When I was young, my summer days were filled with baseball. I played organized ball, but that was just a small sliver of my day – there were also hours spent playing wiffle ball, pickle – or as we called it “hotbox,” trading baseball cards, and watching my favorite team on WPIX – The New York Yankees. My first sports idol was one of those Yankees that I loved watching – Thurman Munson. Tragically, Thurman died too soon in a plane crash, but he is and always will be my favorite ball player.
Summer was also great because my birthday is in August. Although I lamented the fact that I never had a school birthday, I loved the family cookouts that accompanied my birthday. One year, my aunt gave me Thurman Munson’s autobiography for a birthday present. I was not that old, but I read every page – even though there were parts that I really did not understand until I re-read it when I was older. What a thrill it was to learn more about my idol.
My son Nate, who is soon to be a junior in high school, shares my love of baseball and the Yankees. He also has an August birthday. When he was younger, I gave him a book about another great Yankee, Mariano Rivera. He devoured it and, like his father, has moved on to read biographies and autobiographies of other athletes, politicians, leaders, and more.
I have not assigned summer reading for the students this summer, and to be honest, I hope that their days are filled with outdoor activities, like the days of my youth. Soon enough they will be back at school, and they will have plenty of work. I do hope, however, that they are finding some time to read this summer. For some, I imagine that might include the 11th re-reading of the Harry Potter series – but for some, they may be looking for something new. With only about a month left until school begins again, I recommend our students read a book about someone they might find interesting. Whether that book is part of the “Who was …” series or Ron Chernow’s Hamilton, I encourage our students to discover how ordinary people became extraordinary.