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A Book Talk with Aaron Bracy- A Soaring Season: The Incredible, Inspiring Story of the 2003-04 Saint Joseph's Hawks In-Person
For his new book, A Soaring Season: The Incredible, Inspiring Story of the 2003-04 Saint Joseph's Hawks (Brookline), Cherry Hill resident Aaron Bracy did exhaustive research and more than 100 interviews with 90 people to recount how the 2003–04 Saint Joseph’s University Hawks men’s basketball team, who were led by coach Phil Martelli and point guard Jameer Nelson, became the most unlikely and most captivating story in college basketball in the 2003–04 season. With an underrecruited team, an underfunded program, housed in underwhelming facilities, everything about this mom-and-pop operation felt small-time—everything, that is, except the team, which incredibly rose to be unanimously ranked No. 1 in the country after finishing 27-0 in the regular season.
This is a story about a sports team that transcends sports. It is a story for everyone about the power of the human spirit and the long odds people can overcome when they work hard, work together, and believe in themselves. More than 20 years ago, the underdog story of the 2003–04 Saint Joseph’s University Hawks resonated with people who loved sports, casual sports fans, and those who cared little about sports. And Bracy believes their remarkable story can inspire people again today.
In addition to sharing anecdotes from the book, Bracy will detail his journey to writing the book, parts of which he wrote at the Cherry Hill Public Library, and how he was able to reach this lifelong dream. He’ll also provide background into his research and writing process. A longtime supporter of libraries and former library employee, Bracy also will discuss the positive impact that books and libraries have had throughout his life.
Bracy is a longtime sports journalist in Philadelphia with nearly 30 years of experience as a sportswriter and sports editor, beginning as an undergraduate at Saint Joseph’s University, where he wrote for the student newspaper and broadcast games on the student radio station. He then covered high school, college, and pro sports for the Main Line Times, Trenton Times, Courier-Post, and The Trentonian before leaving journalism full time for a career in education. Since 2008, Bracy has been a freelancer for the Associated Press’s coverage of the Philadelphia 76ers, Flyers, Eagles, Phillies, and college basketball. His website, Big5Hoops.com, is a leading voice for coverage of Drexel, La Salle, Penn, Saint Joseph’s, Temple, and Villanova, which comprise the Big 5.
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