One Thousand Showers

Playing by the rules was the only game in town as far as Terri Patraw was concerned even though it was the consensus that the town in question – Reno, Nevada – played by its own rules.

Terri Patraw was a highly successful Division I soccer coach and recruiter with the requisite aggressive, scrappy personality that goes with it. When she reported wrongdoing of a fellow coach her world was turned upside down by a culture of retaliation that engulfed an entire college campus.

Eventually, Athletic Director Cary Groth and others including the Nevada System of Higher Education, the university legal team and the band of mercenary attorneys that they over time amassed against her, the local media, the entire Nevada judicial system and ultimately even the NCAA would learn that she is a fighter, a winner, and not one to be intimidated.

This story is straight out of today’s headlines - Lance Armstrong, Penn State, Rutgers, Mike Leach/Texas Tech, University of Miami, and others - and will turn heads nationally in the NCAA, judicial, and higher education communities. The story has been adapted for film.

The Foreword

I was a successful NCAA Division I soccer coach who was a champion for her athletes; who embodied everything the NCAA is said to be about. When I reported wrongdoing of a fellow coach my world was turned upside down by a culture of retaliation that engulfed an entire college campus. The recent scandals at Penn State and Rutgers show the harm that a university administration, drunk with power, can cause to individuals and even to the institution itself.

Despite my journalism background, the last thing I ever envisioned was writing a book. Journalism involves short, quick stories. This is a long painful story about subject matter that is so far removed from anything I ever thought about or involved myself in. I loathe politics. I rarely watch the news. Retaliation to me was something that happened on the playing field. It was a bad response to a hard foul. I did not want to write this book. But the never-ending and destructive actions of the university administration gave me no choice.

It can be a risk when you tell the truth, the whole truth. But in the scheme of things and when all is said and done, it’s a bigger risk not to tell the truth. Lies and deception have a way of festering within and poisoning your soul and destroying your spirit. Some will admire me for writing this book and others will resent me. Either way, the response of others is not a reflection of me, but rather a reflection of the individual and his or her own moral compass. I’m turning the mirror on them and daring them to take a look.

Through my legal pursuits and all the accompanying aspects of my ordeal, I often said that one thousand showers would not cleanse me of the filth I endured while living and working in Nevada.

I look at this book as my one thousand and first shower.

Terri Patraw

Reviews

Extraordinary Book

Thank you so much for writing what many people of Nevada had already known but, were afraid to say. I think this book should be standard reading for every parent who has a child at the University. Kudos to you Terri Patraw for your courage under fire!

Twisted Tale

What a wonderful piece of work. Crisp, clear, well organized, captivating. She had courage to do this book.

She takes care of the bad guys real well--with their own documents! Good thematic development and a fast read.

All around A+.

Nevada Corruption Exposed

This book exposes corruption in the state of Nevada from its top university to the state's highest courts. Amazingly, the media also fails in doing its job in ferreting out and reporting the truth.

Any college student or student who intends to go to college -- especially those involved in sports -- and their parents should read this book.

This book will open a lot of eyes.

Couldn't Put it Down!

If you are interested in NCAA sports you will be interested in this! In this day and age of media driven sports scandals, this is another one that has to be told...but get the REAL story here...

Truth and Retaliation in the Desert

Of the over 550 men and women I graduated with from Mounds View High School in June of 1987, Terri Patraw has been one of the best in her field. There have been doctors, lawyers, professors, professional athletes, and highly successful (and wealthy) business people— Terri proves with this book that she is in a class by herself. The journey she lived through and describes isn’t a light hearted romp through championship seasons, but a bizarre description of corruption in college athletics and administration. It’s a story of courage and perseverance, and well worth the read. Kudos to my fellow alum for enlightening me about her journey.

Caught in the Middle

As the parent of a player from Terri's last UNR recruiting class I will never forget the call that we received from our Freshman on the eve of her 1st D1-NCAA soccer game. With no explantion Ms Patraw, who had just recently taken the program to the NCAA Tournament, had been fired and no explanation had been given to the team. A promising season soon suffered with an unprepared staff and what we now see as a corrupt and selfish A.D. It took a lot of courage for Terri stand up for herself and battle the Reno, NV system. The book is a eye-opening look into the politics, nepotism and lies of an athletic program and legal system out-of-control.

Juice and the Justice System in Nevada

This book about Terri Patraw's fight is a clear and gripping read for anyone interested in UNR and its athletics programs. She exposes how justice and higher education work in Nevada: corrupt UNR officials use taxpayer dollars to cover up a variety of criminal activities. What activities? Connect the dots. UNR and teams of lawyers paid by taxpayers use juice with local media, district judges, the DA, the attorney general, supreme court justices, the governor, and even the NCAA to avoid prosecution and to shut down people who oppose the corruption. Caution: you will never trust a public statement by a UNR administrator again.

Amazing How Things Work Behind the Scenes

I enjoyed the read and find it highly disgusting that school and public officials that are entrusted to protect our children use their position to feed their ego and destroy values they are paid to teach our children. This kind of behavior should be exposed.

A Rivoting but Disturbing Contemporary True Story

This is a well written documentation of the incredible journey of a successful coach who was terminated for all the wrong reasons and her legal battle to be exonerated...

Former Reno Resident

Sadly, sports has become such big business, that what happened to Terri could happen to anyone who reports violations to the NCAA. Evil people employ the same games and strategies. Terri's book is a template and a warning and a provocative insight of the egregiousness on how evil people will try to destroy the whistleblower, which is a major problem in our society.