Two stories of Holmes County basketball

March 1, 2016 7:18 PM

In The Gyms of Holmes County, Matt Tullis explains that, "In Holmes County, they get this idea of teamwork. And it starts with the Amish and Mennonite communities that call the county home." In Higher Education, Gary Smith writes, "Berlin's new basketball coach, the man with the most important position in a community that had dug in its heels against change, was an unmarried black Catholic loser. The only black man in eastern Holmes County."
posted by MoonOrb (1 comment total)

That Gary Smith story originally ran in 2001 and is part of SI's showcase of the best writing from the magazine's history. I read it when it was originally published and it's so good it's stuck in my memory ever since. I even remembered the pictures, vividly.

I saw the OP's description and thought, "I am SURE I read a story just like that years ago ..." and I clicked through and it was, in fact, the exact same story.

It's well worth your time. It has popped up in my head at the oddest times over the years and I doubt any other piece of sportswriting has remained in my memory for 15 years.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 10:07 PM on March 1, 2016