I got this book from Netgalley so I can read and review it before it’s published.
Before I begin, I need to tell you that I was a high school football statistician for the Texas Sports Radio Network (TSRN) from 1997 to 2014 and for Thursday Night Lights (TNL) from 2009 to 2015. TSRN broadcasted games on the radio, the internet, and on their app. TNL broadcasted games on television, the internet, and their app. I also wrote about the high school football games I worked from 2011 to 2017. I even covered a small private Catholic school for a season as they had hired the basketball coach (who had just taken his team to the state championship game) to become the football coach. How did they choose me. Well, I will make it quick…
The basketball coach read one of football stories, and contacted me through Twitter to inquire if I would want to cover his basketball team. When football season ended that year, I did indeed attend a few basketball games and got to meet the coach, some staff members from the school, and the Principal. It was the Principal who has reached out to me to cover the football team, and they even paid me.
So, now, back to the California School for the Deaf, Riverside (CSDR for short). I, for one, can’t even imagine a high school football game without noise. I loved hearing the fans, the drum-lines, the PA announcer, the music blasting before the game, the whistles, the coaches, the players, the bands performing at halftime, and the chatter of everyone in the press-box. CSDR had none of this as they communicated in sign language, not even the National Anthem played. They were a well coached team and disciplined, and worked together to have a very successful program in the two years that Thomas Fuller covered the team. They made it to the state championship game twice; winning it once. Not many teams and players can say that.
So far, this has been my my favorite book I have read this year. I enjoyed learning a lot about the background on deafness and schools for deafness, as well as a biography of the players and coaches on the team (where they grew up, was deafness in the family, and how hard it was for all when they played on a normal football team).
After I finished the book, I watched a short NFL film on YouTube about the team, and it was nice to put names and faces together.
