A modern elemental training center where two teenage girls face each other in a tense magical sparring circle, faint runes glowing beneath their feet, while a stern adult man stands above them in shadow, silently observing with crossed arms.

Shades of Marv Marinovich: Zane Diamondback

ByTC Marti

Marv Marinovich may be the worst sports parent in history. As for Zane Diamondback, he’s a fictionalized blueprint of Marinovich. 

  • Parents: Ari and Desirae Diamondback
  • Siblings: Micah Diamondback-Barron
  • Fun Fact: High school sports dads living vicariously through their kids inspired Zane
  • Hogwarts House: Slytherin
  • Arcane School: None
  • Birthday: Feb. 18

Zane Diamondback is an upstanding, cunning male character. He shows his daughters, Yote and Jett, a lot of love, but it’s conditional. For years, he’s trained them with one goal in mind: acceptance into the elitist Lamerth Elemental Academy, which he and his wife, Willow, attended.

Zane has, therefore, monitored everything Yote and Jett have done since their first memories. He pushed them both to achieve Valedictorian status at the Kenborne Jr. Prep Elemental Academy. His insistence that “perfection isn’t good enough” has kept them working relentlessly, even when not in school.

He also concocted a system where, toward the end of their home training sessions, Yote and Jett would square off in a mock duel. The winner earned a large dinner of off-menu items, while the loser was forced to choke down ready-to-eat meal replacements.

Marv Marinovich and a plethora of terrible dads

The Arcane Prophecy by TC MartiIf you don’t know who Marv Marinovich is, research him. He’s often “credited” with turning his son, Todd, into a “robo-quarterback.” Of course, things didn’t go as planned, and it’s similar to what I had seen with so many dads back when I was in middle and high school.

These dads (and many moms) envisioned their kids playing professional sports, mainly in either Major League Baseball or the National Football League.

After spending two years as a full-time sportswriter focused on the National Hockey League and covering various teams for over four years, I had more pro sports experience than any of those kids.

But those dads? Oh, they were mutant hybrids of Zane Diamondback and Marv Marinovich. They screamed at their sons from the stands. It got so bad, you’d have thought we were some large, private high school as opposed to a fringe rural public one.

People like that make me sick, and Zane’s the culmination of these people. And guess what? The first three chapters of The Arcane Prophecy show just how tough Zane is, while he masks his actions as love. Not tough love. Just love. Catch the first three chapters now.

Check out The Arcane Elemental Academy Hub for more character profiles.

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