Maria McDonough

Dear Joyce Sweeney,

I consider myself a well-rounded kid, who gets good grades and has a love for one sport. Basketball. My passion for the sport reminded me of your book, Players. It was more than just a basketball game though; it was whole other world to me. But as I was flipping through the pages, I realized that I was more similar to Corey than I thought I was.

Before I read Players, I made an assumption that big athletes are jerks and rowdy. But I was completely wrong. He may be rough on the court, but Corey cares deeply for his younger sister. Even though she is three years younger, he treats her like a best friend. This made me think of my sisters. Even though they may act like they don't care about me, deep down they still do.

My school is nothing like St. Philip and I don't think I have ever seen a gun in my life. But that doesn't mean I wouldn't have acted the same. Even though I love basketball, priorities come first. My family and friends mean so much to me that I would hate for them to be put in any kind of pain and have anything happen to them.

Sometimes I get so wrapped up in the game, that I will do anything to win ... but I would not cross the line to get ahead. Noah got the better of himself by taking advantage of other people's weaknesses. But in the end, he just punished himself. I believe that when you are committed to something you spent four years working your butt, you shouldn't cheat yourself out. Corey proved this by doing it the hard why, but in the long run it helped him out.

This book Players had a huge impact on me. It helped me realize that everything is not as always as it seems and people can be deceiving. Corey and I have a lot in common in many ways and he seems like a big brother to me.  Overall, Corey is a hero on the court and off the court.
                                                       
Your fan,
Maria McDonough