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Effects of athletics on academics
College athletic programs undermine academic
Student athletes and academics
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The life of Russell Thomas allows for almost none of the errors that a normal teenager can make, forcing him to develop great dedication and sacrifice many of his preferred activities to greaten his chances of receiving an athletic scholarship. Throughout “The Last Shot” by Darcy Frey, Russell matures from a jittery, inattentive urban adolescent into a mature young man with a realistic plan to pass his combined required SAT score of 700 while still advancing his athletic performance on the basketball court. He gains awareness and confidence by realizing that his previous refusal to participate in summer basketball tournaments had hindered his public exposure to coaches on the college level, and joining two prestigious tournaments where he showcases his great talents over the next summer. Russell shows dedication and maturity when he begins to carry around vocabulary cards so that he can study for his SATs as often as he needs to. Russell also shows responsibility and self-control by resisting the urge to become a product of his environment, selling narcotics for cash or protecting those who do, as many of his former friends have resorted to. Russell Thomas’ coming of age in “The Last Shot” is the chief factor for his academic and athletic advancements toward a four-year bachelor of athletics scholarship.
In the world of college recruiting, a player’s reputation among college coaches can never be advanced without the chance to display their talents and potential in front of them. Russell is one of New York’s most promising prospects, and has had this chance numerous times in the past, but passed up on tournaments in favor of his solitary workouts at the Garden’s basketball courts in Coney Island. Russell begins to show his awarene...
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... along with exposure among college coaches, through his new experience with summer basketball tournaments. He gains dedication and maturity and makes the decisions both to devote as much time as possibly to studying for school and the SATs, and to follow a rigorous workout and drill plan to improve his level of play in basketball. Russell also develops the responsibility and willpower neccessary to avoid involving himself in hinderances to his promising future like thuggery, drug dealership, or premature fatherhood, in the tough environment of Coney Island. The values and characteristics that Russell Thomas achieves as he comes of age are the reason why, while he couldn't take the road directly to college athletics, he took the high road to adulthood.
Works Cited
Frey, Darcy. The Last Shot: City Streets, Basketball Dreams. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1996. Print.
Remember that boy in high school that was the star of the basketball team? He still holds most of the records for the team. He scored more points than anyone else in the school’s history. He never studied much because he was an athlete. His basketball skills were going to take him places. But high school ended and there are no more games to be played. Where is that former all-star now? In his poem “Ex-Basketball Player,” John Updike examines the life of a former high school basketball star. Flick Webb was a local hero, and he loved basketball. He never studied much in school or learned a trade because he was a talented athlete. Now years later, the only job Flick can find is working at the local gas station. He used to be a star, but now he just “sells gas, checks oil, and changes flats” (19-20). The purpose of Updike’s poem is to convince the reader that athletes should also focus on getting a good education.
Wes Moore, the author, had many important role models in his life that would eventually enable him to live up to his full capability. Uncle Howard, Wes’ mother’s brother, filled the hole that was left when Moore’s father died and when“[he] was eleven… and having difficulty in and out of the classroom [he could lean] on Uncle Howard’s shoulder”. Moore’s uncle was the man who convinced Moore that he could achieve more than just basketball at school, that education would allow him to reach his full potential. The persuasion to drop basketball as a career, enabled
As his year went by Pat thought he had a high chance in playing college basketball so on the day of his first game as a senior Coach Mel Thompson from the The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina. That night Conroy had an astonishing 22 pts which made up for his junior year where he left off on a rough note. Following the game, Coach Thompson came to the locker and was talking to Pat’s coach who he pointed out Conroy in the back changing which suddenly lead to Coach Thompson talking to Pat about how he would love to have him play at Citadel. As the year continued Pat had realized what an opportunity he had at playing college basketball but, he was perplexed as to why he had not received an offers from schools. That night Conroy went home to find his mother crying, Conroy formerly asked his mother “ why are you crying?” (Conroy 182) his mother’s response to him was “ I could not hold it in anymore Pat but, your father has ripped all of your scholarships.” (Conroy 182) from that moment on Pat’s attitude towards his father would change, meaning he was all on his own due to the fact that his mother was alongside his father. As Pat’s freshman year in college was coming he now realize as
With through the roof expectations and tough love that Summitt once experienced from her father that she later relayed to her girls, one eight national championships. A team a school, that had no women’s basketball uniforms, lacked a locker room, and the attention from outsiders was nothing but a dream at the time, and turned them into a team and gave them a reputation that any rational person would deeply respect. Her book is full of thrilling memories, stories, and good times, illustrations that is hard for Summitt to rekindle now they just are as clear as they once were.
Most student-athletes grow up as very innocent lads bedecked with tremendous talents and become very promising in sports. Thus, they become rays of hope for their families, neighborhoods, and schools yet to be determined. Like the lamb in William Blake’s poem The Lamb, they are fed “by the stream & o’er the mead; gave…clothing of delight, softest clothing, wooly, bright…making all the vales rejoice.” (Smith 24) Then they are exposed to the life of hard work in which only the fittest survives. This makes them ready for the different challenges in the sports scene.
