Alexander, K. (2014). The
crossover. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
For some, finding our passion, finding the one thing that drives us to success doesn't take much effort. Sometimes we are born with a talent and we really don't have to do much to excel. Others sometimes have to fight for what they love, to get better at it, to get recognized as great in its practice. One thing I have found out about myself is that I love writing and although I recognize I'm not the best writer in the world, it comes easy to me. I can write for days and never run out of things to say. However, that's not my only passion. I run. I do CrossFit. I run for days and I spend my evenings lifting "heavy" because I love it. Truth of the matter is that I run as slow as a turtle, and I am probably the weakest veteran at my box. But you know what? I live my heart on the pavement and the box floor. With calloused feet, missing toenails, worn out knee cartilage I still hit the pavement, and just because I'm not hitting it as gracefully and swiftly as the cross country high school kids that run our city, I'm doing it with the passion that drives my heart. With my calloused hands, bruised shins, bruised collar bone, sore muscles, I show up to my CrossFit box, ready to give it my best, even if my best doesn't remotely resemble anybody else's best.
The passion that Josh "Filthy McNasty" Bell and his brother Jordan is strengthened by their talent and the bond they share. Reading the way they work together, the way they share the same passion, the way they live for each other, like the good siblings they are is truly endearing. As in it's sweet to see two teenage brothers be so open about their love for each other. As in it's so cute that two boys are not ashamed to show the world it's okay to be friends with your twin brother. As in I wish my boys will be open about their love for each other just like Josh and Jordan were.
Rule #2 Work smart. Live smarter. Play hard. Practice harder.
The questions here is, Did Josh allow the presence of Reebok Wearing Girl to spoil HIS dreams? And most importantly, Did the expectations he had of his brother reflect his own limitations of life? Huh? My point is, his sole focus, his sole purpose in life, up to the arrival of Pink Reebok Wearing Girl to their life, was his love for the game. When his brother's priorities took another route, his own were warped too in the sense that instead of focusing on his own actions, what he had to continue doing to be successful, he kept focusing on how his brother's change warped him. Warped as in caused him to act wrongfully. As in making him an entire different person because of the mixed emotions of jealousy and sense of inadequacy running through him. As in him distorting the reality of life and his brother's new found interest in girl and turning it into a bad thing.
So as I read the section following Rule #4 I kept focusing on the literal meaning of this quote, which consisted on Josh missing free throws and to certain extent being tired of practicing them. However, after reviewing the content I made a connection, which I am aware, could be totally erroneous, but here it is. Chuck "Da Man" Bell had opportunity after opportunity to see a doctor because of all the tell-tell signs that hinted that he was in trouble and the tell-tell signs that showed that Josh's discomfort with the relationship between his brother and Alexis.
Again, Josh was found guilty of breaking his father's rules the second he lost track of his personal purpose the second he started feeling jealous and/or annoyed with his brother's skills and his "showing off" to Alexis. Sibling rivalry was unknown to the Bell brothers. And quite frankly I do not believe they ever experienced it. The rivalry wasn't between Josh and Jordan, it was between Josh and Alexis. Secretly, that is. And although Josh played along and helped Jordan with his phone call and all, he was silently fighting a battle, he was fighting a battle against Pink Reebok Wearing Girl that no one knew about. This rivalry would be the beginning of an awful battle. Rivalry as in I hate anything and anyone associated with this person. As in I don't care that he is my own brother, I'm so mad at him for being with her. As in I can't control my emotions and I will snap. Bad..
Unless he has reached the tipping point of a silent rivalry he has fed with his dislike of his brother's sweetheart. The second that Josh let his frustration over Jordan's new object of his affection, he stopped being the teammate who was on point and ready to assist. In allowing his inner demons inside the court that day, he became the enemy. Enemy as in the person who would bring the team down with his enemy. As in I'm not working for my team, but against it. As in I hate my brother right now because he's neglecting me. As in I'm gonna make him pay for making me feel like this.
Unless you drop the ball because of your inability to separate your emotions from your performance in the court. Or unless your inability to do what you were supposed to do keeps you from being there to help in the first place. Although he immediately regrets his actions, it is too late for him to take it back. In fact, once you cross a certain line there's not much you can do to take your actions back. How can he pick up a rebound? How can he anticipate if his mistake led to consequences, consequences that kept him from being there for his team. Whether he experienced guilt after his burst of anger or not, which he did, it was too late. The damage was done. Guilt or not. Guilt as in him regretting his action immediately after the deed. As in I wish I could go back in time. As in I really hope he can forgive me. As in I may have ruined my chance to play in the semifinals.
