The Assist: Hoops, Hope, and the Game of Their Lives

Neil Swidey's THE ASSIST chronicles three years in the life of coach Jack O'Brien and the players of Charlestown HS in Boston. O'Brien is a minature high school version of a young Bobby Knight--obsessive, compulsive, and brilliant. It is his way or no way. And the results, at least the wins, are a staggering five state championships. But like the "rabbit hunter" that Knight has always been, so O'Brien never knows when to let something drop. His greatest strength is also his greatest weakness. Swidey did his job as a writer when you realize that half the time you loathe this coach and the other half of the time you respect him. But, as many have said, this is more about life in the inner city than about basketball. The young men who are his players are so overwhelmed with the disfunctional nature of their family lives combined with the violence of the streets that O'Brien's controlled environment becomes something of a safe haven. This is their way out. But even when they make it out, they struggle because they have become accustomed to his constant oversight. The book ends with the bizarre situation of O'Brien stepping down as the coach and then wanting his job back. It that sense the book ends in an unsatisfactory manner. But, in another sense, it's the perfect ending in that there are no easy solutions at Charlestown.

First off, I must confess that I just purchased the book and haven't read it yet. But I did have the wonderful opportunity of meeting both Mr. Swidey and Mr. O'Brien (along with Mr. Swidey's delightful parents) at the Medford Public library this last week. They did a wonderful job telling the story of the challenges facing these kids. I hope the book is at least a quarter as good as their discussion and I am pretty sure it will be!

I almost couldn't put the book down. Finished it in three nights. Anyhow, the writing style is fantastic and the story is compelling. Lots of ups and downs. The best part is that the book is about real people. Definately read this book.

This is not just a book about basketball. Ask anyone who ever played a sport, and they can probably tell you how much their coach influenced their life. At a time in life when boys are becoming men, a positive male role model, whether it be a parent, coach or a teacher, can make all the difference. Neil Swidey's insider's view of the lives of the players, their families and Coach O'Brien was both heartwarming and disturbing. But this is not unique to Boston. All over the country, we continue to spend money building more jails instead of improving our schools, after school programs and parks. This is a good read for young or old. And not just men.

I am not usually a reader, but I had a hard time putting this book down. Swidey does an excellent job capturing what has been an incredible story in Boston over the past few years. It's about basketball but, it is also about so much more. He describes how the aftermath of school desgregation in Boston has left the public schools in crisis, and how having someone who cares can make such a huge diffrence.