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Carregando... The Assist: Hoops, Hope, and the Game of Their Livesde Neil Swidey
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Jack O'Brien, the impossibly demanding basketball coach at Charlestown High School in Boston, has led his team to five state championship titles in six years. Less talked about is O'Brien's other winning record: Nearly every one of the players who stuck with his program -- poor kids growing up in high-crime neighborhoods and saddled with the lousy educational system available in urban America -- managed to get to college. But O'Brien is no saint. Saints give without expecting anything in return. O'Brien needs his players and their problems as much as they need him. Revolving around fascinating, complex characters, The Assist is a captivating narrative of a basketball team in pursuit of a championship that also drills down into the legacy of desegregation and explores issues of education, family, and race. O'Brien is a middle-aged white guy coaching an all-black team playing in an all-white neighborhood that three decades ago was at the center of the busing wars dividing cities across the country -- a time and place indelibly described in J. Anthony Lukas's powerful book Common Ground. It's the inspiring story of a man who makes a difference, and of boys surmounting nearly impossible odds; it is also the story of the ones who don't make it, and why. Não foram encontradas descrições de bibliotecas. |
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Google Books — Carregando... GênerosClassificação decimal de Dewey (CDD)796.323The arts Recreational and performing arts Athletic and outdoor sports and games Ball sports Ball and net sports BasketballClassificação da Biblioteca do Congresso dos E.U.A. (LCC)AvaliaçãoMédia:
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Swidey writes an interesting book about young black men at Charlestown, and the basketball coach who dared to push them above their circumstances. Jack O’Brien is a white man coaching black city kids in a formerly all white school changed by Boston’s desegregation and busing system. Through countless hours of dedication and the deep commitment to forging a personal relationship with his players, O’Brien was able to build a basketball powerhouse. Not only does he push the boys to excel on the court but also in the classroom, working to secure college scholarships and encourage leadership qualities.
The book focuses on three different areas: the biography of Jack O’Brien, the individual stories of his players and the history of the school system and the yuppie neighborhood in which the school is situated. Because of the different areas of focus, I often found the writing did not flow as well as I would have liked. However, the overall message is inspiring and has a surprising ending. This is a good read for anyone interested in youth, basketball, coaching, or challenges facing educators. ( )