Book Review: When the Game Stands Tall
NOTE: This post was originally created in 2008.
Quick review of a book I read a bit ago. When the Game Stands Tall is Neil Hayes’ look inside De La Salle High School’s football program while it was in the midst of a 151 game (that’s 12 years) winning streak. So a non-descript suburban high school (in Concord, CA) winning enough football games that national media takes notice. The subplot is of course, how do they do it?
If you are even a little bit of a football fan you’ve heard of this school and the streak and the book is filled with all sorts of insider football stuff a fan would enjoy. But the best parts of the book touch on the seemingly secret sauce. To be sure, the school has had some great players. But the book outlines some players who end up playing far above where their natural talents might ordinarily take them. So what’s the secret?
De La Salle’s coach is a quiet, seemingly mellow guy named Bob Ladouceur, someone who almost became a priest. He and his staff have managed to get a bunch of teenage boys to almost view football as secondary to much more foundational ideas like commitment, love, brotherhood, and the like. These teams seem to create these incredible bonds where coaches can more easily translate youthful energy into 100% focus and discipline. Again, that’s not to say there’s not great players, and excellent coaching, because clearly both are present– but the book captures pieces of what the kids are being taught that uniquely prepare them life let alone football. And its almost treated as a byproduct that the kids also happen to then pursue football excellence with some serious zeal.
In the end the book is actually less about football than about group dynamics and leadership. The culture these coaches have created is extremely cohesive — its obvious the kids care about each other in ways you don’t normally see high school kids caring. I give the book a thumbs up as an interesting read, doubly so if you’re either a parent of a young boy or just enjoy a little football.
Originally published at jeffbirkeland.com on February 22, 2008.
