Book Description
Improve the sports life for players, parents, and coaches by opening the lines of communication between the three key groups in sports for ages 5-18. Give players, parents, and coaches the information needed to make sports a great experience for everyone involved for the ages of 5-18 ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from JOPERD--The Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, published by American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) on April 1, 1995. The length of the article is 1692 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

From the supplier: The University of Regina's Faculty of Physical Activity Studies decided to form a partnership with an alternative high school, the Continuation Options Re-Entry Education (CORE), in developing a wellness program. The purpose of the program was to foster improved self-esteem and greater awareness of recreational activities among CORE students. The program has been successful in promoting self-confidence, physical fitness and positive social skills to its participants.

Citation Details
Title: Building bridges between a university and an alternative high school.(Leisure Today: Youth Program Success Stories)
Author: Mary Bluechart
Publication: JOPERD--The Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance (Refereed)
Date: April 1, 1995
Publisher: American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD)
Volume: v66Issue: n4Page: p39(3)

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Book Description
This digital document is an article from JOPERD--The Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, published by American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) on November 1, 1997. The length of the article is 2060 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

From the supplier: After-schools programs may be implemented to ensure that students use their free time more productively. It may also allow a more organized and better monitored youth development, specially when there is no parental guidance, ideal models and community opportunities. The development of after-school programs becomes more crucial in poor communities, where there are high incidences of unemployment and insufficient income. These programs are important because they help in minimizing juvenile problems, such as gang involvement, alcohol and drug abuse and school dropouts.

Citation Details
Title: Developing after-school programs for youth in high risk environments.(Youth Development)
Author: Peter Witt
Publication: JOPERD--The Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance (Refereed)
Date: November 1, 1997
Publisher: American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD)
Volume: v68Issue: n9Page: p18(2)

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Product Description
Learn your role in athletics as the parent and discover what increases and decreases your athlete\'s performance. With this book you can increase your athlete\'s performance and safety in athletics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Are you the target audience?
This book is targeted at parents of late teenagers with serious aspirations of playing sports at college or professional level. It was of little relevance to a parent trying to ensure that his 11 year old son has a safe, fun or rewarding experience playing hockey, soccer, basketball or lacrosse. I did not understand this from the supporting information, cover etc. ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, published by American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) on March 1, 2001. The length of the article is 4573 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Comparison of Patterns of Tobacco Use Between High School and College Athletes and Nonathletes.(Brief Article)
Publication: Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport (Refereed)
Date: March 1, 2001
Publisher: American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD)
Volume: 72Issue: 1Page: A-24

Article Type: Brief Article

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Book Description
This digital document is an article from Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, published by American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) on March 1, 2003. The length of the article is 1777 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Effects of a physical education curriculum on work productivity and fitness parameters in high school students with mental retardation. (Special Populations).
Author: Frank Edward Seagraves
Publication: Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport (Refereed)
Date: March 1, 2003
Publisher: American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD)
Volume: 74Issue: 1Page: A-80(1)

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Book Description
This digital document is an article from Palaestra, published by Challenge Publications Limited on January 1, 1993. The length of the article is 503 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Minnesota high school league incorporates Minnesota Association for Adapted Athletics into league structure.
Publication: Palaestra (Magazine/Journal)
Date: January 1, 1993
Publisher: Challenge Publications Limited
Volume: v9Issue: n2Page: p18(2)

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Book Description
This digital document is an article from Palaestra, published by Challenge Publications Limited on June 22, 2001. The length of the article is 726 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: National High School Interscholastic Track Meet.(wheelchair track athletics)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Publication: Palaestra (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 22, 2001
Publisher: Challenge Publications Limited
Volume: 17Issue: 3Page: 15

Article Type: Brief Article, Statistical Data Included

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Book Description
This digital document is an article from Palaestra, published by Challenge Publications Limited on January 1, 2005. The length of the article is 335 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Swaim, D., & Edwards, S. (2003). Physical Education, Heart Zone Training, Heart Rate Monitors, Fitness (High School Healthy Hearts in the Zone: a Heart Rate Monitoring Program for Lifelong Fitness).
Publication: Palaestra (Magazine/Journal)
Date: January 1, 2005
Publisher: Challenge Publications Limited
Volume: 21Issue: 1Page: 53(1)

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Book Description
• Get up to speed on the use of heart rate monitor technology in high school physical education and health instruction.
• Teach students about lifelong heart fitness.
• Help students individualize their fitness goals and assess their own progress.

