Tough Loss, but a Great Season

The Clinton-Massie Lady Falcons season came to an end last night with a loss to Alter at Springfield High School in the Regional Semifinal. It was a tough way to end the season, but what a great season it was for the team.

Both teams entered the game undefeated and Alter couldn’t seem to miss, hitting 6 out of 9 three pointers in the first half. Massie had a tough time getting the ball in the bucket and that trend just carried on through the game. By the end of the game Massie didn’t make a three-point shot.

Syd came into the game with a dislocated index finger on her shooting. The injury occurred in the first quarter of the District Final game last Friday night. She played through the pain, even breaking open the stitches at some point in the first quarter. She led the team in scoring with ten points. She had tweeted that this was going to be a toughness test. I would say she definitely passed.

The Lady Falcons made school and county history by going through the regular season undefeated. They ended the season with a 26-1 record, three-peating as SCOL champions and repeating as District champs. They have much to be proud of.

Rudy, Rudy, Rudy – the book

I remember sitting in my basement flipping channels and came across the movie, “Rudy.” I had heard of the movie, knew the basic story behind it, but had never watched it before. I think it was a Saturday afternoon and I didn’t have anything else going on. I decided to watch it…and loved it. Seeing Rudy get in the game after all the practice and effort and dedication was pretty cool. Then, when he sacks the quarterback and gets carried off the field, you are pumped up and ready to go do something great.

I think one of the coolest parts of the movie is when some of his teammates start the chant: “Rudy, Rudy, Rudy.” It picks up steam on the sidelines and then people in the stands join in. “Rudy, Rudy, Rudy.” Pretty exciting stuff.

Being a fan of the movie (although it was probably out for 8+ years before I saw it), I was intrigued when I saw Rudy wrote a book about his story. I thought if it was nearly as exciting as the movie, it would be worth reading.

Rudy, My Story is not just the story of how he played for Notre Dame, but a deeper look into what led him to Notre Dame, where that desire came from and the obstacles he had to overcome. The pages of the book offer much more time to provide details of upbringing, struggles in school, family dynamics and all that went into who Rudy was leading up to his days at Notre Dame.

Part of the book shares what Rudy did after his 27 seconds of Notre Dame fame and the trials he endured trying to get his story made into a movie. That in itself was a time of perseverance and determination to see that dream become a reality.

Rudy is very open and honest in this account, sharing not only the difficulties he had growing up, but also after making it onto the big screen. He shares his successes and failures in order to help others work to achieve their dreams.

If you saw the movie, you will want to read the book. If you like the underdog – or even feel like one yourself – this book is for you.

**I received this book from BookSneeze in exchange for my review.