She Got Game - My Personal Odyssey - Cynthia Cooper

When people open up heart I become silent and open my ears. When I noticed the book She Got Gameby Cynthia Cooper in the Borders I immediately grab it, even when I am not a basketball player or a fan of it. The book caught my attention for two reasons. Firstly, I like to see the road winners traveled and I know that it is well told when the winners describe it themselves. Secondly, my previous outings with sports people autobiographies were highly rewarding, which includes Kasparov's autobiography, Andre Agassi's and few others. Looking at the cover and the blurb I got the intuition that I am going to like this book and my intuition guided me right.

Cynthia Cooper is one of the best basketball players America has produced in the last two decades. She has played in two Olympics for her country and was the Most Valuable Player in more than one WNBA season.

The book was an exposure to me, which opened many new windows of awareness.

The first door the book opened for me was that of the image of another America. When I hear the name America, the immediate image is that of wealthy and all happy society where nobody struggles for anything. A dreamland where government and capitalism take care of everything and people only had to dream and cake walk to their duty place, if not taking social security amounts. Cooper's book opens the door of reality to the existence of poverty and the insecurities and troubles formed out of it. When I read one Toni Morison novel recently, in fact I (the idiot) was thinking that she is writing out of dream land about some old generation. Then, after reading Cynthia's autobiography I can now more than associate with Toni Morison's novels and the image of America will not be the same again.

When the second door opens, I can see a Cinderella story. The difference however is that, this Cinderella is all determined and reaches to the Prince (success) by hard work and determination. It is not by chance, but by effort. Not on mercy but on right. The problems at home and the struggles in the neighbourhood clearly portray the trap which any child can get spoiled. When Cynthia's brother fell as a victim of the dark world in the suburb, even after serving in the army - we can feel the trap as real. That magnifies the importance of the success achieved by individuals like Cynthia.

The third door spills out some life observations from the Champion and which actually I was looking for. Important life lessons and success principles from the life of Cynthia is been narrated in the most casual way. Ok, I have heard them all before but when it is read with an experience that is adding more value and I am sure at least few of the life lessons are to be remain with me even after few years. (If I do, it is good. If I forget, too bad!)

There are many other windows opened as well, say the life style of people around places she travels, the world of Basketball league in America (It shows the importance of player leagues to create enthusiasm among the viewers which engages the players throughout and raises the spirit.), Importance of money and friendship etc.

The book earlier focuses on the personal life of the author but later changes to the world of Basketball. Thanks to the bad experience from around, the author maintained a pro-female attitude throughout. We cannot blame her where the males surrounding her were not giving a good reason for her to believe them.

In the final chapters, the author tries to summarise the success principle she applied in her winning streak. Though I agree with these success principles that advice mode somehow took away the narrative flow of the book and didn't help. The added final chapter dedicated to the memory of Kim Perrot and the 1999 championship season doesn't synchronise well. Here, a note would have made a difference.

Overall, I liked the book as a light read. The reading flow was quite good in most part and the statistics are reduced to the minimum. The author seems have the targeted readers in mind all the way writing the book, i.e. young hearts trying to achieve their dreams by taking up courageous decisions. I will recommend the book for its simple way of narration and closer nature to life. Some fine thoughts about success are thrown in between and if any one of the thoughts strikes you, it will make sure that the value of the book is recovered.

I am sharing few of the quotes from the book as samples:

'I know I am going to bounce right up and play this game, because compared with what my mother has been through what's a bump or bruise? Believe me, it is nothing.'

'He had robbed me of my innocence at a time in my life when innocence was one of the few things I owned. I developed a genuine dislike for men in those early years of my life.'

'I knew the harsh and bitter world we lived in wasn't the only one available.'

'Besides good conditioning and a healthier life style, athletics is a vehicle that girls can use to develop confidence in themselves and build character.'

'If there is one thing my life illustrates it's this: Put an obstracle in front of me and I'll overcome it.'

'The offer from Parma taught me an important lesson about always doing my best. When the Parma executives had gone to Moscow to watch Teresa Edwards play, they also noticed me. I learned that whatever you're doing, always give your best effort because you never know who's watching. You just never know!'

'If offensive basketball is about skill, defensive basketball is about desire'

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