Josh's fading away took place as he was in the stands. As he sat silently next to his brother because his brother was not ready to forgive him. As he continued to fade away despite the fact that he was trying very hard to be allowed back in the team and to get his brother's forgiveness. All Josh had to do was wait patiently for him to be allowed back in the team and receive his brother's forgiveness. Hope is all he had. As in maybe soon I will be back on the team. As in maybe soon Jordan will forgive me. As in maybe soon I will have my brother back. As in maybe soon things will be like they were before.
The most difficult moment in Jordan's and Josh's lives was the final game of the county championship, where despite the fact that they both knew that the end was near, Josh did exactly what his father asked him to do. Play. One can only imagine the mixed emotions going through these boys minds. The heartache with which Josh made that last play. He played exactly as his dad had shown them how, with passion. As in with everything he had. As in with the blood pumping through his veins. As in despite the fact that his heart was breaking.
How is one supposed to survive without a father? How is one supposed to carry on when you lose the most important person in your life. Death is inevitable. As in it can't be avoid it no matter how hard you try running away from it. As in it can't be stopped.
So without looking at he book jacket, I
skipped through the book and thought, "Great! Poetry! Well, let me tell
confess that I don't necessarily love it. I don't hate it, but I could
definitely do without it. Yes, I'm an English teacher, yes, I teach poetry, but
rest assured because when I teach those sonnets to my students, I own them! And
yes, I am able to make my students believe that I absolutely LOVE it with a
passion. So when I read the reviews on the back of the book, I was intrigued.
So here it is.
Heartbreaking. Simply HEARTBREAKING!
My favorite parts of the book were the ten basketball rules that
can be applied to everyday life and the vocabulary lessons. Ohhhh, I LOVED
those vocabulary lessons. And as soon as my children are old enough for the
content, not that it's inappropriate but they're 4 and 9, I will have them read
it. Or I might even read it to them.
Beware. Spoiler Alerts.
Rule #1 In this game of life your family is the court and
the ball is your heart...always leave your heart on the court.
For some, finding our passion, finding the one thing that drives us to success doesn't take much effort. Sometimes we are born with a talent and we really don't have to do much to excel. Others sometimes have to fight for what they love, to get better at it, to get recognized as great in its practice. One thing I have found out about myself is that I love writing and although I recognize I'm not the best writer in the world, it comes easy to me. I can write for days and never run out of things to say. However, that's not my only passion. I run. I do CrossFit. I run for days and I spend my evenings lifting "heavy" because I love it. Truth of the matter is that I run as slow as a turtle, and I am probably the weakest veteran at my box. But you know what? I live my heart on the pavement and the box floor. With calloused feet, missing toenails, worn out knee cartilage I still hit the pavement, and just because I'm not hitting it as gracefully and swiftly as the cross country high school kids that run our city, I'm doing it with the passion that drives my heart. With my calloused hands, bruised shins, bruised collar bone, sore muscles, I show up to my CrossFit box, ready to give it my best, even if my best doesn't remotely resemble anybody else's best.
The passion that Josh "Filthy McNasty" Bell and his brother Jordan is strengthened by their talent and the bond they share. Reading the way they work together, the way they share the same passion, the way they live for each other, like the good siblings they are is truly endearing. As in it's sweet to see two teenage brothers be so open about their love for each other. As in it's so cute that two boys are not ashamed to show the world it's okay to be friends with your twin brother. As in I wish my boys will be open about their love for each other just like Josh and Jordan were.
Rule #2 Work smart. Live smarter. Play hard. Practice harder.
So when Josh tries his best and keeps working for what he loves
the most he expects his brother to do the same. Not that his brother neglected
their commitment to basketball, but he had other thoughts in his head. And of
course every teenage story isn't a teenage story without the presence of the
opposite sex, the pink sneaker wearing Miss Sweet Tea. Obviously that spelled
trouble, as in Jordan has lost his head, as in Jordan has other priorities, as
in Josh is a little bit jealous, as in the perfect sibling relationship was
soon to end. Can he be crucified for being slightly sidetracked by a girl? Well
this was completely unacceptable in Filthy McNasty's eyes.
At first I feared that Alexis would be a player or that Josh would
be interested in her romantically as well, but I was relieved to realize that
more than anything his yearning was for the love and affection of a girl, any
girl, not necessarily Miss Sweet Tea.
What I questioned as I read was, Did Josh feel as though
his brother wasn't working smart, living smarter, playing hard, practicing
harder. And although we may have suspected the father's downfall, it
wasn't quite clear at the time that Chuck's live smarter was
ironic, since, well you know...
Rule #3 Never let anyone spoil your goals. Others'
expectations of you are determined by their limitations of life.
