Personal Narrative: Hoop Dreams
Hoop Dreams
When I first arrived at Rotunda D I thought to myself great I get to stand the whole time because there is not one open seat. Dean Nickels started the event off by introducing Scott Naggy, head boys basketball coach. Naggy then talked a little about how they recruit players for South Dakota State University. He then introduced two of his players. The first was from the West side of Chicago, he talked about how he would play basketball to escape from the hardships of growing up in West Chicago. The second player was from Michigan, he explained how basketball was the main sport played in that area. He explained how the teachers there didn't care how the students do in there class they will just pass them to get rid of them. He
said that playing ball was one of the only escape from that hard life so you would work and work to get better in order to catch the attention of a college. We begin our story by flowing Eric to a small town middle school where we learn he is on a scouting trip. He goes to watch a boy named Arthur Agee play basketball. After talking to the coach at Saint James High school, he decided to attend school there. Another young man, William Gates is recruited by Saint James High school. We watch as Arthur has to withdraw from Saint James High school and attend public school due to the inability to pay for unexpected tuition fees. The film follows them through their four years of high school and their trials and the never ending battle to maintain their grades. They both work as hard as they can to earn scholarships in order to attend the best university. Later Arthur ended up going to a junior college named Mineral Area in Flat River Mississippi. After his two years in Mississippi, Arthur received a scholarship to Arkansas State. He then finished his degree in communications and he graduated. Williams decides to attend Marquette University. He ended up graduating and he hired an agent and they tried to get him into the NBA but they failed. I learned from this story that the choices you make can greatly affect the future even the small ones that don’t seam important at the time are. I also learned that growing up in some of these neighborhoods is a lot more difficult than i first realized.
When I first arrived at Rotunda D I thought to myself great I get to stand the whole time because there is not one open seat. Dean Nickels started the event off by introducing Scott Naggy, head boys basketball coach. Naggy then talked a little about how they recruit players for South Dakota State University. He then introduced two of his players. The first was from the West side of Chicago, he talked about how he would play basketball to escape from the hardships of growing up in West Chicago. The second player was from Michigan, he explained how basketball was the main sport played in that area. He explained how the teachers there didn't care how the students do in there class they will just pass them to get rid of them. He
said that playing ball was one of the only escape from that hard life so you would work and work to get better in order to catch the attention of a college. We begin our story by flowing Eric to a small town middle school where we learn he is on a scouting trip. He goes to watch a boy named Arthur Agee play basketball. After talking to the coach at Saint James High school, he decided to attend school there. Another young man, William Gates is recruited by Saint James High school. We watch as Arthur has to withdraw from Saint James High school and attend public school due to the inability to pay for unexpected tuition fees. The film follows them through their four years of high school and their trials and the never ending battle to maintain their grades. They both work as hard as they can to earn scholarships in order to attend the best university. Later Arthur ended up going to a junior college named Mineral Area in Flat River Mississippi. After his two years in Mississippi, Arthur received a scholarship to Arkansas State. He then finished his degree in communications and he graduated. Williams decides to attend Marquette University. He ended up graduating and he hired an agent and they tried to get him into the NBA but they failed. I learned from this story that the choices you make can greatly affect the future even the small ones that don’t seam important at the time are. I also learned that growing up in some of these neighborhoods is a lot more difficult than i first realized.