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Neil Hayes

When the Game Stands Tall: The Story of the De La Salle Spartans and Football's Longest Winning Streak Hardcover – October 30, 2003

by Neil Hayes (Author), Bob Larson (Photographer), Tony La Russa (Foreword)

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De La Salle High School in Concord, California, is home to perhaps the greatest dynasty in sports history. At age 23, Coach Bob Ladouceur launched a legend, "The Streak," with no teaching or head-coaching experience, and with his teams amassed the highest winning percentage in all of football history with 138 consecutive victories. This book takes readers behind the scenes, closely following individual players, as Ladouceur guides his team through the most daunting schedule in school history, the 2002 season. Numerous interviews with major-league coaches such as Bill Walsh, Steve Mariucci, and John Gruden show the depth of respect accorded to Ladouceur and his methods and philosophies. Written with full cooperation from the coach and including dozens of photographs, this book is perfect for anyone interested in the factors behind phenomenal team success.

Print length

416 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Frog Books
Publication date

October 30, 2003
Dimensions

6.65 x 1.31 x 9.27 inches
ISBN-10

1583940863
ISBN-13

978-1583940860
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"I've never seen a better coached team at any level. I watch his teams play and can't believe it's a high school football game. He is as fine a coach as the game has ever seen."
-Former San Francisco 49ers coach Bill Walsh

"It's the ultimate high school football program in this country, there's no doubt about that. It's unbelievable how they keep winning."
-Detroit Lions coach Steve Mariucci

About the Author

Neil Hayes is a sports columnist for the Contra Costa Times in Walnut Creek, CA. He has twice won national awards for enterprise reporting. He lives in Pleasant Hill, CA, with his wife Charlee and their two children, Nicholas and Riley.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Frog Books; 1st edition (October 30, 2003)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 416 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1583940863
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1583940860
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.8 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.65 x 1.31 x 9.27 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,830,152 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #3,489 in Football (Books)
- #17,942 in Instruction Methods
- #26,432 in Education Theory (Books)

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Neil Hayes

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NEIL HAYES is the author of "When the Game Stands Tall," co-author of "The Last Putt: Two Teams, Two Dreams and a Freshman Named Tiger" and co-author of "Chasing Perfection: The Principles Behind Winning Football the De La Salle Way." Contact the former Bay Area and Chicago sports journalist at www.neilhayeswriter.com.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5

194 global ratings

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Thomas M. Loarie

A History of Success, the Culture it Creates...and its Traditions, Rituals and Doctrines

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 1, 2012

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"When the Game Stands Tall" by sports reporter and author Neil Hayes traces the storied football program at De LaSalle (DLS) High School (Concord, CA) from its roots to becoming one of today's most highly regarded in the U.S. Hayes interweaves three stories - the school's football program which won 151 consecutive games ("The Streak") over twelve seasons, the life and maturation of DLS's head football coach Bob Ladouceur, and an intimate view of the 2002 game-by-game preparation and execution which led to the 11th consecutive undefeated season.

Ladouceur, who played college football at Utah State then San Jose State, was an unlikely candidate for establishing himself as one of the premier high school coaches in the U.S. He left college football with a sour taste for football, feeling that it "used him up then spit him out."

He played high school football under the legendary Fred Houston at Danville, CA.'s San Ramon High. Houston was a blood and guts coach that forced players to make a choice..."those who remained were dedicated and believed in what they were doing." Houston taught discipline, fundamentals, and that the game was hard and had to be played agressively - attributes that would become hallmarks of Ladouceur's programs.

Ladouceur's arrival at the Christian Brother's De LaSalle High School in Concord, CA. (35 miles northeast of San Francisco) at the age 25 with of one year of coaching experience was not popular. Nevertheless, the school's principal who wanted a teacher first and someone who put the students first, and Ladouceur who worked part-time as a probation officer and wanted to help troubled kids, found one another...and the building of a legacy was underway.

Author Hayes had unfettered access while writing "When the Game Stands Tall" to present and past DLS school officials, coaches and players, opposing players and coaches. The book is filled with quotes, stories of special and troubled players, anecdotes, and speeches made during the period by players, coaches, and Ladouceur.

Each game of the 2002 season is presented in great detail with an emphasis on the powerhouse games with Long Beach Poly, Mater Dei of Santa Ana, St. Louis of Hawaii, and local rival, Pittsburgh.

"When the Game Stands Tall" serves as a great how-to manual (and must have) for anyone wanting to coach or lead. Ladouceur's body of work epitomizes excellence and the sacrifice one makes to achieve it. The book also reinforces the notion that fulfilling a vision is a journey, a process, not an event.

De LaSalle's success has a history, and it creates a culture, with traditions, ritual and doctrine. It has a mind and a soul as well as a body. It is enduring and deep. It is the legacy the Bob Ladouceur and his staff has created for the ages.

