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Fall River Dreams is a MUST read for any committed high school basketball player or coach, especially if you live in Massachusetts. Below are some 5 reasons this books is a great resource.
- Varsity Time Commitment: The book takes you through an entire high school basketball season. It is a great way for a younger player to understand what a high school basketball season is truly like. It is a roller coaster from the 1st practice to the final game and all that happens in between. A great read for a sub-varsity player hoping to earn a varsity uniform.
- Individual Players and Individual Roles: The book introduces several of the players in detail. Each has a different team role and personal history. Readers can see the variety of players in a varsity program and probably can identify with at least one of the players if not more. The players include: a Division I recruit and future NBA player, a JV center who contemplates quitting, a 4-year varsity player who is a role player as a senior, an all-scholastic shooting guard, and many more.
- A Coach’s Life: Hall of Fame coach “Skippy” Karam is a central figure in the story. His background, Fall River roots, and legendary coaching career illustrates the life of a high school coach. Like a player there are ups and downs, highs and lows. It is a challenge to try to coach and motivate players for decades. It also looks at the role of a JV coach looking at relationships with players and the varsity coach.
- Highs and Lows of a Season: Like any basketball teams there are highs and lows throughout the season: heartbreaking defeats a missed free throw to end a game, vacation tournaments, injuries, technical fouls, rivalry games, and hopefully state tournament wins.
- High School Life: The books touches on the high school culture, dating, underage drinking, tobacco use, teen pregnancy and other challenges of being a high school student.
- Chris Herren: The main character of the book has become one of the top motivational speakers in America, especially for high school students. He has published a book, Basketball Junkie about the highs and more importantly the lows of his career. There also is a fabulous documentary by ESPN films called Unguarded.
Below is a summary of each chapter.
Preface (page vi – xii): The preface explains the genesis of the book. It talks about head coach Skippy Karam, the demographics of Durfee, the great basketball tradition and in the infamous Lizzie Borden.
Chapter 1: (page 1 – 29): The chapter starts with the 1st game of the season at Duxbury. The dynamics of high school basketball that includes, bud rides, cheerleaders and long-time assistant coaches. It explaints the great high school tradition of basketball, and the enormous pressure to win a state championship after losing in the sectional finals in overtime the previous season. Future NBA player and current motivational speaker Chris Herren are introduced, as well as his legendary two-time state champion brother Michael. The role and important of an assistant coach is highlighted by the introduction of Bob Dempsey. The members of the team are introduced in detail.
The 1st game is an early season test against Duxbury and the Curley brothers (Matt and Mickey). It explains the nervousness in the locker and goes over the pre-game scouting report. It details the events of the 1st game of the season.
Chapter 2: (page 31 – 41) The chapter starts with a history of the town of Fall River that transitions to the tradition and success of Durfee basketball dating back to the the 1947 team. It mentions Luke Urban the previous coach. It also explains the friction of the player – coach relationship.
Chapter 3: (page 43 – 41) The start of the chapter gives a history to Karnam’s family and youth. It also discusses Luke Urban’s coaching style and the start of Skippy’s career. Karam’s explains his philosophy of Sunday morning practices. The culture of high school drinking is presented. The teams plays St. John’s, injuries happen, a match-up with B.C. High, and a player possibly quitting the team.
Chapter 4: (page 81- 118) The Lizzie Borden’s history is explained in detail. “Born in Fall River, die in Fall River.” The high schol and college career of Michael Herren is shared as well as the histories of the parents Al and Cynthia. It talks about Chris playing with the BABC AAU basketball team and the college recruiting connections that have been made.
Chapter 5: (page 119 – 152) The player-coach dynamic continues. It also explains the post game ritual of the coaches following a win or loss. The team plays in a 3-day Christmas vacation tournament in Lowell. The 2nd game is against perennial power Cambridge Rindge & Latin. It also summarizes the career of a 4-year varsity player who showed great promise in youth as well as another player who had a career game. It also mentions some off-court issues with the team and individual players. Durfee advances to the championship of the tournament to face a top team from Connecticut. The closing sections talks about some of the challenges and obstacles currently facing the towns and schools.
Chapter 6: (page 153 – 184) The league schedule it under way and Durfee faces it’s main rivals, Brockton (January 8th) and New Bedford. It explains how rivalry games are so much more important than a typical opponents. It looks into the coaching rivalry with New Bedford coach, Ed Rodrigues. It talks about how alumni will be calling in to the paper all night to get the score of the game (my how things have changed with social media). It talks about the experience of players being in the zone.
The recruiting process and Leo Papile are discussed and the Duxbury re-match is analyzed closely.
Chapter 7: (page 185 – 212) School culture is so much a part of the high school experience. The chapter opens up with the 450s. A section of the school where some of the basketball have their lockers. It also describes a typical class for Herren. It discusses the construction of the school in 1978 and some of the racial tensions in the community. A USA Today article identified Durfee as the most violent high school in the country.
In terms of basketball, it reviews the teams of 50s and 60s.
Caron describes the school culture and the various groups within the school as well as the academic expectations of the students. It talks about the high dropout rate. The spotlight of being a basketball and the pressure of having the eyes of the town on you all the time.
Chapter 8: (page 213 – 229) Locker room language is a part of sports, the chapter starts of with colorful language by Skippy at practice. The game against Somerset is the biggest game of the season for them. Durfee, like most successful sports teams has a big X on their back. The 1st half had 2 unsuccessful alley-oop attempts from Caron to Herren. Herren scores 32 points to move into the 3rd spot in scoring as a JUNIOR! It mentions the fact that Herren’s girlfriend is a Somerset cheerleader.
The recruiting of a Herren is discussed in detail. There are visits from college assistants during a 10 day window allowing recruiting. Coach Karam received recruiting letters daily from all the top colleges in the country. In all the years of coaching, Skippy had only one other intense recruiting experience with Ernie Fleming. Herren discusses the impact of recruiting on him.
Chapter 9: (page 213 – 250) The chapter starts with a game against Bishop Feehan. The focus is on the importance for developing JV players for varsity and the need to play a six-foot-six sophomore as much as possible. It also discusses how line-ups change, players lose starting positions, and how players need to understand the importance of being part of a team. It talks about school records, such as 25 consecutive free throws and how Herren is at twenty. It also discusses the impact of drinking on a player’s development.
The recruiting process continues and the tension of the season escalates to the point where Skippy throws Herren out of practice. It continues to discuss the home game environment and how it is a throw back to the old days. Durfee wins big and Herren signs autographs for the kids after the game. Some girls from Duxbury came to watch the game. Next up Bishop Stang.
A death of a close reveals that there are things in the world other than basketball.
Chapter 10: (page 251 – 284) Betty Karam, Skippy’s wife is introduced. It discusses that longevity of Karam’s career. For basketball, it is the last regular season home game of the season against rival Brockton – senior night. The senior cheerleaders and players are announced and celebrated at the start of the game. It is a very emotional game and night.
The team travels to New Bedford for another challenging match-up. The history of New Bedford is shared as well as the amount of a high school coach’s salary. The team finishes the regular season with a February Vacation Tournament. The team prepares for the state tournament. There is an 11 day break between games. How can a team unify for the state tournament? Very interesting choice.
Chapter 11: (page 285 – 302) The stress of the state tournament and the clash between teammates. Heroes are made in state tournament games, legends created, and there is so much emotion.
Chapter 12: (page 303 – 318) How does the season end?
Chapter 13: (page 319 – 350) The senior banquet, summer league, AAU, recruiting, and the final decision about college.
Epilogue: (page 351 – 354)