Hoop Dreams and Sports Movies

The documentary Hoop Dreams chronicles the dreams and struggles of two African American high school student athletes in Chicago as they attempt to pave their way to the professional level. It depicts the issues of race and the culture of high school athletics in a realistic manner, starkly contrasting archetypical sports films such as The Blind Side, Coach Carter or Remember The Titans. It has received almost universal acclaim from critics and audience members alike due to its realism and rejection of the stereotypes perpetrated by more simplistic depictions of African Americans in sports. In traditional sports movies, African Americans are portrayed as lacking discipline unlike their white counterparts, until a hard nosed coach comes in and turns their lives around. Inevitably, they all come together to win the big game and celebrate while many eventually go to the professional level. As touched upon in class, the reality is that a high school player is extremely unlikely to go onto the next level, as is a college player. Statistics are stacked against athletes, especially Black athletes like Gates and Agee who come from poverty. The socioeconomic status of athletes is important for cultural and racial reasons, as both Gates and Agee have to adapt to transitioning to a predominantly white, upper class high school.

African American culture is tied to the aesthetic of athleticism and sport culture in the United States. The media focuses primarily on African Americans who have achieved wealth and fame through athletics rather than education, so in response the "American Dream" is measured by athletic success within predominantly Black communities. Hoop Dreams reflects the notion that success is measured in athletic achievement, and highlights all of the obstacles stacked against Gates and Agee. Neither of them make it to the NBA, which is typical of nearly every kid growing up with dreams of playing professionally. Still, both were able to learn from chasing their dreams and able to achieve a better economic status through their respective careers and through the documentary itself. Sports play an invaluable role in our society, and especially to African American communities in which sports are synonymous with hope. The problem is often time this is false hope, and as Langston Hughes wrote A Dream Deferred can fester and ruin lives. The reality is that most athletes won't actualize their professional goals, but Hoop Dreams showed that these initial goals can be adapted and revised in order to achieve success, nevertheless.