Veteran physical educators Deve Swaim and Sally Edwards introduced middle school teachers to heart rate monitors in Middle School Healthy Hearts in the Zone (published in 2002). Their latest book focuses on the unique needs of high school teachers and is designed to make it easy for you to use this technology in your high school curriculum.

How is High School Healthy Hearts in the Zone different from Middle School Healthy Hearts in the Zone? The book provides additional worksheets and workouts for high school students, expanded coverage of the health benefits of heart fitness, in-depth technical information on heart rate monitors, and guidelines for using the technology in sports.

Learn how to
• easily use heart rate monitors—even if you're a novice,
• incorporate heart rate monitor technology into your high school curricula,
• facilitate experiential learning that helps students see and feel how heart health fitness fits into the curriculum,
• add variety to your teaching to keep students interested, and
• provide athletes with a new way to monitor their progress.

The text explains the rationale behind using heart rate monitors and heart zone training in high school curricula. It provides 46 lesson plans that emphasize self-directed learning, goal setting, and self-motivation. It also presents 72 pull-out, reproducible student worksheets and pull-out log and journal pages.

Whether you're new to heart rate monitor technology or you're already using the device, you need High School Healthy Hearts in the Zone—everything you need to succeed is here. ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from JOPERD--The Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, published by American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) on September 1, 2001. The length of the article is 4873 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Making a Difference for Urban Youths.(motivating inner city youths in physical education programs)
Author: Nancy Knop
Publication: JOPERD--The Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance (Refereed)
Date: September 1, 2001
Publisher: American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD)
Volume: 72Issue: 7Page: 38

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Book Description
This digital document is an article from Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, published by American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) on March 1, 2001. The length of the article is 453 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The Relationship Between the Psychometric Profile and Health-Related Fitness of Chinese Youths in Hong Kong.(social values differ for females and males)(Brief Article)
Publication: Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport (Refereed)
Date: March 1, 2001
Publisher: American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD)
Volume: 72Issue: 1Page: A-87

Article Type: Brief Article

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Book Description
This digital document is an article from Reclaiming Children and Youth, published by Thomson Gale on January 1, 2006. The length of the article is 2484 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Creative arts: strengthening academics and building community with students at-risk: a charter school serving a residential program for students at risk employs creativity in the arts to motivate academic achievement, provide productive after-school programming, and build a sense of community.(University Charter School for Waco Methodist Children's Home)
Author: Randal W. Boldt
Publication: Reclaiming Children and Youth (Magazine/Journal)
Date: January 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 14Issue: 4Page: 223(5)

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Book Description
This digital document is an article from JOPERD--The Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, published by American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) on October 1, 2000. The length of the article is 568 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Profiling Activity Levels of Youths and Young Adults.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Author: Melody Yarbrough
Publication: JOPERD--The Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance (Refereed)
Date: October 1, 2000
Publisher: American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD)
Volume: 71Issue: 8Page: 6

Article Type: Brief Article, Statistical Data Included

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Amazon.com
Nancy Takahiro is a star high school basketball player who is smitten by a new player, Raina Webber. When Nancy's father falls in love with Raina's mother and the families move in together, Nancy's love for Raina becomes positively excruciating.This novel grapples not only with the awkwardness of adolescent love, but also with race: Nancy is Asian American, Raina is African American. And if that's not enough, it's full of information on college sport recruiting techniques.Book Description
As a star basketball player in her last year of high school, Nancy Takahiro's life is about to change forever. Faced with the college recruitment process and unsure of where her skill will take her, Nancy is not prepared for meeting Raina Webber, an All-State shooting guard whose passion for basketball is matched only by her talent.When Nancy's father and Raina's mother move in together, the girls are faced with the challenge of negotiating their already intense friendship and rivalry. As Nancy's love for Raina grows and both prepare to leave inner city neighborhood that has nurtured them, they find themselves looking toward a future that is no longer easily defined.Set against a backdrop of racial tension between the Asian American and African American communities of Los Angeles and infused with tenderness and passion. The Necessary Hunger explores not only the intricacies of the game of basketball, but also the very nature of the relationships young women create in the face of the odds that are stacked against them. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Lots of Issues
Nancy is a gay teenager of Japanese heritage living with her father in a mostly black neighborhood in Los Angeles.Life would probably be more difficult for her if she weren't a superstar basketball player.She is a celebrity in her school and her neighborhood, where she is respected and revered.It is thought she will be one of the lucky ones who will make something of her life, go to college and escape from the poor inner city.

