Blog post #4: Hoop Dreams

In the film Hoop Dreams it depicts how student basketball players in the city face a lot of adversity. Two ordinary African American boys were chasing the dream of playing professional basketball. This documentary was filmed over a five year period following Author Agee and William Gates. Throughout the film the boys faced the complexities of being a student athlete. As a freshman, William and Author went to St. Joseph's High School. William Gates was the starting point guard, Author had made the freshmen team and started at point guard as well. William played a phenomenal year leading his team to win the sectional title game and then became the runner up in the city. Only as a freshman Will has already started to receive letters from division one colleges. On the other hand, Author lead his freshmen team to be second in their conference.The schools payment went up in the boys sophomore year, though the head coach has seen the amount of potential in William the school gave him a full ride to St. Joseph's, but on the other hand Author had not got any money off of the schools payment. This had put Author in a very depressed stage not letting him stay at a very good school. The school would not transfer all of his credits for the work he has completed to Marshall where he is attending now. In the boys sophomore year William lead his team to another sectional title, where Author did not play. William has received many letters from schools in Division 1, but with a heartbreaking knee injury where he damaged ligaments. His ligaments are fine, but he has to get surgery to fix the cartilage in his knee. Going in to their junior season Author made Marshall's varsity team and William is getting prepared for the season. At home Author is having family problems where is parents get divorced and his mother falls into welfare. His dad has gotten arrested for robbery where he needed money for his drugs. Also William had more to handle when him and his girlfriend have a child together. In the sectional championship game William is at the line in the last seconds to put St. Joseph's ahead and clinch the title, but on the line with two free throws he missed both of them, St. Joseph's had lost the sectional title. Schools like DePaul, Indiana, Marquette, and Michigan are all interested in William Gates. Going into their final year of their High School Career the boys look to have a huge year for their teams. William hurts his knee again at a Nike camp during the offseason that kept him from being on the court for most of the season. But Author started his year off 4-0 where Marshall upsets a big city team pushing them to 5-0. During William's senior season he averaged 16.0 points a game and St. Joseph's season record was 20-3. Going into the offseason people do not expect Marshall to make a lot of noise in the tournament. In the second playoff game William does not start because he showed up late to a team meeting, this is where his senior season ends. St. Joseph's had lost in the second round of playoffs, but not Marshall. Marshall rally through to the city playoffs pushing them to the semifinals. In the semifinals Author goes up against Howard Nathan a great point guard who is compared to Isaiah Thomas. Marshall lost in the last seconds but have picked up third in the city the best Marshall has ever done. William commits to Marquette where he drops out after one season of basketball to spend time with his family and married his girlfriend Christina. A week before graduation Author was    Held at gunpoint. Author has committed to Mineral Area Junior College where he plays and starts in his Junior and senior year. He then goes on with his life and becomes a pastor in the church. Both of the boys did not pursue their dreams of making it to the professionals but they gave it everything they could.