My Summer Reading Response

            Over the summer, I read several books.  However, none were as compelling as "The Miracle of St. Anthony," by Adrian Wojnarowski.  St. Anthony is a tiny Catholic school in Jersey City.  Investigative reporter Wojnarowski follows the St. Anthony Friars basketball team for a season, learning all of their struggles and triumphs as they make their way toward their ultimate goal: an undefeated season. 

            A huge part of this book is spent describing Bob Hurley's legacy.  Hurley began coaching at St. Anthony almost thirty-five years when the story takes place (Wojnarowski follows the team through the 2003 season).  Bob Hurley's accomplishments are legendary.  He's won twenty-one state championships to go along with three national titles.  With accolades like that, he could have easily been a college or NBA coach.  However, Bob Hurley sticks with St. Anthony, mostly because he cares.

St. Anthony has been on the brink of shutting down numerous times in its existence.  This is due to the fact that they have no official funding.  The St. Anthony parish cut their funding of the Catholic school many years ago.  All of their funding comes from corporate and alumni donors, along with tons of fundraising.  This is what makes St. Anthony such an unlikely basketball dynasty. 

            Bob Hurley has stuck with the Friars because he wants to help.  However, this becomes very difficult for him over the course of the tumultuous season.  Hurley is coaching what he calls "the most dysfunctional group I've had in thirty-two years.  This includes Lamar Alston, Sean McCurdy, and Ahmad "Beanie" Mosby, along with many others.  Lamar quits the team not once, but twice.  Sean is so wrapped up in his college and NBA dreams that he starts to play horribly in high school.  Beanie struggles to find motivation to do well in life.  Hurley pulls through for the three of them (along with the rest of the struggling Friars), but it is incredibly difficult.

            In the end, with masterful coaching and an incredible team effort, St. Anthony wins another title.  This is all to great teamwork, leadership, and the will to succeed and overcome any obstacles.  These are very important themes in a book that I absolutely loved.