Welcome to From the Teacher’s Desk, where we take turns further reflecting on our episodes and applications to the classroom.
If it wasn’t obvious before our Ted Lasso episode, it should be obvious now: I love sports. As both a reader and writer who is known to pace the family room during particularly close basketball and football games, I see the ways sports bring people together. I see the life lessons. And I see the ways sports metaphors have worked their way into our everyday vernacular.
For my quick personal reflection of sports and English, I’m going to suggest some of my favorite sports reads and give a teaching suggestion for how you can catch the interests of your most avid sports fans.
Just for you - Finding the right sports book
After I read my first Gene Luen Yang book (American Born Chinese), Alicia recommended that I read his memoir that fused the end of his teaching career at a private Catholic school with the history of basketball. Dragon Hoops is an engaging read for anyone who loves sports, history, or both. And as a graphic novel, it moves as quickly as a good game of basketball.
If you are looking for quality books that will engage male readers, Chris Crutcher fuses sports and teenage angst with wit and grace. Alicia and I heard him read the first chapter of Deadline when we saw him speak at NCTE when we first started teaching together and I was hooked. His books are enjoyable for teens and adults.
And if you need a good adult read, I enjoy both Rick Reilly (former Sports Illustrated columnist) and John Bacon. Reilly writes with incredible humor and insight while Bacon tells specific stories that are so engaging, you forget that he had to do a significant amount of research before turning his manuscript into the publisher. And I think many people forget that Mitch Albom got his start as a sports writer working for a number of outlets before he settled in at the Detroit Free Press.
For your students - Use sports columns to teach figurative language
I’ve said it for years: I believe that sports writers are some of the best writers out there. They have to take a visual medium (sports) and retell events in a way that helps readers not just understand the events, but see in their heads how those events unfolded. Occasionally these skilled writers graduate from writing about specific plays and scores; these rare few become columnists, marrying sports and culture to comment on the bigger issues in life.1
Sports metaphors surround us everywhere we go. A few weeks ago I used baseball terminology (“on deck” and “in the hole”) to let soloists know who would be performing next for the judge at our local solo and ensemble competition.2 Want to help students see the power of anecdote and figurative language? Have them analyze a well-known sports columnist. Over the years I’ve appreciated Rick Reilly and Bill Simmons, but picking a local writer would be even better. My husband, a huge Michigan fan, never misses a Saturday post of Punt/Counterpunt on the MGo Blog, and usually shoves the long, meandering posts my way when I take a break to sit down. And yes, I usually enjoy the seemingly unrelated tales that are somehow woven into predictions for the Saturday football game to come.
Sports are universal and bring people together, and the writing that helps us to see that narrative has the potential to transform our students from reluctant readers to those who understand the power of the written word. It also helps our students to see writing as more than just an academic act, or challenge the belief that only novelists are “real” writers. Great writing takes many forms.
You never know. You might just inspire a reluctant writer to see the magic of a carefully turned phrase.
How have you used sports in your classroom? Who is your favorite sports writer? Let us know in the comments below.
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Unfortunately, the collapse of the local newsroom and the closure of sports magazines is making it harder for these talented writers to find places to share their gifts.
Parent duties when you have a kid who is in show choir and you get guilted into volunteering.
I love keeping score at baseball games. One time I was doing this at a high school game and one of my students came over to say hi. They asked about my scorecard and I explained what I was doing. The student responded thusly:
"Damn, miss! You even take notes when you're supposed to be having fun!"
Hahaha.
I’ve dabbled with sports writing before and I find it so much fun. I like to get very analytical - even overthinking things 😂 - and feel very high and mighty when I spot things others don’t. Then I make predictions based on those observations and find I was miles off the mark 😂 still fun!