Athletes of Purpose 5 0 P EO P LE W HO C HANGED THE F A C E O F S P ORT S Arnold B. Cheyney EMERITUS PROFESSOR UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI D E D ICATION To the memory of Coach Junius B. Ferrall 1911–1995 A CKNOWLE D GEMENTS ost athletes, however gifted or average, have at least one coach that made a significant difference in their Mlives and added many memories. My personal memory, among many, is of the half-time pep talks of my foot- ball coach. Coach Junius B. Ferrall’s admonitions ran something like this: “Play your best, for you will replay these games in your minds the rest of your lives.” Sure, Coach, you bet! Now in my seventies, I am startled from time to time because I still replay those 1940s games in my mind. I say to myself, “If I had only. .” Coach Ferrall made a difference in my life and in the lives of countless others. Athletes of Purpose gave me great joy in its writing. Much of the credit for that joy goes to the children’s department of the Wooster Public Library. The staff helped me time and again with my search for background material. Denise Cheyney, my daughter-in-law, was very helpful with her knowledge of the Internet, as was my wife, Jeanne, who once again spent much time proofing the many drafts of the manuscript. Any shortcomings here- in are attributable to the author. Photo Credits Unless otherwise acknowledged, all photos are the property of Scott, Foresman and Company. Page abbreviations are as follows: (T) top, (C) center, (B) bottom, (L) left, and (R) right. Front cover: (TL) SportsChrome, (BL) Reuters/Corbis-Bettmann, (C) Andy Hayt/DUOMO, (TR) Corbis-Bettmann, (BR) Reuters/Corbis-Bettmann; Back cover: (L) UPI/Corbis-Bettmann, (R) Chris Trotman/DUOMO. 2 AP/Wide World; 4 DUOMO; 6 Mitch Gerber/Corbis; 8 Rich Kane/SportsChrome East/West; 10 UPI/Corbis-Bettmann; 12 Steve Raymer/Corbis; 14 William R. Sallaz/DUOMO; 16 SportsChrome East/West; 18 UPI/Corbis-Bettmann; 20 UPI/Corbis-Bettmann; 22 UPI/Corbis-Bettmann; 24 UPI/Corbis-Bettmann; 26 Laurie Warner/SportsChrome East/West; 28 UPI/Corbis-Bettmann; 30 AP/Wide World; 32 Reuters/Corbis-Bettmann; 34 Reuters/Corbis-Bettmann; 36 Paul J. Sutton/DUOMO; 38 UPI/Corbis-Bettmann; 40 UPI/Corbis-Bettmann; 42 UPI/Corbis-Bettmann; 44 Rich Kane/SportsChrome East/West; 46 UPI/Corbis-Bettmann; 48 DUOMO; 50 UPI/Corbis-Bettmann; 52 Steven Sutton/DUOMO; 54 DUOMO; 56 SportsChrome East/West; 58 UPI/Corbis-Bettmann; 60 Chris Trotman/DUOMO; 62 AP/Wide World; 64 UPI/Corbis-Bettmann; 66 UPI/Corbis-Bettmann; 68 UPI/Corbis-Bettmann; 70 Reuters/Corbis-Bettmann; 72 UPI/Corbis-Bettmann; 74 AP/Wide World; 76 UPI/Corbis-Bettmann; 78 Steven E. Sutton/DUOMO; 80 DUOMO; 82 DUOMO; 84 AP/Wide World; 86 AP/Wide World; 88 UPI/Corbis-Bettmann; 90 UPI/Corbis-Bettmann; 92 AP/Wide World; 94 UPI/Corbis-Bettmann; 96 Corbis-Bettmann; 98 Reuters/Corbis-Bettmann; 100 UPI/Corbis-Bettmann. Silhouettes All silhouettes are taken from Image Bank DigitArt Clip Art Volumes 19 and 25, Eyewire Studios. are available for most basic curriculum subjects plus many enrichment areas. For more Good Year Books, contact your local bookseller or educational dealer. For a complete catalog with information about other Good Year Books, please write: Good Year Books A Division of Social Studies School Service 10200 Jefferson Boulevard Culver City, CA 90232-0802 (800) 421-4246 Book design by Foster Design. Copyright © 2000 Good Year Books, an imprint of Pearson Learning All Rights Reserved. Printed in the United States of America. ISBN 978-1-59647-351-5 Previous ISBN 0-673-58667-7 Only portions of this book intended for classroom use may be reproduced without permission in writing from the publisher. Preface he athletes in this volume have two per- Parents and teachers are encouraged to Tsonality traits in common: they set goals read the biographies aloud to children or a and made the sacrifices necessary to attain group of children. The questions and activi- them. The primary sacrifice was hours of ties are designed to deepen the thought tedious practice. All of us, child or adult, processes of those who have listened or read need to be reminded that real success comes the material. Think of the Further Reading through sacrifice. list as an assignment. Juvenile books about these athletes are The pages are perforated on the inside generally available in libraries, even though edges for separating and copying. They can they may be out of print. Some of the athletes then be used with individuals and small are included in special volumes along with groups. The limitation on their use in this other players. The athletes were chosen based form is determined by the creativity of the on the character they displayed while playing instructor. The Index on page 105 lists the the sport or sports in which they excelled. sports in which these athletes participated Also, I considered it important to feature a and their relationships with other athletes. variety of sports so children realize that some Specific Ways to Use This Book sports are lifetime activities and not just for the years of youth with its attendant vigor. 