Hometown Kid City Kid
Formats: E-Book, Paperback
Ages: 18+
This is a true story of a championship high school basketball team amidst demographic change. It takes place in Richfield, an inner ring working class suburb on the south side of Minneapolis in the early 2000s. In less than ten years, the boys basketball team transitions from a predominantly white team to a predominantly black team. At the same time, a program that has been losing for 15 years begins winning, and a 31-year state tournament drought ends. Most people in the community support the team and the change. But a small group of people see the changes in the program as a problem, and they influence a new administration to fire the coach. This results in a media frenzy and a state-wide debate on open enrollment and systemic racism. In addition to the story line of the team and coach, the book outlines the history of the suburb, its demographics, and a heartbreaking state tournament loss in 1960 which is a part of the 'Hoosiers story' of Minnesota.
Reviews
His dismissal from Richfield drew some media coverage after parents and at least one player complained that open enrollment had given opportunities to players from other districts at the expense of players who lived in Richfield. While his teams did have some players who had open-enrolled, Dimick believes the roots of his firing had more to do with his efforts to bring talented Black players from Richfield into his program. That firing, along with the disputed circumstances that led to it, is a recurring them in Dimick's memoir...It's sure to stir the pot. Beyond the controversy, however, the book also offers up some fun Minnesota history for sports junkies, as well as a telling behind-the-scenes look at the pressure prep coaches often face from parents and school administrators.