Nancy is comfortable with herself, but is somewhat quiet about her sexuality.She doesn't date much, but she is madly in love with Raina, a black basketball player from another team.As luck would have it, Nancy's father and Raina's mother begin a relationship, and soon they are all living together in Nancy's house.Raina, though, is still as unattainable as ever.She is in a relationship, and she seems to sense Nancy's attraction to her and therefore avoids her a bit.

Senior year of high school is a busy time for Nancy and Raina.Both are being heavily recruited by colleges all over the country, and both are trying to lead their teams to championships.Nancy is also trying to figure out a way to follow Raina to college.But while she is so busy planning her possible future, is she letting the present pass her by?

This book is full of lots of issues.It touches on gang violence, racism, homosexuality, college athletic recruitment, teen pregnancy and inner city crime, and the difficulty of blending families together.Sometimes I felt as though there was too much packed into this one book, as if the author wanted to make sure not to leave anything important out.I did like this book, though, especially the strength and determination of Nancy in getting to college and getting out of her neighborhood.

Real, gritty, inspiring.
I started this book because it looked like it'd be a fun read: a gay sports story. Not that many going around. But by the time I 'd finished it I realized it was so much more than that.

The Necessary Hunger touched me on so many levels that it's hard to lay them all out in any sort of order. Nina Revoyr uses sports as a metaphor for life, for growing up and finding yourself. That in itself is nothing that special, because that's the meat of all sports stories. But Revoyr does it in a way that makes you feel. She gets into the mind of soul of an athlete who's just going through her growing pains, trying to figure out who she is. And as if that weren't enough Revoyr throws in a whole spectrum of other issues: class, race, sexuality, privilege.

This is more than just a love story. It's a story about passion and determination, of life and loss, and of daring yourself to take that one terrifying step into the unknown. Nancy and Raina are absolutely believable characters, so three-dimensional that they are bound to resonate with everyone on some level.

The greatest strength of this novel is that Revoyr takes everyday situations, the stuff that everyone has been through at one point or another, and puts her craft into them so that the resulting masterpiece is an intricate story based purely on emotion. She pulls you in with vivid descriptions of emotion, and does it in a gritty, realisticway that connects you with the character.

This novel is so much more than your average sports story. And it's worth every penny.

It Blows? Well written!
It was a well written piece. The only problem is you get frustrated. However, you get frustrated because you want the main character to get the girl - her step sister. You get into the book and that is what makes it wonderful. You might not even notice how into it you are until the end. The frustration comes from all the feelings that go through Nancy's head when she sees her. I feel the same way when I like a girl...lmao! To Nancy's suprise, her father marries the girls mother. It got worst for her but one learns not to hold back. If you like someone say something. Otherwise, you will be just like Nancy with all the "what if's" and "I don't knows" and "Maybe this" or "Maybe that".

Total Downer
This is the book you read if you want to punish yourself for being a romantic. This book takes you from the total high you have when starting a new book, to the point of just wanting to cry and scream at the impossible blindness of the characters. And that was not a compliment of wonderful writing on the writers behalf. Nina wrote this long ass story that takes you on this wild ride that never finishes. IT never reaches a climax. It just builds and builds untill she drops the bomb that nothing good happens for the two main characters. You'd be better of saving your money and going to a funeral.

Buy this book immediately!
This is one of my top 10 favorite books of all times.It is a beautiful coming of age portrait of a young woman. ... Read more

Book Description
Slow Death is an exciting young adult story with a basketball theme. The story follows young joshua Longly as he moves from Calif. to New York. Armed only with his skill at basketball he finds confrontation and makes new friends. This is a great `feel good' story for any teenager who enjoys basketball. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A review by an educator
I recently read Slow Death and thought it was a fun book to read. The book hit on many topics that adolescents can relate to such a peer pressure, feeling alone, anddeveloping empathy for all groups of people, including seniors, ethnic background and races. Josh, the main character, really discovers what kind of person he is when he has to start his life over in a different part of the country. He relies on his basketball skils to forge new friendships and self-confidence. I would recommend this book for any parent of pre-teen or teenagers or educators as a read aloud. This book will draw and keep the listener or reader's attention throughout the story. An Excellent read!

