Over the course of seven years, he helped forty young men find their way to college against some pretty high odds. This threepart series follows a thrilling season with the charlestown high basketball team. University of connecticut and nba orlando magic 4 guard shabazz napier is a former player of the charlestown basketball team, and his jersey was retired by the high school in january 2014. In an excerpt from his new book, the assist, neil swidey finds jack obrien, the impossibly intense basketball coach of charlestown high. Coach jack obrien and his charlestown players will bring you to your feet, and they. Hoops, hope, and the game of their lives by neil swidey. Most of all, theyll make you care about a game so much bigger than winning and losing.
My surprising education in starting a charity the boston globe. Obsessive, demanding, devoted, o brien is a middleaged, single white man who still lives in his mothers. He does this as a white suburban guy working exclusively wit. With monastic discipline, he has built a powerhouse program that wins state championships year after year while helping propel players to college. The assist is not only about the charlestown basketball team that won multiple state championships from 19992003, but also the players and coaches whose lives were changed as a result of the championships. He is a very static character throughout the story. Jack obrie n is a high school basketball coach extreme in both his demands and his devotion. Rising star basketball session i award winners sports. Neil swidey follows coach jack obrien, who led bostons charlestown high school basketball team to victory in several state championships, and chronicles his relationship with two talented africanamerican.
Obsessive basketball coach jack obrien was a beloved mainstay at charlestown high school, leading its team to multiple championships. The formula for explosive athletic performance, jumping higher, and training like the pros ebook written by tim s. Friday night lights meets boyz n the hood on the mean streets of boston. I feel honored that the last time it was done was with jack obrien and charlestown and i was a part of their coaching staff that year and my brother was on their team, so it is a special. This book is about a high school basketball coach name coach jack o brien and his team called the titans trying to make a big name for their selves and go big to like a state championship. Former salem high school coach jack obrien left an indelible mark on the lives of many basketball players during his seven years in salem in the mid. O brien is a minature high school version of a young bobby knightobsessive, compulsive, and brilliant. Boston to attend charlestown high school, where the last battles of the citys.
What made his accomplishments so impressive was the fact that his team was comprised of young men from the projects who were bussed into school. Charlestown coach jack obrien, there is a formula for. At the center of this complex work is a complex man, jack o brien, the charlestown coach. What coach jack obrien is able to do with a group of innercity boys is commendable. Neil swidey jack obrien is a high school basketball coach extreme in both his demands and his devotion. A dramatic tale of struggle on and off the court in. A dramatic tale of struggle on and off the court in charlestown. With monastic discipline, he has built a powerhouse program that wins state championships year after year. Sports special reports from the boston globe and boston. Full text of charlestown see other formats fciii musese iiilk 3l7\ bostotsl public charlestown boston 200 neighborhood history series henry adams, the nineteent tury philosopher, said that the of america is not the history c few, but the history of the mai people of bostons neighborho accepted the challenge of ada statement to produce people tories of their own. Jack obrien, the impossibly demanding basketball coach at charlestown high school in boston, has led his team to five state championship titles in six years. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read jump attack. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint of south carolinas coastline and is located on charleston harbor, an inlet of the atlantic ocean formed by the. What emerges is a revealing and moving glimpse into the lives of coach jack obrien and the players whom he tries to help rise above the pitfalls of innercity life.
His devotion to his players wellbeing helped keep them off the streets and, in many cases, secured them college scholarships. Newton south head coach joe killilea served as assistant director. The assist a shot of good sports the seattle times. Jack obrien is a high school basketball coach extreme in both his demands and his devotion. Nearly every one of the players who stuck with his programpoor kids growing up in. Meet key members of our team employees of tbg have experience providing aggressive, proactive government relations representation to a broad and diverse base of clients. The high school has became much more diverse in recent years and a big part of that is because of basketball coach, jack obrien. He does this as a white suburban guy working exclusively with black city boys who make the daily trek across boston to attend charlestown high school, where the last.
The assist covers the 20042005 season of charlestown high boys basketball. What made his accomplishments so impressive was the fact that his team was comprised of young men from the projects who were bussed into. Coach jack obrien has built a powerhouse high school basketball program that wins state championships year after year and helps propel players to college. With a powerful, moving narrative, neil swidey has delivered the rarest of transcendent sports books.
