"OUR BOYS"

I read "Our Boys" front to back in one sitting. Although I had the time to do it, I didn't want to put the book down. Joe Drape captured the story of The Redmen and the Smith Center community so well, I was inspired.Drape's description of the locker room during the introduction put me back in high school when I played football. Throughout this book, I often caught myself remembering certain things about playing sports I had long forgot.
Coach Barta and his staff were amazing in that the respect they have for the game reflected the Smith Center way of life. The infamous game against Plainville in which the Redman scored 70 points in the first quarter sent people and coaches around the country in an uproar. Instead of bragging and boasting, Barta was embarrassed showing his true character. The coaching staff were like close uncles to their players, and they cherished evryone of them. They balanced stoic attitudes with advice, love and openess. These are aspects you expect from coaches but they took it to another level. They teach the boys about being men, on and off the field. I especially appreciate Coach Barta for enstilling in the Redmen that there is more to life than football in Smith Center. It may have been what the boys had looked forward to their entire lives, but it seemed as though they understood football was a luxury.
I think the tradition of the Redmen and the Smith Center as a whole was very interesting. Small towns have the benefit of raising generations of kids who grow up wanting to play football. Beyond that the story touches on tradition of work ethic and family and how in the long run it is more important than anything. The wisdom past down from generations past is deeply routed and is respected throughout the community. The fathers of some of the current players had played for Barta and understood what they were experiencing. They too had learned valuable lessons taught by Barta, it was as if they were sending their boys away to become men. The Smith Center right of passage.
Although this is a story about a remarkable football team it is more a story of traditions, life and values, and that is what made this book exceptionaly brilliant. By the end of "Our Boys," I felt like I had physically met the individuals that live in Smith Center.