This book, written by an experienced urban classroom teacher and coach, aims to document effective practices in urban schools and to provide insight into productive program building and educational practices. The book rejects the up-by-your-bootstraps theory of success, offering in its place a set of concrete strategies for teachers and educational leaders who are committed to fundamentaiiy rethinking the business-as-usual approach which continues to fail urban school children. This book is well-suited for classes working with educational leaders, classroom teachers, sports coaches, and educational researchers.<BR><BR>"An educator, a theorist, an activist, and a coach...Jeffrey M.R. Duncan-Andrade draws on all of these roles to explain what it takes to teach and motivate young people to succeed. Through this skillful analysis of the role of sports in the lives of urban youth, Duncan-Andrade reveals how educators can buiid relationships and develop a deeper sense of meaning about the purpose of education with the young people they serve. An inspiring, insightful analysis and an invaluable guide for those who recognize the potential for education to transform lives and empower urban youth." ---Pedro A, Noguera, Peter L. Agnew Professor of Education, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Development; Executive Director, Metropolitan Center for Urban Education, New York University<BR><BR>"Jeffrey M.R. Duncan-Andrade always presents us with a freshness...fresh ideas, fresh analysis, fresh perspectives. It is no different in this volume. One of the freshest takes on coaching, teaching, and learning from a critical perspective." ---Gloria Ladson-Biltings, Professor and Chair, Department of Curriculum and Instruction; Keilner Family Chair in Urban Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison<BR><BR>"This is a book for anyone who cares to chart a path for children and youth in urban schools. There is so much to recommend in this book, but above it ail is'the sense of optirnism that sports can be a tool for empowerment for all our kids, whether or not they have pro potential."---Dave Zirin, Author of A People's History of Sports' in the U.S.