Remember Why You Play: Faith, Football, and a Season to Believe [Paperback]

David Thomas (Author), Kris Hogan (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2010

If you enjoyed Friday Night Lights, this book is a must-read. Remember Why You Play documents the lives, struggles, and triumphs of the players and coaches of Faith Christian School in Grapevine, Texas. Sports columnist and author David Thomas followed the team for a full season, recording a story that will inspire readers to understand that relationships are more important than winning. One of the key events was a game that Faith Christian played against the Gainesville State Tornadoes, a school for convicted juvenile offenders. The story of this spectacular game is being made into a movie, titled One Heart, with an anticipated release in November 2010. Reminiscent of Hoosiers and Remember the Titans, this true story makes a strong statement about the impact of compassion and sportsmanship.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (October 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1414337272
• ISBN-13: 978-1414337272
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.6 x 8.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #424,703 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

David Thomas is author of "Remember Why You Play" and co-writer of national bestseller "All In" with Gene Chizik, "SEAL of God" with former US Navy SEAL Chad Williams, "Impact Player" with New York Yankees legend Bobby Richardson, and "I Still Believe" with Jeremy Camp. His next book, "First: What It Takes to Win" with two-time CrossFit Games champion Rich Froning, releases July 2013.

David spent almost three decades in journalism, most recently as a senior writer and sports humor columnist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. There, his work was honored nationally by the Associated Press Sports Editors and he received the McClatchy Company President's Award for excellence in journalism. A lifelong Texan and graduate of the University of Texas at Arlington, he lives near Fort Worth, Texas.

Web site: www.DavidThomasBooks.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/davidthomasbooks
Twitter: www.twitter.com/davidthomas14

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Everyday Is A Choice About How You Will Play September 28, 2010

By Victoria Fritch

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Not very often do you come across a book that is equally engaging for men and women alike. While the book appeals to anyone who loves Friday night football, this go so far beyond a Friday night game. The summary of the book tells of the Gainesville State game and how the fans and families reached out to the players to make them feel valued and loved. The majority of the book follows the Lions the previous season to show just how natural such an act of kindness and service was to Faith Christian. There are not many high school coaches who see their job as much more than winning games...especially in Texas. Kris Hogan knows that he has been called to help raise boys into men. Regardless of whether they play at the college level or not, he is helping to instill character qualities that will serve them the rest of their lives.

There are moments when you have to remind yourself that this is a true story because the actions of the players and the coaches are so counter to what society would do in the same situations. Because this is a Christian school, they know that they are under a microscope and that their actions are scrutinized. The 2007 Faith Christian Lions were not perfect, but they each were transparent with the author and allowed him to show what it takes to be successful and what it means to be a team.

This was without a doubt one of the best books that I have read. I have bought copies for several people already knowing that it will appeal to a wide audience from high school kids to senior citizens. None of us are too old or young to learn that if we want to be successful in anything, we must be "Sold Out" and remember why we do what we do every single day.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing December 15, 2010

By i blog 4 books

Format:Paperback

Based on the back of the book (which had me tearing up within minutes of getting the book out of the mailbox!), I expected this book to be about an amazing high school football team with an amazing coach who was ultimately trying to teach kids life lessons and biblical truths that were more important than just playing sports. The back of the book describes an incredible game against a team of boys from a youth detention center. With no one to cheer them on, the coach asked parents of his players to "switch sides" for the night and cheer by name for the other team's players. The author, however, spends the majority of the book talking about the games leading up to a much-deserved championship game. It's obvious that the coach understands that there are greater things in life than football and uses his opportunity to influence his players to develop godly character. While I enjoy watching sports, the writing is a bit technical for my taste - talking about all the ins and outs of different plays and practice techniques. As much as I wanted to like this book, it fell a little flat for me. It was just different than I expected and only gave one chapter at the end to the story described on the book jacket.

I received a free copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for my fair and honest review.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Coach Hogan is the real deal! October 15, 2010

By Ann

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I loved reading this book. As the Mom of one of the players, I saw personally the influence Coach Hogan had on the life of my son, and thus the life of my family. He is the read deal and this book captures it. I always wanted to know that Commitment Night entailed and what Coach was telling these awesome young men, so thanks, David Thomas, for making that known. I highly recommend the book - TRUE and inspirational!