Hoop Dreams

     Hoop Dreams is about two boys, William and Arthur, who are skilled basketball players whos ambitions are to become NBA players. It starts off with both boys going into high school. They go to St. Joseph's and it is expesive and also a three hour train ride. The boys undergo some difficult situations with fitting in becaue there are a lot of white people. Arthur entered with a fourth or fifth grade school level. William was a starting freshman for varsity. Both boys had scholarships from St. Joseph's for basketball. Arthur's parents got laid off from work and still had to pay 1/2 tuition. Arthur was kicked out because they could no longer afford to pay tuition. Arthur went to a public school, Marshall, but he did not recieve credits for the semester at St. Jospeh's because the parents never repaid the debt. Arthur joined the sophomore team at Marshall. Arthur's dad left the family and was using drugs. Arthur makes varsity junior year, meanwhile William has  lot of colleges interested in him. Arthur begins to struggle with more money problems in his household. William injured his knee and could not ply for 12+ weeks because he needed surgery. In one of Arthur's games he fouled out for charging a player. During everyhing, William has a child. William stopped playing basketball and his grades plummeted. William returns, and he continues to have problems with his knee. In one partcular game, William gets injured and leaves the court. St. Joseph's began to fall behind. His coach left whether he went back in up o him, ad as any player would he went back in. He shot the free throws and missed, so St. Joseph's was defeated. William ends up getting another knee surgery. Neither of the boys' lives go as theyhad once dreamed, and they went through many challenges. William had another child before he graduated. In many situations, the boys were juggling a lot of personal problems, schoolwork, and basketball at once. The may not have become the next Michael Jordans or even made it to the pros, butthey overcame many challenges and became successful in ways they had never expected.
 
     In Hoop Dreams a lot of good morals are shown. One was, no matter your situation or lifestyle if you rise to the challenge and try your hardest you can succeed. Throughout the movie perseverance is portrayed. Even through the money, family, and school issues they went through, they focused on basketball and their future. Another is, regardless of where you are from and who you're friends with, it is your talent that matters. Not only for basketball, but for any sport, it's an escape from the discrimination of social class or position you're in. You don't get judged based on where you're from, but rather by the skill you bring to the team you play for.