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Big and Bright
Deep in the Heart of Texas High School Football
by Gray Levy
This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
Pub Date
Sep 02 2015
| Archive Date
Sep 11 2015
Description
Texas is a diverse state. But the one thing that binds Texans more than their state pride, even more than religion,
is football. For the many towns and cities of Texas, high school
football is more than a sport or an extracurricular activity—it’s the
glue of their community. Author Gray Levy, a high school football coach
for more than two decades, became disillusioned with the state of the
education system nationwide and traveled to Texas, a place where high
school football still matters, to see just what schools and communities
were doing right. What he found will both confirm and debunk common
presumptions about high school football in Texas, a complex phenomenon
that varies by region, school size, and the ethnic diversity of the Lone
Star State.
Gray Levy
started coaching high school football while attending the University of
Nevada, Reno in the 1980s. After spending twenty years as a teacher for
the Washoe County School District, he retired to pursue other
interests. Big and Bright
is his first book and his research in Texas was the first adventure of
his post–teaching career. Levy spends summers traveling, falls coaching
football, and winters skiing the Sierra Nevada. He is currently working
on a new writing and coaching project about the growth of American
football in Europe. He is a member of the American Football Coaches
Association and the Professional Skier Association, and blogs at
Texasfootballroadtrip.com. Levy resides in Reno, Nevada, with his wife,
daughter, granddaughter, and two dogs.
Texas is a diverse state. But the one thing that binds Texans more than their state pride, even more than religion, is football. For the many towns and cities of Texas, high school football is more...
Description
Texas is a diverse state. But the one thing that binds Texans more than their state pride, even more than religion,
is football. For the many towns and cities of Texas, high school
football is more than a sport or an extracurricular activity—it’s the
glue of their community. Author Gray Levy, a high school football coach
for more than two decades, became disillusioned with the state of the
education system nationwide and traveled to Texas, a place where high
school football still matters, to see just what schools and communities
were doing right. What he found will both confirm and debunk common
presumptions about high school football in Texas, a complex phenomenon
that varies by region, school size, and the ethnic diversity of the Lone
Star State.
Gray Levy
started coaching high school football while attending the University of
Nevada, Reno in the 1980s. After spending twenty years as a teacher for
the Washoe County School District, he retired to pursue other
interests. Big and Bright
is his first book and his research in Texas was the first adventure of
his post–teaching career. Levy spends summers traveling, falls coaching
football, and winters skiing the Sierra Nevada. He is currently working
on a new writing and coaching project about the growth of American
football in Europe. He is a member of the American Football Coaches
Association and the Professional Skier Association, and blogs at
Texasfootballroadtrip.com. Levy resides in Reno, Nevada, with his wife,
daughter, granddaughter, and two dogs.
A Note From the Publisher
This is a set of uncorrected page proofs. It is not a finished book and is not expected to look like one. Errors in spelling, page length, format and so forth will all be corrected by the time the book is published several months from now. Photos and diagrams, which may be included in the finished book, may not be included in this format. Uncorrected proofs are primarily useful so that you, the reader, might know months before actual publication what the author and publisher are offering. If you plan to quote the text in your review, you must check it with the publicist or against the final version. Please contact publicity@rowman.com with any questions. Thank you!
This is a set of uncorrected page proofs. It is not a finished book and is not expected to look like one. Errors in spelling, page length, format and so forth will all be corrected by the time the...
A Note From the Publisher
This is a set of uncorrected page proofs. It is not a finished book and is not expected to look like one. Errors in spelling, page length, format and so forth will all be corrected by the time the book is published several months from now. Photos and diagrams, which may be included in the finished book, may not be included in this format. Uncorrected proofs are primarily useful so that you, the reader, might know months before actual publication what the author and publisher are offering. If you plan to quote the text in your review, you must check it with the publicist or against the final version. Please contact publicity@rowman.com with any questions. Thank you!
Advance Praise
Big and Bright
has captured what Texas High School Football means—not only to the
players and coaches, but entire communities. There is nothing better
than a Friday night in Texas, watching a high school football game and
being a part of the passion that exists in this state, and Levy does a
great job depicting what it’s like in many Texas communities. This book
is a must-read for anybody that is a high school football fan!
— Steve Warren, president, Texas High School Football Coaches Association; head football coach, Abilene High School
Big and Bright has captured what Texas High School Football means—not only to the players and coaches, but entire communities. There is nothing better than a Friday night in Texas, watching a high...
Advance Praise
Big and Bright
has captured what Texas High School Football means—not only to the
players and coaches, but entire communities. There is nothing better
than a Friday night in Texas, watching a high school football game and
being a part of the passion that exists in this state, and Levy does a
great job depicting what it’s like in many Texas communities. This book
is a must-read for anybody that is a high school football fan!
