Frey, Darcy

Boston. 1994. Houghton Mifflin. 4th Printing. Very Good in Dustjacket. 0395597706. 229 pages. hardcover. . keywords: Basketball Sociology . FROM THE PUBLISHER - It ought to be just a game, but basketball on the playgrounds of Coney Island is much more than that - for many young men it represents their only hope of escape from a life of crime, poverty, and despair. In The Last Shot, Darcy Frey chronicles the aspirations of four of the neighborhood's most promising players. What they have going for them is athletic talent, grace, and years of dedication. But working against them are woefully inadequate schooling, family circumstances that are often desperate, and the slick, often brutal world of college athletic recruitment. Incisively and compassionately written, The Last Shot introduces us to unforgettable characters and takes us into their world with an intimacy seldom seen in contemporary journalism. The result is a startling and poignant expose of inner-city life and the big business of college basketball. It ought to be just a game, but basketball on the playgrounds of Coney Island represents the only hope of escape from a life of crime, poverty, and despair for many young men. Here is the intimately-told story of dreams and cynicism - of the often painfully naive hopes of youth played out against the realities of SATs, the NCAA, and the brutal world of college recruitment. inventory #21347 ISBN: 0395597706.