In a city mired in endless decay, where the youth suffer through all the horrors of urban blight, hope comes in a most unassuming form: a tiny brick schoolhouse run by two Felician nuns where a singular basketball genius takes teenagers from the mean streets of Jersey City and turns them into champions on the hardcourt. Coach Bob Hurley had been working miracles at St. Anthony High School for over thirty years, winning state and national championships and offering his players rescue from their surroundings through college scholarships, when he met his most dysfunctional team yet. In The Miracle of St. Anthony Adrian Wojnarowski follows Hurley through a gripping and heartrending season as he struggles to lead a troubled team to glory through his unparalleled understanding of the game and his ceaseless determination to see no more children lost to these streets.
In The Miracle of St. Anthony, acclaimed sports journalist Adrian Wojnarowski follows Hurley through a gripping and heartrending season, as he struggles to lead a troubled team to glory through his unparalleled understanding of the game and his ceaseless determination to see no more children lost to the city streets.
Acclaim for The Miracle of St. Anthony:
?It takes two ingredients to make a book special: a great story and a great storyteller. The Miracle of St. Anthony has both. Bob Hurley is a remarkable coach; Adrian Wojnarowski is his equal as a writer.?
?JOHN FEINSTEIN, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF A SEASON ON THE BRINK
?Takes you through this miracle season where this high school basketball team didn?t have the greatest talent but somehow came out on top . . . [Coach Hurley] is dedicated to these city kids and helping them overcome the obstacles that the city can offer. A lot of his lessons are not about basketball, but about life, and doing things the right way.?
?BILL RAFTERY, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
?Compelling.?
?Chicago Tribune
?A classic.?
?Boston Globe
?Astonishing?
?New York Post
?Hard to put down.?
?The Washington Post
Customer Review: Great Coaching Story--Can Learn a Lot!
This is a very good inspirational book about an underdog inner city basketball team rising up to be the best, coached by Bob Hurley--best high school coach in small, broken down parochial school. Kids all had problems and he taught character and perseverance as well as basketball. It's tells how the coach motivated and taught his players. Parts moved a bit slow but it's definitely worth your time reading this one!
Coaching (and teaching) tips I got out of it included the following:
*Always keep the bar high and require respect.
*Never let anyone slide--keep on them all the time.
*Coach all the players, not just the best.
*Make kids earn your respect and ignore them until they do.
*Give everyone a role--even those on the bench.
*Use drastic measures (wrestling practice) to punish sloppy playing.
*Use the drastic measure practice for motivating in the future.
*Let the players experience the glory, keep low profile as coach.
*Help players make good decisions concerning their futures.
Karen Arlettaz Zemek, author of "My Funny Dad, Harry"
Customer Review: Fantastic!
What a great, inspirational book. On top of that, it was only $5 when I purchased it, so you can't go wrong there. If you enjoy basketball, I strongly suggest you read this book!