Though Lou has faith in his players, Gene is learning that there are no guarantees in sports. Soon after Gene begins to work on this graphic novel, he realizes there is no guarantee he is following a team toward a state championship. Some talk openly to Gene while others are more reticent. One is an exchange student who choose O'Dowd because of the basketball program.
One is the son of a successful public defender who believes his own Catholic education set his life on the correct path. Gene begins to get better acquainted with the members of the team. However, having spent time debating the question, his decision is not easy. Lou says Phelps is “still Coach” and “still a human.” Gene eventually decides he cannot tell the story of the Dragons' quest for a state championship game without including Phelps. Lou does not argue Coach Phelps' innocence, but he makes it a point to hug Phelps whenever he makes it to a game. Though Coach Phelps denied the claim and no other victims came forward, he never regained his job or his standing in the community. The accusation came when the Catholic Church as a whole was being inundated with claims of sexual abuse. Coach Phelps was placed on administrative leave in 2003 after a student accused him of sexual misconduct in the 1960s (when Coach Phelps was in his 20s). After spending just a few minutes with Coach Lou Richie, Gene knows that following the Dragons for the upcoming season will be the basis for his next graphic novel.įrom the beginning, Gene is faced with a quandary regarding former Dragons' Coach Mike Phelps.
Gene works up the courage to take the first step onto the street that divides the academic portion of the O'Dowd campus from the gym. Gene is not a sports fan, but the conversation piques his interest. As he looks for his next project, he hears some students talking about the O'Dowd men's basketball team – the Dragons. He has recently finished a book project and finds himself craving the structure that working on a graphic novel provided as a balance along with family time and teaching. Gene Yang is a teacher at Bishop O'Dowd, a Catholic high school in California. The following version of the book was used to create this study guide: Yang, Gene Luen.
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