Review of "Full Court Press," by Dick Friendlich

 Review of

Full Court Press, by Dick Friendlich

Four out of five stars

Contrasting styles of play leads to conflict

 Dan Forrest is a very good history teacher and a first year basketball coach at Southcliff High School. The town is very much into supporting the basketball team, often to the point where some people cross the line. In previous years under the other coach, the team played an offense minded game, shooting quickly, relying on the number of shots rather than the quality.

 Forrest has a different approach to the game, he stresses deliberate offense and a strong, relenting defense. The best player is center Dale Cantwell, and he wants to play the wide open offense where he can score and attract the attention of college recruiters. For Dale needs an athletic scholarship if he is to attend a more prestigious college. Things come to a head when Dale transfers to Southcliff’s main rival rather than accept the new system. The remaining team is now not expected to be competitive, but after a few glitches, the new system proves to be a winning strategy.

 The theme of this book is the common one of perseverance and dedication in the face of adversity. Forrest finds it necessary to win over the team before he can think about winning on the court. Opposition and criticism is widespread at first, but once the team jells, and starts to win, people begin to cheer rather than jeer. It is a light-hearted book that moves quickly with a rather predictable big game at the end. It is fun to read, even in your advanced age.

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