Wow!!!
What a fantastic book!
This was one of those “can’t put it down” type of books from the opening cover all the way to the end.
Author, Bill Moushey, does a fantastic job in giving us the idyllic setting of Happy Valley, PA, setting of the iconic college town of Penn State.
As a former collegiate and professional athlete myself, I am well aware of the “code of silence” (it happens in every institution be it police officers, firefighters, politics or church) that is often enacted to protect star athletes and winning coaches. I agree that more people at Penn State knew what was going on than is acknowledged. It happens. This is big-time athletics with a lot of power, money, and prestige at stake. Athletes and young people are just “pawns” in the games we play…. and that’s the shame of it all.
Athletics (especially) at the higher levels, is a very insulated and isolated world of fantasy and make-believe most of the time.
This book is very moving, and it stirred up emotions in me about how we ignore the cries of help from our young people at times. Sandusky was found guilty and that’s good. Paterno is no longer viewed as a Saint (and he never should have been treated as one).
Joe Paterno, was the head coach at Penn State for over 40 years, right on the verge of becoming college football’s all-time winningest coach, national championships, and the national championship trophy bearing his name. It all came crashing down after suspicions turned to eyewitness accounts of Paterno’s longtime assistant football coach, Jerry Sandusky.
It was a gripping and riveting tale of Sandusky’s involvement with young children, from his nonprofit organization “The Second Mile”.
I couldn’t believe what I was reading, that something of this magnitude, could go unnoticed by the leadership of both Penn State and the Penn State athletic department.
Well, Paterno has since passed away, and Sandusky is right where he belongs, serving what turns out to be, a “life sentence” for the crimes that he committed.
Even if you’re not a sports fan, you will love this book!
There are lessons to be learned all around, but overall this is an excellent book that I highly recommend.
James Donaldson is a Washington State University graduate (’79). After an outstanding basketball career with WSU, he went on to play professional basketball in the NBA with the Seattle Supersonics, San Diego/L.A. Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, and Utah Jazz. He also played for several teams in the European Leagues in Spain, Italy, and Greece, and he toured with The Harlem Globetrotters to wrap up his career. James was an NBA All-Star in 1988 while playing center for the Dallas Mavericks. In 2006, James was inducted into the Pac-10 Sports Hall of Fame and also the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2010, James was elected as a board member for the NBA Retired Players Association.
James frequently conducts speaking engagements (motivational, inspirational, educational) for organizations, schools, and youth groups.
In 2010, James was the recipient of the NBA Legends of Basketball ABC Award, awarded for outstanding contributions in Athletics–Business–Community.
He believes in being a role model for success and professionalism to the scores of young people to whom he devotes so much of his time. He currently serves on several boards and committees and is a member of many organizations.
James believes in developing relationships that create a “Win-Win” environment for everyone involved, and in being the best he can be!
For more information about James Donaldson or to request he speak at your event, contact him at:
www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
JamesD@StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
1-800-745-3161 (voicemail & fax)
James Donaldson is the author of “Standing Above The Crowd” and “Celebrating Your Gift of Life” and founder of the Your Gift of Life Foundation which focuses on mental health awareness and suicide prevention, especially pertaining to our school aged children and men.
If you’re interested in having James come and speak to your group of young adults, business entrepreneurs, aspiring political and community leaders, and athletic teams, please contact him at jamesd@yourgiftoflife.org and or leave a personal message for him at 1-800-745-3161. Keep up with him and read about how he is reaching out and making a difference in the lives of so many around the world at www.yourgiftoflife.org
