Basketball Believes in St. Anthony
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***Read the full story on Medium: Any Court Is Home
We could tell you about how St. Anthony went on to win a State Championship and further win New Jersey’s Tournament of Champions. We could reveal Coach Hurley’s strategies and best practices that go into coaching an undefeated team to a championship. Or we can talk about the bright futures of the student-athletes committing themselves to the St. Anthony Basketball Program right this second. However, these stories would be secondary to what we really learned from covering this program last season. And these stories are the ones that instantly become a wrinkle in time if the doors of St. Anthony High School close this June.
The culture at St. Anthony is one of perpetual empathy and warmth. In the program’s willingness to work with us and develop this story, we saw firsthand how every staff member, administrator, athlete, and student approaches adversity with an open mind and unassuming attitude. The passion and positivity that radiates in every conversation is contagious to anyone that joins them on any part of their journey. These characteristics bury the harsh reality that the school faces year after year and even more so today. To stay open beyond the 2016–2017 calendar year, St. Anthony High School must secure $10-$20 million dollars in funding.
Most would believe after one raise’s $1.5 million a year there is not much left over to give. Ironically, we spoke to Coach Hurley about giving back to the game. In this interview, Hurley states that if you respect the sport, you have the responsibility to reach back and help all of the younger coaches the way you were helped. Additionally, he talked about the responsibility he feels to do whatever he can to help people traverse all of the things now that make basketball a difficult sport to coach. Yet despite the up’s and down’s of leading a program for over 40 years, the inevitable obstacles that happen outside of the gym, Coach Hurley still states his biggest challenges are finding a gym and fundraising the $1.5m for the school.
As most in the basketball community continue to write their own story today, we see a need to stop for a moment and look back on what Coach Bob Hurley Sr. has taught us. Whether its a motivational quote you hang on to, a few play notes from a coaching clinic, or the inside perspective from this story, the truth is that St. Anthony High School, the basketball program, and the SAHS community has touched a lot of people under Hurley’s reign. We see the need to stop and realize that this legacy we continue to pull inspiration from now has an expiration date. Now more than ever, St. Anthony needs our help, and we call on the basketball community to join in their efforts.
We believe that even if 100 coaches share Coach Hurley’s story with their team and their families, we as a community can help inch St. Anthony closer to their goals. Luckily, we have some time to rally!
We could tell you about how St. Anthony went on to win a State Championship and further win New Jersey’s Tournament of Champions. We could reveal Coach Hurley’s strategies and best practices that go into coaching an undefeated team to a championship. Or we can talk about the bright futures of the student-athletes committing themselves to the St. Anthony Basketball Program right this second. However, these stories would be secondary to what we really learned from covering this program last season. And these stories are the ones that instantly become a wrinkle in time if the doors of St. Anthony High School close this June.
The culture at St. Anthony is one of perpetual empathy and warmth. In the program’s willingness to work with us and develop this story, we saw firsthand how every staff member, administrator, athlete, and student approaches adversity with an open mind and unassuming attitude. The passion and positivity that radiates in every conversation is contagious to anyone that joins them on any part of their journey. These characteristics bury the harsh reality that the school faces year after year and even more so today. To stay open beyond the 2016–2017 calendar year, St. Anthony High School must secure $10-$20 million dollars in funding.
Most would believe after one raise’s $1.5 million a year there is not much left over to give. Ironically, we spoke to Coach Hurley about giving back to the game. In this interview, Hurley states that if you respect the sport, you have the responsibility to reach back and help all of the younger coaches the way you were helped. Additionally, he talked about the responsibility he feels to do whatever he can to help people traverse all of the things now that make basketball a difficult sport to coach. Yet despite the up’s and down’s of leading a program for over 40 years, the inevitable obstacles that happen outside of the gym, Coach Hurley still states his biggest challenges are finding a gym and fundraising the $1.5m for the school.
As most in the basketball community continue to write their own story today, we see a need to stop for a moment and look back on what Coach Bob Hurley Sr. has taught us. Whether its a motivational quote you hang on to, a few play notes from a coaching clinic, or the inside perspective from this story, the truth is that St. Anthony High School, the basketball program, and the SAHS community has touched a lot of people under Hurley’s reign. We see the need to stop and realize that this legacy we continue to pull inspiration from now has an expiration date. Now more than ever, St. Anthony needs our help, and we call on the basketball community to join in their efforts.
We believe that even if 100 coaches share Coach Hurley’s story with their team and their families, we as a community can help inch St. Anthony closer to their goals. Luckily, we have some time to rally!
Organizer and beneficiary
Jaki Goldner
Organizer
Brooklyn, NY
Daniel Murphy
Beneficiary