Although many youngsters fail in the NBA, there are a few high school players who have had, or do have a successful career in the NBA. Some of these are, Moses Malone, Kobe Bryant, Tracey McGrady, and this year’s most valu...
Basketball is a chart-topping sport that is loved by many fans. It’s been a hit since 1891 when it began, starting in Springfield, Massachusetts. It grew rapidly in popularity and spread around the world. Many people found it comforting to play, such as Pat Conroy. Pat Conroy was an outstanding basketball player, who was committed in going far with his teammates. Although he seemed superb, he had a troubled life growing up at his family home. His parents were abusive and uncaring towards him, therefore he used basketball as an alternative. In My Losing Season, Pat was able to obliterate the thought of his abusive parents. His comfort was playing basketball with a team he will never fail to remember. The outcomes Pat acquired were admirable,
Everyone wants to get better at something, but some want it more than others. In “How to Transform an Everyday, Ordinary Hoop Court into a Place of Higher Learning and You at the Podium”, the narrator wants to get better at basketball, so he wakes up everyday at 4:30 to go with his dad to his work. Everyday, the narrator would wait 3 hours in his dad’s car until the gym opened, only to sit on the bench and watch the other men play basketball. Finally, one of the best players, Dante, tells the narrator he can play but he’ll get “smoked”. However, the narrator proved him wrong. The narrator learns that if you persevere, work hard, and have confidence, your dreams may come true. In How to Transform an Everyday, Ordinary Hoop Court into a Place
In the book, the authors detail the lives of the players and those around them. The impact of being away from family also takes center stage, from dealing with the death of parents and siblings to coping with changes in family dynamics. The game of basketball also helped the girls get away from the Indian Wars and the Dawes Act that had occurred before the boarding school was founded. For many of the girls, basketball was a grounding force that continued to foster an important sisterhood among team members.
Bill Russell grew up in an extremely racist time in America in an extremely racist state. Born in Louisiana and raised both there and in Oakland, California; Russell and his family battled the every day hardships that most black people faced at that time. But Russell always had a set of morals and guidelines that he led his life by, many of which he learned from his father, who he says was his hero and biggest role model. These morals revolved around independence and a very classic “ I will not allow anyone to impose their will on me.” (Page 56, paragraph 1) These morals followed and shaped him in his playing and coaching career.
In John Feinstein’s Foul Trouble, Danny, a basketball player, experiences the tough NCAA restrictions. Terell and Danny were on their way to the most elite showcase basketball camp in the country. They arrive at the camp and make their way inside. All kinds of diverse reporters and television hosts swarmed Terrell. Danny was feeling as if he does not belong there. He walked into the building and sat on the bleachers. The whole place was teeming with college coaches. Danny could not wait to start the camp games. Coach Wilcox, Danny’s father, was also very eager.
“The odds of a high school basketball player making it to the “next level” to play college basketball (DI, II, or III) is slim. In fact, only 3.4% of high school players go on to play college basketball. Taking it even further, only 1.2% of college basketball players go on to get drafted in the NBA” (Winters, 2016). There are two types of players in the game. There are the kids who play basketball because they are athletic, and all they are seeking to gain is the recognition and awards. They want to be known. Those players are self-centered, they do not play for the team, and generally don’t play because they love the game. These are the types of players who don’t usually go on to play at the next level. On the other hand, there are the players that absolutely dedicate their life to the game of basketball just because they love the game. That is what coaches are looking for in a player, and that is the kind of player I am striving to be.
That next junior year Michael made the varsity team and became the star player right away by putting up some outstanding numbers. But, in his...
The dictionary defines rites of passage as ceremonies that mark important transitional periods in a person’s life. It usually involves rituals and teachings that help shed their old roles and prepares them for their new roles. Although all boys and girls will go through a rite of passage to be considered an adult, the path they will take will differ greatly. The common point I have found them all to have is the age range at which this usually occurs, which is between 13 and 16. Some will have to endure task while some participate in celebrations. Some are extremely dangerous in nature while others are less formal and less challenging. All of them require preparations and learning rituals, languages, or dance. I will focus on the puberty phase and how different cultures mark this transition.
...town rivals, Saint Francis, the number one seed in the playoffs. They played them the best they could, but would end up losing to them by two points at the buzzer, as the All American, Ty Crane, hit the game winning three pointer. Coach Carter’s team was heartbroken after the loss because they had done everything possible to get the victory. After this heartbreaker, Coach Carter comes in to give a speech that uplifts the players. Coach Carter ended his speech with this quote, “I came here to coach basketball players, and you became students. I came here to coach boys and you became men.” This movie had a great purpose that should be implemented into more athletes’ lives to help them in life. I rate this movie as a 5 because it was very inspirational to me. Being a former athlete, I think I would have learned some valuable life lessons from a coach like Coach Carter.