Great Basketball Book For Kids and Teens
I coach a grammar school basketball team of 5th and 6th graders. I gave the team of 13 players a copy of the book for Christmas. Almost all of them read it and everyone who read it really liked it. I read it as well and rate it 5 stars.
The book is about a kid named Josh who moves from a white neighborhood in California to a black neighborhood in NYC and has to adjust. He meets a bunch of kids who like basketball as much as he does and they play pickup games together. Lots of interesting relationships develop. When Josh is not allowed to try out for the school basketball team by the coach because of his appearance, he and several other kids form a team to challenge the school team. They are coached by the school janitor, an ex basketball star who is out to prove the school coach's win -at- all costs approach is not the best one.
The book has a great ending and lots of great basketball action, with colorful players nicknamed Dish, Death and Weatherman. The book also teaches some valuable lessons to kids- getting along regardless of appearance, teamwork and sportsmanship matter in addition to winning, and importance of putting basketball in perspective along with other interests in life. Anyone 10 years or older who likes basketball will really like this book.
Great gift for coaches to give their teams. Enjoy!

Slow Death
I WAS SURPRISED AND ENTERTAINED WITH HIS EXPRESSION AND WRITING SKILLS.

HE HAS TAKEN THE TIME TO DEVELOP THE CHARACTERS INVOLVED AND PRESENTED THE STORY FROM A POINT OF VIEW THAT SHOULD BE INSPIRATIONAL TO READERS OF ALL AGES.

I BELIEVE EVERY TEENAGERCOULD IDENTIFY WITH THE PRESURES THAT SURROUNDS THE MAIN CHARACTER IN "SLOW DEATH".

MY ONLYCONCERN IS THE TITLE OF THE BOOK. I DO NOT THINK IT REFLECTS THE REAL MEANING AND INTENTION OF THE WRITER.

I HAVE RATED THIS A 5 ON THE SCALE (...) BECAUSE I TOTALY ENJOYED THE STORY AND THE ART OF THE STORY-TELLING

... Read more

Book Description
It’s October 3, 2000. Game one of the National League Division Series is about to commence between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Atlanta Braves. Cardinal’s manager Tony La Russa decides to start a rookie named Rick Ankiel. A 21 year old southpaw who threw a 95 mph fastball. Ankiel, in his rookie season had struck out 194 batters, and hadn’t lost a decision in two months. By the time the series was over Ankiel had pitch only four innings. During those four innings Ankiel walked 11 batters and threw 9 wild pitches (5 in one inning)! What happened to this rookie phenom whom one sports writer referred to as “always carrying himself with a cocksure strut?” Mastering The Mental Side Of Pitching is a book that will explain why Rick Ankiel and many pitchers like him had to prematurely cut their pitching careers short because they fell into the clutches of “The Thing.”Most importantly, this book will show you step-by-step how to change struggle to success on the mound using Hemispheric Kinesiology. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Mastering The Mental Side Of Pitching
"The Mental Side of Pitching is a revolutionary program for overcoming the self-doubt, nervousness, and lapses of concentration that can keep a baseball pitcher from winning. I highly recommend it."

Steven Ellis - Former Pitcher Chicago Cubs
TheCompletePitcher.com
... Read more

Book Description

The year was 1979 and the fifteen teenagers on the Crenshaw High Cougars were the most talented team in the history of high school baseball. They were pure ballplayers, sluggers and sweet fielders who played with unbridled joy and breathtaking skill.

The national press converged on Crenshaw. So many scouts gravitated to their games that they took up most of the seats in the bleachers. Even the Crenshaw ballfield was a sight to behold -- groomed by the players themselves, picked clean of every pebble, it was the finest diamond in all of inner-city Los Angeles. On the outfield fences, the gates to the outside stayed locked against the danger and distraction of the streets. Baseball, for these boys, was hope itself. They had grown up with the notion that it could somehow set things right -- a vague, unexpressed, but persistent hope that even if life was rigged, baseball might be fair.