2 people found this helpful

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momma b

When the Game Stands Tall

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 8, 2022

great condition

GREATEST TEAM FLOWERED UNSEEN YEAR AFTER YEAR

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 13, 2014

Verified Purchase

A uniquely remarkable story of commitment, endurance, fellowship with a perfect strategy for excellence led by a modest genius and his inspired staff. We readers are fortunate to get the inside-scoop relayed by this excellent and experienced author who was actually "embedded" within the team during the streak.
This is much more than a compelling sports story of young men and their mentor being the best they can be for their teammates. It is a story of honesty, friendship, love and loyalty being triumphant! All leaders of men should learn this.
The formula for success evolved and perpetuated year after year, as players graduated and rookies replacing them gathering experience and contributing industriously in practice, fitness drills and hard fought games.. Their opponents were frequently larger and heavier but none were ever stronger or fitter pound-for-pound.

5 people found this helpful

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Yukio

Now that is athletics

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 4, 2014

Verified Purchase

A damn good book. Not a great book and I can't put my finger on what keeps it from being great. For all of us who have ever coached or taught this book is a lesson in discipline and perseverance. I have nothing but respect for this program specifically because of how they achieved what they achieved. Knowing they have a unique situation they could have just played their padded schedule in NorCal and work toward the State bowl game but instead they take on all comers from across the nation. Remarkable.

3 people found this helpful

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Curt Swindoll

A Coach's Tale

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 1, 2014

Verified Purchase

Having lived in Southern California and played high school football during the De La Dynasty years, I was well aware of The Streak and the Spartan's reputation. It was great to get a behind-the-scenes look at what made them so successful. I especially appreciate how the author doesn't hit you over the head with "life lessons" from every coaches' lecture. Instead, he sticks to the story and allows you to draw your own conclusions. There are some great observation to be made on what it takes to create a positive and self-reinforcing culture.

If Friday Night Lights is the story of a community and football players, Stands Tall is primarily a coach and leadership tale.

2 people found this helpful

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Ball Student

A great example of what happens when you keep the main thing the main thing.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 26, 2006

Verified Purchase

Not everybody that read this book liked it, judging from the other reviews here.

What I appreciated about the book was the look at coach Lad, and what he emphasized in his coaching.

It seemed that he was most concerned with challenging his players to be disciplined, to work hard, to love each other, and to grow in maturity. He uses football to do it, and I would say that he is very good. De La Salle's winning streak is a symptom of a much deeper, more profound success that that football team is experiencing. I love this book because it shows that when you love your players, and they love each other and are willing to work to show each other that love, then winning happens.

One person found this helpful

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Michael Boehm

Decent if you like that kind of thing

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 28, 2013

Verified Purchase

It's a decently-written account of an extraordinary chain of events. Of course it is unabashedly pro-football. Of course it ignores all the wider arcs of the school and its background that do not pertain explicitly to football. Of course it does not mention most of the darker aspects - such as the school's academic programs starved for funding to feed the football machine, the rumors of rampant and condoned steroid use among the players, for example. Even the accusations of improper recruiting practices are given mere lip service and then easily brushed off before returning to examine the glory of Ladouocer.

It's a book for fans of football, by a fan of football, about football. Critiquing its literary values is pointless. If you like football, you will like this book. If you don't, you won't. Simple as that.

One person found this helpful

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Bugs

and I enjoyed both!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 8, 2014

Verified Purchase

I bought this book not knowing anything about it, other than there is a moving coming out. This book doesn't focus that much on the football. It explains what made the coach, and eventually what made the team that went undefeated for 12 years. There is a lot more to the story than they could ever squeeze into the movie, therefore they become almost 2 separate entities... and I enjoyed both!

2 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

jha van rossum

Four Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on May 26, 2015

Verified Purchase

The book is much more informative (and therefore much better) than the Hollywoodized movie...

Bill Richards

The Secrets of Sustained Winning

Reviewed in Australia 🇦🇺 on July 12, 2015

Verified Purchase

This is a story that should be read by all those who aspire to be an effective coach. It demonstrates clearly that those who continually focusing on winning, rarely do. Bob Ladoceur's dream was to "create a program that teaches life skills at all costs, that teaches players how to do things right at all costs. It had nothing to do with football." To achieve this, he surrounds himself with great staff who buy-in to his football program and implement this effectively over 12 seasons. The method he and his staff used to maintain the stability of the team were quite unique and considered 'mysterious' by many. Ladoceur summed it up nicely in his speech to his outgoing senior when he said, " you all know and lived the 'secrets' of De La Salle's success - love, brotherhood, sacrifice, discipline, heart, courage, passion and honesty....." It clearly demonstrates what you can achieve if you treat people as individuals and leverage their strengths and trust them

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