What makes someone a good coach or mentor or a bad one? How much influence do an athlete’s teammates have on a person? How much can participation in a sport transform  someone’s life, and how does playing a sport help athletes to live life to the fullest? What ethical dilemmas does the sports world present?  Students will explore these issues and more in Deadline by Chris Crutcher and other sports books of their choice. We will also read and discuss sports articles, nonfiction, poetry, and film.  Students will be expected to read the texts closely, analyze the literature, participate in class discussions, and complete various writing assignments and performance assessments.