And for a while it seemed they were right. Incredibly, most of of this team -- even several of the boys who sat on the bench -- were drafted into professional baseball. Two of them, Darryl Strawberry and Chris Brown, would reunite as teammates on a National League All-Star roster. But Michael Sokolove's The Ticket Out is more a story of promise denied than of dreams fulfilled. Because in Sokolove's brilliantly reported poignant and powerful tale, the lives of these giftedathletes intersect with the realities of being poor, urban, and black in America. What happened to these young men is a harsh reminder of the ways inspiration turns to frustration when the bats and balls are stowed and the crowd's applause dies down.

Just as Friday Night Lights portrayed the impact of high school sports on the life of a Texas community, and There Are No Children Here examined the viselike grip of poverty on minority youngsters, The Ticket Out presents an unforgettable tale of families grasping for opportunities, of athletes praying for one chance to make it big, of all of us hoping that the will to succeed can triumph over the demons haunting our city streets. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Good Book
An "excellent" book. A story detailing many people, but, in particular aperson of "exceptional ability" and "train wreck" personality. A book everyone should read and learn from. It's a "fine line" that seperates any of us from following the path "Darryl Strawberry" took. Get it, Read it, Pass it on.

LIFE + SPORTS = LIFE
One of the greatest anomalies associated with athletics is that the "Best" are many times not successful.Talk to any professional athlete and they can tell you stories about great athletes that they played with or against that were better than they were, or even better than anyone that they had ever seen, but didn't make it to the pros or into to world class competitions.The variables of injuries, families, lack of discipline, luck or just plain life can wreck the possibility of any athletic career.Every practice, game, interview or even date can end the journey.More than any other profession, whether they show respect for it or not, professional athletes will tell you that they are one of the luckiest people on Earth.Their talent, luck and extreme level of desire does set them apart from most mortal men.The Ticket Out is one of the best presentations on how Life plus Sports usually just equals Life.

The Boys Of Crenshaw each had all the talent and training requirements necessary to be successful professional baseball players.Although they didn't really know it then, their team is American legend and they provide us with a very compelling drama.As a team they were the perfect research data pool to logically examine life and sports.As a group whose careers were not affected by major injuries their results of everything from incarceration with "three strikes" to one of the greatest natural home run hitters to ever play the game really does cover all possibilities, except the status of hero.

Sports or not, everyone in the game of life is dealt a hand.Even a group of the "Best of the Best" still have to deal with their own personal hand of cards.The Ticket Out shows how if you start in South Central Los Angeles, trying to be successful in any profession, it's a challenge.Although the exposure and training is there, the baggage a Black family carries to California in a migration for a better life can be a lot to overcome.Also children growing up in a community that is not always honest with itself can make life very daring.

Through baseball, The Ticket Out is really a great story about how South Central Los Angeles was created and how it can effect even the greatest talents.This baseball book about life is very interesting.I think we need more books that use our common interests to discuss our lives.

The most disturbing thing for any real baseball fan will be the lack of discussion about Lee May, who did have a real professional baseball career.

Unfortunately, people that are not into baseball will probably not buy this book and miss out on one of the most simple yet informative discussions on prison terms and the "three strikes" laws that you will ever find.

I'm a baseball fan and The Ticket Out provides a lot of interesting baseball and a lot of Daryl Strawberry legend, but it's really about Life + Sports = Life.

Outstanding Book!
This book was truly an outstanding piece of work.When I purchased it, I thought it would mostly be about Darryl Strawberry and a little about the others.I was wrong, Michael Sokolove does an outstanding job researching (and you can see he has spent countless hours finding out information about all the players and Brooks Hurst) and portraying each of the individuals who made up the team.One gets to know the individuals and the author makes you want to reach out to those who got caught up in the inner city after their opportunity to leave was lost.The only part missing from this book was the only player drafted not to be profiled: Lee Mays.The book leaves you wondering what happened to him.

Good overall book, but not really about baseball
I have to say, I was a little mislead by the subtitle of this book, Darryl Strawberry and the boys of Crenshaw. I was expecting the book to give me more about the boys, and what happened to them, both during their days at Crenshaw and afterwards.
The author provides some of that, but he also provides alot of social commentary. Now, while it was interesting to learn of the conditions of the prisons in the 1990s, and the affect of the three strikes law, I wanted to learn more about what happened to the guys, and why. To hear more about baseball.
Still, overall it's a good book. Just doesn't really delve too deeply into it's title subjects.

