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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