Welcome to the Bounce Back
A Journey of Survival, Identity, and Resilience
By Craig Powell
From the basketball courts of Marlboro Projects to the page, a raw, honest journey of survival, fatherhood, faith, and the relentless will to keep going. A debut memoir that speaks to every person who has ever been knocked down, displaced, or told their story was over. Craig Powell proves it never is. The key to life is not rushing; it's becoming as consistent as you can, every single day.
“The bounce back is not a destination; it is a way of life. Every morning you wake up and choose to keep going, that is victory.”
Meet Craig Powell
I Am a Creator, Poet & Storyteller Who Refused to Quit
I am a multitalented creator, poet, and storyteller, and The Bounce Back is my debut book, a powerful real-life journey from a childhood of hardship and dysfunction to adulthood, faith, and fatherhood. I wrote this book to inspire millions around the world, letting them know that, despite their circumstances, there is still hope.
My message is simple: the key to life is not rushing, but becoming as consistent as you can, every single day. My greatest desire is to influence and help people of all ages and backgrounds, and to let the whole world know that anything is possible through God.
Craig Powell
Albany, New York · 2025
Written for every person still in the storm
I wrote The Bounce Back for the kids in the projects who hear gunshots at night. For the fathers fighting broken court systems. For anyone who grew up carrying burdens too heavy for their age, and still got up the next morning.
This book speaks to:
Youth in the projects, Fathers fighting for their kids, Survivors of trauma, People of faith, Anyone rebuilding their life, Basketball lovers
About the Book
The Bounce Back: A Journey of Survival, Identity, and Resilience
is my powerful memoir that tells the story of growing up in the Marlboro housing projects in Brooklyn and learning how to survive life’s toughest challenges. Raised in a home filled with financial struggles, emotional tension, and uncertainty, I found hope and purpose on the basketball court, where the rhythm of the game became my escape and my teacher.
From childhood struggles in school and the pressures of life in the projects to the challenges of adulthood, separation from my son, and the fight to rebuild my life, I share a deeply honest story of perseverance. Through faith, determination, and the lessons I learned from basketball, I discovered the strength to keep moving forward even when life knocked me down.
More than just a story about sports, The Bounce Back is my story about resilience, identity, and the power of never giving up. It is my message of hope for anyone who has ever felt overlooked, broken, or defeated, reminding you that no matter how hard life becomes, it is always possible to rise again.
What Our Client Say
As a father who lost visitation for two years, I read the Albany chapters and just sat there. Craig doesn't dress it up. He tells you exactly how humiliating and exhausting that fight is, and then he shows you it's worth it. I gave this book to my brother the same week.
Terrence Lamar
Johnson
work with at-risk youth and I've been looking for a book I can actually hand to a sixteen-year-old from the projects and say "read this." This is that book. Craig doesn't talk down to you. He talks to you
Natasha Renee
Simmons
The basketball stuff is great but honestly the COVID chapter is what stayed with me. I was in a shelter during lockdown too. I remember that silence. Craig described it so exactly it gave me chills. Glad someone finally wrote about what that was really like.
Damon Alexis
Carter
As a father who lost visitation for two years, I read the Albany chapters and just sat there. Craig doesn't dress it up. He tells you exactly how humiliating and exhausting that fight is, and then he shows you it's worth it. I gave this book to my brother the same week.
Terrence Lamar
Johnson
work with at-risk youth and I've been looking for a book I can actually hand to a sixteen-year-old from the projects and say "read this." This is that book. Craig doesn't talk down to you. He talks to you
Natasha Renee
Simmons
The basketball stuff is great but honestly the COVID chapter is what stayed with me. I was in a shelter during lockdown too. I remember that silence. Craig described it so exactly it gave me chills. Glad someone finally wrote about what that was really like.
Damon Alexis
Carter
Get the Book · 2025
Your Story Is Not Over
The Bounce Back is now available. Wherever you are in your journey, this book will meet you there. Pick it up, share it, and pass on the fire.