defensive coordinator Josh Kotelnicki – to Bismarck, after Kotelnicki was hired as head coach of the University of Mary’s football team.

After his second coaching stint ended, Myers served as assistant general manager of the Bismarck Bucks, a now-defunct team in the Indoor Football League. He then worked in student affairs and involvement at the University of Mary before taking on his current role as general manager of Ray Richards – an unlikely fit, given his limited background in the sport.

Growing up in a highly urban area of New Jersey, Myers said the extent of his golf experience prior to taking on his current role was participating in charity and promotional events as a college football coach.

“I had no background in golf — I grew up in a concrete jungle,” he said. “I talk about how if we ever saw a person with a golf club, it wasn’t going to be used for golf.”

However, Myers said his extensive background in sports management provided him with the transferrable skills to excel in his new position.

“I didn’t hide behind what I didn’t know – I was very upfront about what I didn’t know about the sport,” he said. “It worked out very well; I had a phenomenal support system.”

“There’s a ripple effect that happens from early circumstances in life,” he said. “When you have the courage to try things and stretch your comfort level, that ripple effect can put you in a position that you really want to be.”

As for his future with MS, Myers said resilience – the third pillar of his book’s title – will continue to inform his journey since being diagnosed.

“MS is always there in my life – there’s no way to run from it,” Myers said. “I imagine that I will continue to have breakdowns and relapses, but I’ve trained my mind to focus on what I have as opposed to what I don’t have in terms of my health.”

Myers’ book is available via Amazon in hardcover, paperback, e-edition and audiobook formats, at the link below. Additionally, he will appear for a book signing at First Avenue Market in Fargo this Saturday, June 20 at 12:30 p.m.; the store has copies of the book in stock.

https://www.amazon.com/Beating-MS-Resilience-Reinvention-Leadership/dp/B0GV9L4LFZ

Media Contact: Joe Banish, strategic communications writer, UND Today.

joseph.banish@UND.edu,701.777.6863

Media Photo: Kyle Myers, general manager of UND’s Ray Richards Golf Course