These autobiographies are excellent reading material for developmental students. Both supply an opportunity for quick and early success for in-class and homework reading assignments. The teacher can intersperse value clarification exercises throughout the readings with appropriate topics related to the types of questions listed below.
These questions highlight the steps to success cited by Althea Gibson and Bill Russell in their books. The focus turns to the key step or turning point in their careers. Then the essence of the key step is investigated. Journal entries related to student writings on similar aspects of their own lives are used to supplement the answering of these questions.
Go Up For Glory
by Bill Russell/Bill McSweeny
-
1. What is Russell describing in the opening paragraphs about Black Mamba?
-
2. What is it like to be Black and growing up in Monroe, Louisiana, and Oakland, Cal.?
-
3. What does it entail to become a pro-basketball player? What part does education play in the process?
-
4. Find examples of racial prejudice and segregation and explain how Russell dealt with them.
-
5. What are the effects of becoming a “winner”? What are the benefits and the pitfalls?
-
6. What are the effects of being famous on how a racist views that person?
-
7. What were the basic differences in the early years between the AAU and the NCAA organizations? How did Russell deal with the differences and what were his reasons?
-
8. How did Russell react to the organizers of the 1956 Olympics?
-
9. What are some of the things that a pro-basketball player has to cope with about the sport in general?
-
10. What kind of people were Russell’s teammates on the Celtics?
-
11. What is his opinion of Red Auerback?
-
12. What does Russell say about the psychology of the game?
-
13. How does Russell describe his match-ups with Wilt Chamberlain?
-
14. How does Russell describe the essence of pro sports?
-
15. What was Russell feeling when he hit a wire with a last second in-bound pass during a 1965 NBA championship game and gave the ball to Philadelphia with three seconds left?
-
16. What was Russell feeling when the Celtics overran the L.A. Lakers in the final 1965 championship game?
-
17. What physical problem did Russell cope with in the years around 1965? How did he cope with it?
-
18. How did Russell react to his trip to Africa in 1959?
-
19. What importance does the name, “Felton X”, have in his life?
-
20. In the last chapter, what does Russell say about personal freedom, success and failure, stereotypes, loss of ambition and what he can do to change things?
I always wanted to be somebody
by Althea Gibson/Ed Fitzgerald
-
1. Describe the Gibson’s family problems which made them move from South Carolina to New York City?
-
2. What does Althea remember about her Aunt Sally and Aunt Daisy?
-
3. What would happen when Althea played hooky from school?
-
4. Why did Althea’s father train her to box?
-
5. What were some of the activities of Althea’s gang of friends?
-
6. What kinds of trouble did Althea get into during her high school years? Why did these happen?
-
7. What were Althea’s first jobs after leaving Yorkville Trade School?
-
8. What happened when Althea lost her job at the New York School of Social Work?
-
9. Who helped Althea begin her tennis career?
-
10. Who taught Althea at the Cosmopolitan Tennis Club?
-
11. What was Althea’s first tournament win?
-
12. How did Althea’s life change after she turned eighteen?
-
13. How did Sugar Ray Robinson influence Althea’s life?
-
14. What were some examples of racial prejudice in Wilmington?
-
15. What major tournaments did Althea play in during her college years at Florida A&M?
-
16. Why did Althea almost give up on tennis in 1955 and join the WAC?
-
17. What was the turning point that convinced Althea to continue with tennis?
-
18. How did Althea handle questions about racial prejudice in the U.S.A. while she was in Southeast Asia?
-
19. What major disappointments did Althea have to deal with in 1956? What were some of her successes that year?
-
20. What did Althea accomplish after her Wimbleton win in 1957?