Lessons of the Game: The Betrayal of an All-American Football Star

Lessons of the Game: The Betrayal of an All-American Football Star by Sparks, Derek. paperback edition. ISBN: 9780967147116.

Payoffs (under the table cash), grade tampering , eligibility scandals, illegal recruitment tactics, lies, deception and immorality are all a continuous part of this real life story. It shows the twisted nature of coaches, administrators, and family, hell-bent on winning while ambivalent to the academic and personal development of the student athlete. Derek Sparks shows us what it takes to keep a dream alive, in this story of his transfer to four different high schools in four different years. He faces the challenges of loneliness, temptation, ostracism, while living in a gang-land enviroment. He also fights a desperate battle to prove his eligibility, while protecting his scholarship offers, and acheive qualifying SAT scores even after an insidious vow from his coaches: "YOULL NEVER PLAY ORGANIZED FOOTBALL AGAIN!" Dereks story delivers a message to todays students seeking a future in athletics, or to the average student seeking a future in life. It tells of the wisdom and maturity a 21st century student must have to steer their way through a maze of manipulators and opportunists. Through his mistakes and his successes, Derek conveys his testimony with a vision of a better way. END