Coleman dedicates title to his former coach jack obrien. Hughs family has strong ties to charlestown high school. Charlestowns hugh coleman teaches his players life. Charlestown mob patriarca crime family specifically the angiulos the winter hill gang is a structured confederation of boston, massachusettsarea organized crime figures, who are predominantly of irish and italian descent. In this engaging book about bostons charlestown high school basketball team, swidey, a staff writer for the boston globe magazine, explains that being part of the charlestown program was no guarantee that a. The program is separated by division including varsity, jv and middle school divisions. The book based on obriens charlestown teams, the assist, written by the globes neil swidey, is a fivestar read on amazon, popular in coaching categories as well as education, even though it. Nearly every one of the players who stuck with his programpoor kids growing up in highcrime neighborhoods and saddled with the. Coach jack obrien and his charlestown players will bring you to your feet, and theyll bring you to tears.
For all these years, the head coach was jack obrien and his assistant coaches were zach zegarowski, steve cassidy and hugh coleman. But jack obrien, the basketball coach at charlestown high school in boston, takes it to another level. Obrien has turned charlestown into a basketball powerhouse by making great relationships with families in inner city boston. Charlestown high school wikimili, the best wikipedia reader. Jamel shaheed 43 points shoots brighton past charlestown.
The junior guard drained 10 threepointers on a night in which brighton inducted former coach hugh coleman into its basketball hall. Jack obrien, the impossibly demanding basketball coach at charlestown h. Its not unusual for high school coaches to play big roles in their players lives. In the assist, boston globe reporter neil swidey writes about a very special high school basketball coach, jack obrien, and the innercity teenagers he helped shape into a solid team of. Coach jack obrien and his charlestown players will bring.
Jack obrien is a high school basketball coach extreme in both his demands and his. This book introduces us to jack obrien, the nearlegendary coach at charlestown high school in boston, whose life seemed to begin and end with basketball. The city is the county seat of charleston county, and the principal city in the charlestonnorth charlestonsummerville metropolitan statistical area. The formula for explosive athletic performance, jumping higher, and training like the pros. Jack obrien plays coach and father to a group of boys from bostons toughest streets.
University of connecticut and nba orlando magic guard shabazz napier is a former player of the charlestown basketball team, and his jersey was retired by the high school in january 2014. He does this as a white suburban gu y working exclusively wit. Jack obrien, the impossibly demanding basketball coach at charlestown high school in boston, has led his team to five state championship. The rising star basketball school under the direction of kevin obrien, longtime college coach including brandeis university, held a highly successful camp at waltham high school june 2730. Check back regularly to find your next favourite book. Our team is comprised of attorneys, former elected officials, strategic consultants, and account executives that provide advocacy, relationship development, and association. Neil swideys the assist chronicles three years in the life of coach jack obrien and the players of charlestown hs in boston. His brother, derek, was an allscholastic and globe super teamer on four consecutive division 2 state championship teams 200003 under head coach jack obrien hugh was an assistant coach for the 2002 and 2003 teams. Jack o brien is a high school basketball coach extreme in both his demands and his devotion. Neil swideys the assist chronicles three years in the life of coach jack o brien and the players of charlestown hs in boston. Less talked about is obrien s other winning record. Offers a intriguing portrait of jack obrien, the basketball coach at bostons charlestown high school, who has led his teams to a n.
By the time the articles appeared in the magazine in 2005. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read basketball and philosophy. It derives its name from the winter hill neighborhood of somerville. Thinking outside the paint ebook written by jerry walls. Nearly every one of the players who stuck with his programpoor kids growing up in highcrime neighborhoods and saddled with the lousy educational system available in urban america. Obrien is a minature high school version of a young bobby knightobsessive, compulsive, and brilliant. Neil swideys the assist follows the charlestown high school basketball team on its road to the state championship during the 200405 season and in its aftermath. Ridley johnson, a 63 guard from boston, is expected to sign a national letter of intent today, indicating his intention to play basketball at the university of toledo. The assist by neil swidey overdrive rakuten overdrive. And the results, at least the wins, are a staggering five state championships. Jack obrien is a high school basketball coach extreme in both his demands and. He does this as a white suburban guy working exclusive. Charlestown high school is in a predominately white section on the outskirts of boston. Charlestown during his high school basketball career at charlestown high, hugh coleman learned the recipe for success, not just on the court, but in life.