Movies You Missed the First Time Around: The Street Stops Here
Yesterday afternoon, Basketball Hall of Famer Bob Hurley Sr. became the tenth high school boys' basketball coach to reach the 1000 win mark when his St. Anthony team topped St. Mary's 76-46. To coincide with this momentous occasion, I thought I'd review the excellent documentary, The Street Stops Here, that chronicles Hurley and the 2007-08 St. Anthony High School basketball season.
The Street Stops Here is a portrait of the nation's best high school basketball coach, Bob Hurley, Sr. and his career-long struggle to inspire and motivate those around him in order to keep the doors of a poor, inner-city Catholic school open. This is a story about teenagers fighting their way out of the hood, armed with little more than a basketball and the hard wisdom of a fierce, demanding coach. For 35 years, Hurley has led St. Anthony his way. He's an uncompromising teacher who demands perfection from kids who've known little discipline growing up on the streets of Jersey City. His methodical, yet volatile style works miracles. He's tallied 900-plus victories for a school that's won 24 state championships. Hurley's sent all but two of the hundreds of players he's coached to college, a feat that truly shows what matters to him most. This season, Hurley faces challenges that will test his resolve. The most talented senior class he's ever assembled, with six seniors headed to Division 1 schools, is about to graduate without having won a state championship something that has never happened to one of his teams. Even more dire, a financial crisis threatens to close the high school he's dedicated his life to. Intimate and inspiring, The Street Stops Here is the story of a man's lifelong commitment to improve the lives of inner city kids and save the poor high school that gives them hope.
DSB Review:
The Street Stops Here profiles St. Anthony's 2007-08 season and the expectations of a talented, senior-laden team set against the backdrop of a financial crisis at the school. Director Kevin Shaw quickly discovers the heart of the program (and this documentary) is head coach Bob Hurley Sr.
Most basketball coaches would use a place like St. Anthony as a temporary launching pad to bigger and better things. Most basketball coaches would flee the mean streets of Jersey City at the first hint of success. Most basketball coaches would throw up their hands and claim there's nothing they can do about the economic crisis that annually strains the Catholic school. But Hurley is not most basketball coaches.
Nowadays Hurley would be considered old school in his approach to basketball and his team. He preaches discipline and tough love. He earns respect by ignoring what the players want and instead gives them what they need so they can reach their potential. He believes no one player is bigger than the program and famously suspended his star before a marquee matchup against Kobe Bryant's Lower Merion High School. Hurley was a probation officer for much of his life and those same qualities that made him effective at that job carry over to the hardwood of the basketball court. To quote one of his former players, "If you don't love basketball, you're not going to like playing for Coach Hurley."
He has built a perennial national powerhouse at little St. Anthony despite the school hanging by a thread financially and the antiquated, substandard facilities. Hurley has never turned his back on the school or the players that he loves. In his 35+ years of coaching, all but two of his players have gone on to college. Former player Rashan Bruno sums Hurley's dedication up nicely when he says, "To stay in the belly of the beast, says a lot about a man."
The Street Stops Here is a compelling look at Hurley and his beloved school and is wholeheartedly worth seeking out for basketball and non-basketball fans alike.
Thanks for coming and suckling Daddy’s Sugar Ball…
The Street Stops Here is a portrait of the nation's best high school basketball coach, Bob Hurley, Sr. and his career-long struggle to inspire and motivate those around him in order to keep the doors of a poor, inner-city Catholic school open. This is a story about teenagers fighting their way out of the hood, armed with little more than a basketball and the hard wisdom of a fierce, demanding coach. For 35 years, Hurley has led St. Anthony his way. He's an uncompromising teacher who demands perfection from kids who've known little discipline growing up on the streets of Jersey City. His methodical, yet volatile style works miracles. He's tallied 900-plus victories for a school that's won 24 state championships. Hurley's sent all but two of the hundreds of players he's coached to college, a feat that truly shows what matters to him most. This season, Hurley faces challenges that will test his resolve. The most talented senior class he's ever assembled, with six seniors headed to Division 1 schools, is about to graduate without having won a state championship something that has never happened to one of his teams. Even more dire, a financial crisis threatens to close the high school he's dedicated his life to. Intimate and inspiring, The Street Stops Here is the story of a man's lifelong commitment to improve the lives of inner city kids and save the poor high school that gives them hope.
DSB Review:
The Street Stops Here profiles St. Anthony's 2007-08 season and the expectations of a talented, senior-laden team set against the backdrop of a financial crisis at the school. Director Kevin Shaw quickly discovers the heart of the program (and this documentary) is head coach Bob Hurley Sr.
Most basketball coaches would use a place like St. Anthony as a temporary launching pad to bigger and better things. Most basketball coaches would flee the mean streets of Jersey City at the first hint of success. Most basketball coaches would throw up their hands and claim there's nothing they can do about the economic crisis that annually strains the Catholic school. But Hurley is not most basketball coaches.
Nowadays Hurley would be considered old school in his approach to basketball and his team. He preaches discipline and tough love. He earns respect by ignoring what the players want and instead gives them what they need so they can reach their potential. He believes no one player is bigger than the program and famously suspended his star before a marquee matchup against Kobe Bryant's Lower Merion High School. Hurley was a probation officer for much of his life and those same qualities that made him effective at that job carry over to the hardwood of the basketball court. To quote one of his former players, "If you don't love basketball, you're not going to like playing for Coach Hurley."
He has built a perennial national powerhouse at little St. Anthony despite the school hanging by a thread financially and the antiquated, substandard facilities. Hurley has never turned his back on the school or the players that he loves. In his 35+ years of coaching, all but two of his players have gone on to college. Former player Rashan Bruno sums Hurley's dedication up nicely when he says, "To stay in the belly of the beast, says a lot about a man."
The Street Stops Here is a compelling look at Hurley and his beloved school and is wholeheartedly worth seeking out for basketball and non-basketball fans alike.
Thanks for coming and suckling Daddy’s Sugar Ball…
Posted by Max Power at 2/3/2011 1:00 PM 
Categories: Movies You Missed
Tags: The Street Stops Here Bob Hurley St Anthony High School
Categories: Movies You Missed
Tags: The Street Stops Here Bob Hurley St Anthony High School
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