Urban commentary within a baseball story
I could hardly put this book down.It is so much more than a story about baseball.I don't like the Mets, and I never cared for Darryl Strawberry.This book is really about neither.Instead, it is a social commentary about the plight of the black man in one arena of life.The small window of opportunity that some find while it eludes others (or others elude it); The subtle racism that seeps even into sport - it's all in this book, but the author doesn't hit you over the head with it.By the end, you feel compassion for some, pity for others, and rejoice in the triumph of a few.If you are looking for just a baseball book, you need to find a lesser story.This transcends baseball. ... Read more

Book Description
It ought to be just a game, but basketball on the playgrounds of Coney Island is much more than that for many young men it represents their only hope of escape from a life of crime, poverty, and despair.In The Last Shot, Darcy Frey chronicles the aspirations of four of the neighborhood's most promising players.What they have going for them is athletic talent, grace, and years of dedication.But working against them are woefully inadequate schooling, family circumstances that are often desperate, and the slick, brutal world of college athletic recruitment.Incisively and compassionately written, The Last Shot introduces us to unforgettable characters and takes us into their world with an intimacy seldom seen in contemporary journalism.The result is a startling and poignant expose of inner-city life and the big business of college basketball. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (41)

Hoop Dreams
If you like hoops you would love this story. Darcey frey the author who's also a sports writter follows the life of three young men who's dream is to become professional basketball players.Living in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn these three men are faced with durgs violence, and everything you see on the streets of Brooklyn. A very inspirational story, and a indepth look on the career of Stephon Marbury.This is a book you would want to share with a friend.

Symphony ofwords
This book should be a classic, if it isn't already. As someone who hasn't a great deal of interest in basketball, I can throughly recommend it simply for the author's style. The man's prose reads like a dream as he brings the characters to life in an inimitable way. He enables you, the reader, to go right into the streets of New York and live the lives of each of his main characters, to get to know them, understand them and - in a sense - to *be* them. A definite must for your library.

Reality Check--I LOVED this book!
The book, The Last Shot, journeys into the streets of Coney Island in New York City, and into the lives of four young men aspiring to become basketball all-stars. These boys of Coney Island are Russell Thomas, Corey Johnson, Stephon Marbury, and Tchaka Shipp, all of whom are "to-be" high-school seniors with the exception of Stephon who is yet a freshmen. Corey, Stephen, and Russell live right in the Coney Island "projects", or districts, amidst the violent gangs, drug dealers, and drunks of New York. We learn that even the police are rarely seen in this area although a reason for that is never provided. It seems as if the only way for boys to focus on positive things is through basketball. Numerous basketball courts exist in the projects but one, in particular is important to these four boys called the Garden. Countless hours are spent on this court, practicing shots, dribbling, playing pick-up games, and organized tournaments. Also playing basketball for their high school Varsity team, these young men are recruited by a large amount of NCAA basketball coaches. They all have the potential to play college ball at Division One schools but how do they deal with the negative influences that surround them daily? Missing the required 700 point SAT score would mean, sadly their hopes and dreams of playing high-level college basketball would be shattered. This story reveals the riveting truth behind where many of our NBA all-stars originate from.


S.K. --Grand Rapids, MI

The Last Shot
The Last Shot
By. Darcy Frey

The Last Shot by. Darcy Frey takes place in the projects of Coney Island. All the characters are looking to go to a Division 1 Schools. They all have the talent but don't have the smarts to pass the SAT's.This book is a real page turner Darcy Frey is a very talented writer.I like how he actually uses an NBA superstar in this book.All the characters are great athletes.I like how it goes from Coney Island to the Nike basketballcamp and follows the best player on the team Tchaka Shipp.There was no climax in this story. It shifts around so much that it couldn't really have a climax.Darcy Frey is a good sports writer.This book was rather long but it is worth reading. I give it a 5 out of 5 stars.

For Any One Who Truly Cares
This book was the best written and best depicted book I have ever read.From the beginning it was raw and real. For any one who truly cares about and loves basketball this is a must read.This is as raw and real as it gets in the basketball world. ... Read more