— Steve Warren, president, Texas High School Football Coaches Association; head football coach, Abilene High School
Available Editions
| EDITION |
Hardcover |
| ISBN |
9781630760892 |
| PRICE |
$27.95 (USD)
|
Additional Information
Available Editions
| EDITION |
Hardcover |
| ISBN |
9781630760892 |
| PRICE |
$27.95 (USD)
|
Average rating from 5 members
Featured Reviews
Randy P, Educator
Lance S, Reviewer
Review:
More than 25 years ago, America was introduced to the culture of high school football in Texas in Friday Night Lights. While that book was very popular in the description of one football program, Big and Bright takes that concept and expands it even further. In this comprehensive book by Gray Levy, football programs from all over the state of Texas are described in great detail.
Levy uses his experience as an educator and a football coach to write about various programs in the state, both in geographic locations and in size. No matter which program he writes about, from Port Lavaca on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico to Albiline in the central portion of the state, Levy writes about the players, the coaches, the games and the community support for each of these football teams.
Through Levy’s writing, the reader will be caught up in the spirit of the town and understand why the communities will support these young men fervently. Also, the experiences of the coaches and the players are captured in each town. This was one of the better aspects of the book, especially when Levy writes about what the coaches would be doing not only on game night, but during the week and during school time as well.
Levy’s experience as a coach and educator make his writing very informative for the reader as well. He also shares his opinion on both the education system and coaching frequently in the book. He does explain why he has these opinions and backs them up with experience or facts as appropriate. One example of this that I enjoyed is when Levy states that he believes that “in general, Texas coaches are less authoritarian than coaches elsewhere.” He then goes on to write about examples illustrating why he believes this. Passages like this make the book very enjoyable to read.
The football passages are detailed, deep and very descriptive. Whether it is a description of the offensive formations, the game action for the week Levy visited the school, or the recap of the season for that program, these sections are rich in description. Football fans that love the game beyond the action on the field and want to know more about the strategy and the “X’s and O’s” will especially enjoy these parts.
This book should be added to the library of football fans of all levels, even if they don’t normally watch high school football. Readers who like books on social interaction and the human aspect of sports or gatherings will also want to read this as well. It was a book that I enjoyed very much and was a very good read.
I wish to thank Taylor Trade Publishing for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Pace of the book:
This was not a quick or easy read as the story for each school’s football program that Levy wrote about was described in great detail so it required careful reading.
Do I recommend? Fans of high school football will enjoy this book as all aspects of high school football programs are covered in each chapter. Readers who have an interest in the sociology of high school football in Texas and how it bonds entire communities will also enjoy this book.
Featured Reviews
Randy P, Educator
Lance S, Reviewer
Review:
More than 25 years ago, America was introduced to the culture of high school football in Texas in Friday Night Lights. While that book was very popular in the description of one football program, Big and Bright takes that concept and expands it even further. In this comprehensive book by Gray Levy, football programs from all over the state of Texas are described in great detail.
Levy uses his experience as an educator and a football coach to write about various programs in the state, both in geographic locations and in size. No matter which program he writes about, from Port Lavaca on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico to Albiline in the central portion of the state, Levy writes about the players, the coaches, the games and the community support for each of these football teams.
Through Levy’s writing, the reader will be caught up in the spirit of the town and understand why the communities will support these young men fervently. Also, the experiences of the coaches and the players are captured in each town. This was one of the better aspects of the book, especially when Levy writes about what the coaches would be doing not only on game night, but during the week and during school time as well.
Levy’s experience as a coach and educator make his writing very informative for the reader as well. He also shares his opinion on both the education system and coaching frequently in the book. He does explain why he has these opinions and backs them up with experience or facts as appropriate. One example of this that I enjoyed is when Levy states that he believes that “in general, Texas coaches are less authoritarian than coaches elsewhere.” He then goes on to write about examples illustrating why he believes this. Passages like this make the book very enjoyable to read.
The football passages are detailed, deep and very descriptive. Whether it is a description of the offensive formations, the game action for the week Levy visited the school, or the recap of the season for that program, these sections are rich in description. Football fans that love the game beyond the action on the field and want to know more about the strategy and the “X’s and O’s” will especially enjoy these parts.
This book should be added to the library of football fans of all levels, even if they don’t normally watch high school football. Readers who like books on social interaction and the human aspect of sports or gatherings will also want to read this as well. It was a book that I enjoyed very much and was a very good read.
I wish to thank Taylor Trade Publishing for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Pace of the book:
This was not a quick or easy read as the story for each school’s football program that Levy wrote about was described in great detail so it required careful reading.
Do I recommend? Fans of high school football will enjoy this book as all aspects of high school football programs are covered in each chapter. Readers who have an interest in the sociology of high school football in Texas and how it bonds entire communities will also enjoy this book.
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