"Football is not a matter of life and death, it is more important than that."
Bleachers
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John Grisham, Arrow 2004 ISBN 0 09 9468190
A novel by John Grisham, which brilliantly captures the sports culture. The death of a high school coach brings back many of his old players of different years. The novel is the story of their interaction using flashback.
The book brilliantly portrays
* the mindset of the player;
* the camaraderie of teamsport;
* the lifelong relationships based on shared sports experiences;
* the influence of the coach beyond their playing days.
When they meet again as sheriff and criminal, successes or failures, their first interaction is as ex-teammates. The main character has lost a promising career to injury; his love-hate relationship with sport is fascinating. "When you are famous at 18, you spend the rest of your life fading away. You dream of the glory days but you know they are gone forever. I wish I'd never seen a football." [Page 143]
Powerful examples of the continuing influence of the coach include: Mal's story of surviving being shot at in Vietnam by hearing the coach's voice in his head, "Never quit, never quit, never quit". [Page 118-120] and "Rare is the coach who can motivate players to spend their lives seeking his approval. From the time Neely first put on a uniform in the sixth grade, he wanted Rake's attention. And in the next six years,he coveted Rake's approval". And rare is the coach who compounds every failure long after the playing days are over. When the doctors told Neely he would never play again, he felt he had fallen short of Rake's ambition for him". [Page 159] or "Once you have played for Eddie Rake, you carry him with you forever. You hear his voice, you see his face, you long for his smile of approval, you remember his tongue-lashings and lectures. With every success in life, you want Rake to know about it". [Page 176]
This is a must-read book for anyone who is serious about sports ministry. The disadvantage of the setting of the American College, is made up for by the stunning grasp of the sports culture.