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It was a long road home for Christian Klemash. The allure of Los Angeles had faded — along with his alcohol abuse — and it was time to begin anew on the East Coast.
Growing up on 12th Street and Snyder Avenue before heading West, Klemash moved to South Jersey in April 2001 and started working as a suite attendant at the First Union (now Wachovia) Center. Seeing the various teams compete, questions ran through Klemash’s head: Why were certain squads more successful than others? What do I need to do to attain greatness?
Determined to find answers, the former resident embarked on a quest. For four years, he sought advice from 34 renowned coaches, picking their brains to find out what defines success in both sports and life. Their responses are in Klemash’s "How to Succeed in the Game of Life."
While piecing together the book, "I had the coaches’ positive advice whispering in my ear every day," Klemash said. "It really was a study for me in persistence and tenacity."
The 39-year-old interviewed such greats as New York Yankees Manager Joe Torre, gymnastics legend Bela Karolyi and Duane Charles "Bill" Parcells of the Dallas Cowboys. On the local scene, Klemash also spoke to former Eagles coach Dick Vermeil, Temple icon John Chaney and boxing trainer Angelo Dundee. However, getting coaches on board was not easy; it took about two years to interview 12 and another year to connect with the rest.
Once Klemash got the coaches on the horn, he asked each how they define success, overcome adversity, view failure, achieve dreams and what specific day they considered their best. The book also includes biographies of the interviewees.
Through writing, Klemash was able to learn something new about himself: "I have a tolerance for a lot more than I ever thought I had. I went from being a lazy drunk to a guy where there’s not enough hours in the day."
Klemash’s vacation to Los Angeles in 1988 became permanent when he decided to pursue acting. Intrigued by this career path, the St. John Neumann grad would accompany a friend to auditions and read over scripts.
He eventually landed his first gig in a Reebok commercial starring Arnold Schwarzanegger that never aired. The ’92 film "American Me," directed by Edward James Olmos, was Klemash’s big-screen debut, and was followed by appearances in ’93’s "Only the Strong," TV movies and an episode of "NYPD Blue" in ’94.
The actor was banking on this profession to be a lifelong career. "I thought I was the next Tom Cruise," he said.
However, he soon learned the harsh reality of Hollywood. Though the auditions continued, Klemash’s morale deteriorated.
"I wanted to be auditioning for roles with Christian Slater and Kiefer Sutherland, but I could never get to that level and became frustrated by that," he said.
He began writing his own screenplays, but hardship overtook his life in ’95. Klemash’s friend committed suicide, his father left L.A. and he ended a relationship with his girlfriend. Comfort, however temporary, was found by hitting the bottle.
"The drinking began to fuel the frustration of being on my own more than ever," he said.
With a posse of young actors, writers and musicians, Klemash frequented the town’s bar circuit on a nightly basis. "I probably had six to nine beers before I went out and God knows what when I went to the bar," he said.
After bingeing for two days straight in ’99, a drunken finale occurred. Outside a nightclub, Klemash did an impromptu somersault over a friend, landing face first on the pavement. He knocked out six teeth.
"I looked like I got hit with a bat the next day," he said.
Klemash then tried to control his drinking, to no avail. After having a booze-induced blackout while visiting his girlfriend’s family, she suggested Klemash get help — and he did.
"I was kind of aware that I had a problem," he said. "I never thought I would stop drinking completely or had a desire to do so. I just wanted the problems to stop. When I got help, I realized the severity of my problem."
Klemash has been alcohol-free for seven years. "I celebrated the millennium sober, which I never thought I would do," he said.
After the Internet company he worked for closed its Los Angeles office, he decided to move. However, it was another trip (back East this time) that solidified his stay. He reconnected with a former girlfriend, Jennifer, fell in love and married her in August 2001.
The book has given Klemash the tools to piece his own life back together. He keeps his favorite quotes close to heart, including one from Trudi Lacey, head coach/general manager of the WNBA’s Charlotte Sting: "Believe in yourself so much that you counter others’ disbelief."
Parcells’ comments also stick in his mind: "Persist. Stay with it. Don’t expect instant gratification."
Noting the book didn’t come together overnight, Klemash dealt with numerous rejections from agents and coaches when requesting interviews. Ten publishers in a row turned him down.
Things finally fell into place when former UCLA coach John Wooden (his first interview), Dundee and Arnold Auerbach of the Boston Celtics agreed to participate. More coaches soon followed. "They want to help people," Klemash said of his subjects. "They want to share their advice, and their job is to coach and encourage people to succeed. That’s what they love to do. It seemed to be a natural conversation for them."
Klemash was especially inspired by the dedication of Emanuel Steward, who trained 29 world-champion boxers.
"He really devoted a lot of time [to the interview]," he said. "We may have spoken for two hours. His thoughts were complex and involved. I really respected what he had to say, how much thought he put into each answer."
The author is busy promoting the book and spending time with his family, including daughter Sunny, 4, and stepson Nicholas Leemon, 17. With help from younger brother Joseph, who lives in L.A., Klemash is trying to turn the book into a weekly TV show.
Experiencing his own tribulations, he is able to put forth his own pearls of wisdom: "I was at the bottom. With the help of a lot of people, I turned things around. I’m really happy now. If I can do it, anybody can."
