Archive for the ‘Books’ Category
Now Reading: Play Their Hearts Out.
“Play Their Hearts Out” is the result of 8 years of investigative reporting by Pulitzer-prize winning author George Dohrmann. As a reporter for Sports Illustrated, Dohrmann gained access to the AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) through Southern California youth basketball coach Joe Keller. Dohrmann asked for complete access in exchange for a promise to publish his findings only after the youth graduated high school. These are the stories of how youth basketball phenoms get their start.
Although I’m only halfway through the book, it’s already been quite eye-opening in terms of revealing the parasitic and symbiotic relationships between parents, players and coaches. The smart parents recognize the power struggles – Carmen, the mother of a recruited player astutely states:
Joe is going to use my son to get what he wants, and I’m going to use Joe to get what Justin wants.
I’ve also enjoyed reading Dohrmann’s coverage of the youth basketball world because it shows, with great intimacy, how few players actually make it through. For every recognized NBA star’s name that is mentioned, there are plenty of stories of heartbreak to outnumber them. The book focuses on Demetrius Walker, Keller’s star recruit, who was at one point dubbed the best 8th grade basketball player in the country. You don’t have to read the book to find out that Walker didn’t live up to the incredible hype that Keller manufactured for his game (he spent his freshman year at ASU, where he only averaged 4 points per game. He’s since transferred to New Mexico). Dohrmann doesn’t point fingers at who is to blame; in truth, it’s a complex system whereby both coaches and parents fail the youth at many junctures.
Play Their Hearts Out: A Coach, His Star Recruit, and the Youth Basketball Machine.