The questions here is, Did Josh allow the presence of Reebok Wearing Girl to spoil HIS dreams? And most importantly, Did the expectations he had of his brother reflect his own limitations of life? Huh? My point is, his sole focus, his sole purpose in life, up to the arrival of Pink Reebok Wearing Girl to their life, was his love for the game. When his brother's priorities took another route, his own were warped too in the sense that instead of focusing on his own actions, what he had to continue doing to be successful, he kept focusing on how his brother's change warped him. Warped as in caused him to act wrongfully. As in making him an entire different person because of the mixed emotions of jealousy and sense of inadequacy running through him. As in him distorting the reality of life and his brother's new found interest in girl and turning it into a bad thing.
Rule #4 If you miss enough of live's free throws you will
pay in the end.
So as I read the section following Rule #4 I kept focusing on the literal meaning of this quote, which consisted on Josh missing free throws and to certain extent being tired of practicing them. However, after reviewing the content I made a connection, which I am aware, could be totally erroneous, but here it is. Chuck "Da Man" Bell had opportunity after opportunity to see a doctor because of all the tell-tell signs that hinted that he was in trouble and the tell-tell signs that showed that Josh's discomfort with the relationship between his brother and Alexis.
These both were serious matters that should not have been ignored.
Serious as in an action needs to be taken. As in if it's ignored things will
get out of control. As in if we wait too long, it will be too late.
Rule #5 When you stop playing your game you've already
lost.
Again, Josh was found guilty of breaking his father's rules the second he lost track of his personal purpose the second he started feeling jealous and/or annoyed with his brother's skills and his "showing off" to Alexis. Sibling rivalry was unknown to the Bell brothers. And quite frankly I do not believe they ever experienced it. The rivalry wasn't between Josh and Jordan, it was between Josh and Alexis. Secretly, that is. And although Josh played along and helped Jordan with his phone call and all, he was silently fighting a battle, he was fighting a battle against Pink Reebok Wearing Girl that no one knew about. This rivalry would be the beginning of an awful battle. Rivalry as in I hate anything and anyone associated with this person. As in I don't care that he is my own brother, I'm so mad at him for being with her. As in I can't control my emotions and I will snap. Bad..
Rule #6 A great team has a good scorer with a teammate
who's on point and ready to assist.
Unless he has reached the tipping point of a silent rivalry he has fed with his dislike of his brother's sweetheart. The second that Josh let his frustration over Jordan's new object of his affection, he stopped being the teammate who was on point and ready to assist. In allowing his inner demons inside the court that day, he became the enemy. Enemy as in the person who would bring the team down with his enemy. As in I'm not working for my team, but against it. As in I hate my brother right now because he's neglecting me. As in I'm gonna make him pay for making me feel like this.
Rule #7 Rebounding is the art of anticipating, of always
being prepared to grab it. but you can't drop the ball.
Unless you drop the ball because of your inability to separate your emotions from your performance in the court. Or unless your inability to do what you were supposed to do keeps you from being there to help in the first place. Although he immediately regrets his actions, it is too late for him to take it back. In fact, once you cross a certain line there's not much you can do to take your actions back. How can he pick up a rebound? How can he anticipate if his mistake led to consequences, consequences that kept him from being there for his team. Whether he experienced guilt after his burst of anger or not, which he did, it was too late. The damage was done. Guilt or not. Guilt as in him regretting his action immediately after the deed. As in I wish I could go back in time. As in I really hope he can forgive me. As in I may have ruined my chance to play in the semifinals.
Rule #8 Sometimes you have to lean back a little and fade
away to get the best shot.
Josh's fading away took place as he was in the stands. As he sat silently next to his brother because his brother was not ready to forgive him. As he continued to fade away despite the fact that he was trying very hard to be allowed back in the team and to get his brother's forgiveness. All Josh had to do was wait patiently for him to be allowed back in the team and receive his brother's forgiveness. Hope is all he had. As in maybe soon I will be back on the team. As in maybe soon Jordan will forgive me. As in maybe soon I will have my brother back. As in maybe soon things will be like they were before.
Rule #9 When the game is on the line, don't fear. Grab the
ball. Take it to the hoop.
The most difficult moment in Jordan's and Josh's lives was the final game of the county championship, where despite the fact that they both knew that the end was near, Josh did exactly what his father asked him to do. Play. One can only imagine the mixed emotions going through these boys minds. The heartache with which Josh made that last play. He played exactly as his dad had shown them how, with passion. As in with everything he had. As in with the blood pumping through his veins. As in despite the fact that his heart was breaking.
Rule #10 A loss is inevitable. And true champions learn to
overcome it.
How is one supposed to survive without a father? How is one supposed to carry on when you lose the most important person in your life. Death is inevitable. As in it can't be avoid it no matter how hard you try running away from it. As in it can't be stopped.
My father was the light of my world, and now that he's gone, each
night is starless.
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