1. Reserve class time to share thoughts gen- My most agonizing moments involved erated by the biography or the reading list in making choices as to who would make the the Further Reading section. final cut, to apply a sport term to a literary 2. Encourage children to keep a log of what predicament. I can only suggest that parents they read. Set time aside so they may share and teachers go with their children to the what they wrote in their logs. library or bookstore, perhaps the Internet, 3. Encourage children to read aloud the and find a biography of a sport hero or hero- Athletes of Purpose biographies with younger ine not found in these pages. Then read or older persons, especially senior citizens. together. Athletes of Purpose is intended as a link 4. Read paragraphs from the biographies to further reading and study; the biographies that make a person feel good. Share them are short by intention so as to fulfill this con- with each other in small groups. nection. The Further Reading lists are exactly 5. Read the sentence thought to be most that. The books listed are presently in libraries quotable. Memorize the quote and share it at somewhere, along with many others of the the dinner table at home. Discuss the family’s same sort. Some books about these athletes reaction the following day with classmates. are now in the process of being published. They may be found in your local library, 6. Select the biography most enjoyed. Dress through interlibrary loan, or in bookstores. in the uniform of the athlete and read the biog- raphy in front of the class or in an assembly. Copyright © Good Year Books Year Good © Copyright Athletes of Purpose iii 7. Create a class mural of a specific sport of the athletes from newspapers or sports and emphasize the athletes found in these cards, newspaper clippings, student illustra- pages. tions and writing, records and awards, and Internet information. Encourage the students 8. Read portions of a biography that make to make a Table of Contents for their portfolio one feel uneasy. Explain the reasons for these in chronological order or another logical feelings, if possible. arrangement. 9. Using girl and boy dolls, create uniforms 19. Jot down ideas and questions as you read. for sports figures in Athletes of Purpose. What else would you like to know about these 10. Retell an Athletes of Purpose biography athletes? Use the Further Reading lists as a using flannelboard characters. starting point to find answers to questions. 11. Read parts that prove a point or a certain 20. Set a period at the end of the week to dis- point of view. cuss one specific athlete on which the students 12. Create and deliver a twenty-word tele- agree. Have each student read about that per- gram to another person in class urging him or son. Order a video or film about the athlete her to read about a specific athlete. from the school audiovisual department or the children’s department of your public library. 13. Create a comic strip of one of the athletes Discuss the film in light of what was learned in Athletes of Purpose. (Study some comic from books and other materials. strips from a Sunday newspaper first.) 21. For those with access to the Internet, 14. Have an “Athlete of the Day Read-a-Thon.” search for athletes who are still living and During the day, encourage children to read in find what they are now doing. Report findings small groups about their favorite athletes. to the class. 15. Create book jackets for specific sports. 22. Create a mural titled “Classroom Wall of Have the children include their own illustra- Athletic Fame” highlighting students’ favor- tions, the records and awards of the athletes, ite athletes. Later, honor others who led and the athletes’ public service contributions. purposeful lives: people from scientific, medi- Show the stapled sports books at a Back to cal, political, religious, or other professions. School Night, PTA, or PTO meeting. 23. Set aside time during the day for “Read- 16. Read parts aloud from Athletes of Purpose ing and Writing Together About My Favorite that have the element of surprise. Athlete.” Reserve the last fifteen minutes for 17. Create a dance using movements that writing about the athlete.