Masters Of Disaster

This is the story of Bob Cotter, an elementary school teacher who took a group of eight black kids who "didn't know the difference between checkmate and chicken liver" and turned them from 'masters of disaster' into national champions. Using still photographs and news footage, film maker Sonya Friedman follows the team from their early, disastrous beginnings, through hours of practice, Cotter's confidence-building sessions, a trip to Japan, a group discussion of Rocky II, and finally, to the suspenseful encounter at the national championship. Throughout, as we watch Derek (Rabbit) Thomas win a match against the Mayor of Indianapolis, or listen to ghetto parents speak with gratitude and pride about their children's accomplishments, we find ourselves completely involved in the dream that drives these eight kids and their chess coach. Their "burning desire to excel" is infectious, and we share their hard-won victory which encompasses so much more than just a game of chess. Highly recommended for both public and academic libraries. (Available from: Audio-Visual Center, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405).