Hurricane Season: A Coach, His Team, and Their Triumph in the Time of Katrina

by Neal Thompson

Traces the story of the New Orleans John Curtis Patriots high school football team and their comeback efforts after the devastation of hurricane Katrina, in an account that documents the role played by their coach, their faith, and their surrounding community. 100,000 first printing.

Genres: Sports, Nonfiction, Football

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

I'm the author of Kickflip Boys: A Memoir of Freedom, Rebellion, and the Chaos of Fatherhood (May 2018). Tony Hawk called it "fun, moving, raw and relatable.” Michael Chabon said it "captures the ache, fizz, yearning and frustration of being the father of adolescent boys." Maria Semple calls it "a riveting, touching, and painful read! My stomach was in knots page after page."

I've written four other books - stories about flawed and adventurous men - and have blabbed about those on ESPN, the History Channel, PBS, C-Span, Fox, TNT, and NPR. Plus five minutes on The Daily Show.

My previous book, A CURIOUS MAN - a bio of eccentric world-traveling millionaire/playboy cartoonist Robert 'Believe It or Not' Ripley - was an Oprah.com Book of the Week, an Amazon Best of the Month, and a PEN Center USA award finalist. Ben Fountain said (on NPR): "Anyone who wants to understand America needs to read this book … Neal Thompson gives us a vivid portrait of this complex, restless man in all his maniacally conflicted glory."

Other books: Driving with the Devil: Southern Moonshine, Detroit Wheels and the Birth of NASCAR; Light This Candle: The Life & Times of Alan Shepard, America’s First Spaceman; and Hurricane Season: A Coach, His Team, and their Triumph in the Time of Katrina.

As a journalist, I've written for Outside, Esquire, Men’s Health, Backpacker, Sports Illustrated, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and more. I spent more than a decade as a newspaper reporter, including the Baltimore Sun, St. Petersburg Times, Bergen Record, Roanoke Times, and Philadelphia Inquirer. I've taught creative non-fiction at Seattle's Hugo House and at the University of North Carolina’s Great Smokies Writing Program, and served on the board of Seattle Arts & Lectures.

I'm a runner, reader, skier, stand-up paddleboarder, yogi, and a fan of brown liquor. I'm a naturalized Irish citizen, a mediocre guitar player. I'm from New Jersey.

Reviews

[Terri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found several grammatical errors which I thought was odd. Enough that I ultimately turned to the front of the book to find out who published this. I thought maybe it was self-published, but it has been published by a reputable company so I'm not really sure why those errors got through.

Nonetheless, it's the story of Hurricane Katrina told through the framework of an incredibly successful team of high school football players. They didn't go to a fancy school, but they had a great coach who loved them immensely. The coach expected a lot, but gave more in return. Readers meet many of the players, learn about their personal lives, and read along as Katrina tears toward New Orleans. I found it an interesting way to hear the story of Katrina.

Additionally, there is a lot about the football season that year. If you like sports, there is plenty here for you in addition to learning more about the awful things that happened during Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath.

[Audiobook Accomplice (Gillian) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audio production glitches can’t keep a good story down!
My Full Review

[pianogal · Rating 4 out of 5]

If The Perfect Storm met Friday Night Lights. This was a good read b/c it was a good balance of personal with the storm. Very enjoyable.

[Garrett J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written. It really paints a picture of just how horrible the hurricane was on the people of the Greater New Orleans region and how these kids were able to triumph in the face of it all.

[stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

(five stars from a.)

and i am so understanding why. this is a story about football, and a story about a school that is a family (literally), and i swear, i want to pack up and move to jefferson parish and teach at john curtis christian school.

this is also a story of katrina, and the devastation, and the horror and the continued trauma that the region experienced.

i cried. i admit it, i read the entire thing in one sitting while waiting for the babysitting family to come home, and i cried. i cried a lot, actually. (then i thanked god that while i've lived through multiple earthquakes and terrorist attacks, i haven't had hurricanes or tornadoes, which have warning periods.)

i can't recommend it enough. it's told so straight-forward and subtly and carefully that you know these kids and teachers and parents and you are struggling with them. and the horror that you know is coming when they first mention the beginnings of warnings, the sheer incompetence of the federal government (bush FLEW over and said "looks pretty bad down there"?! WTF?), and the tenacity and hard work of so many people who just want to get back on their feet. it also reinforced the importance of routine for people in trauma situations - giving kids school work to do, a team to play on, a sense that this isn't over - that they haven't taken everything.

and then the sports. i am getting this as a present for quite a few people in my family, and major thanks to a. for pointing this one out. broke my heart, built it up again, and made me think about what's important in life.

all in the name of a story about a football team in louisiana.

[Ross]

In Hurricane Season, written by Neal Thompson, a team is trying to get back to their normal lives after losing everything because of Hurricane Katrina. The book talks how in the 1970's a young man named John Curtis created a school because the other schools in New Orleans area were segregated. John then hired his son as the coach. His son created a national powerhouse high school football team. At the start of the season Katrina wipes out everything and everyone is all around the southeast of the U.s. The coach goes back a week later to look at the school. He see's that the school has only minor problems after Katrina. The coach then begins calling the players and they get back together. The coach lets five players stay in his house, because many of there were homes were destoyed. The team starts off the season with two losses, but then gets back on track and win 8 games. The team eventually goes onto to win the State Championship. The book also talks about what the players did outside of football and school.

Hurricane Season taught me a lot of how much Katrina devestaded the city of New Orleans. I could never imagine what the people had to go through. It also inspire me, becuase outside of football and school the boys had nothing to do. So when they had nothing to do the coach would let them all come over and play games. The coach knew th boys needed help and helped them in any way they needded. The coach really helped the boys get through such a tought time and even provided financial relief to the families. This book shows how teamwork can get you as far as you want.

[Karen & Gerard · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Hurricane Season" is a true story about triumph through hardship for a private Christian school's football team in New Orleans overcoming the devastation of Hurricane Katrina and Rita. This book takes a personal look at the devastation that Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita caused within six weeks. It's about a High School football coach's and his players’ commitment to their school and team in midst of chaos and turmoil. It's about how football can pull a community together. I particularly liked reading how the coach motivated his players and how he taught them to be men. It was heartwarming to see how much the coach loved his players and cared about their personal lives and not just how they played football.

The ending of the book is very moving and emotional when the team finally gets to play football after it looked like they wouldn't even have a season. As I read about the games, it felt like I was right there in the stands watching and cheering for them. This book started out slow and was pretty sad, but is definitely worth reading to get an inside look at what the people of New Orleans went through during Katrina and how a football team really jelled. It certainly made my few problems look totally insignificant in comparison.

[Alanwalter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book because it was about football, but I when finished I found myself more knowledgeable about New Orleans and exactly what went on there leading up to, during, and following Katrina. This book is, so far, the most comprehensive recount of all of the travesty that occurred almost 3 years ago. The only major issue I have with the book is that it is marketed as a sports book and while sports does serve as the hook for the story, the story itself is much more about the city of New Orleans and the school located in Kenner the football team comes from.

[Suz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book. I like football and went to work for Habitat for Humanity in New Orleans, so I thought it was a great story, and very well told. Even without those connections I think you would enjoy this book that follows the lives of several members of a football team that is affected by Hurricane Katrina.

[Barb Radmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was an amazing in depth look at both the sport of football (one I personally hate by the way) and the effects of Hurricane Katrina. It is a shame that some people might be put off by the tie in with football since it is fascinating non-fiction that is not only for Monday night quarterbacks.

[Agatha Donkar Lund · Rating 5 out of 5]

The devastation, heartbreak, horror and hope of Hurricane Katrina, framed around a season of football at one of the greatest New Orleans HS football powers. Moved me to tears at several points. Highly recommended.

[Susanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a football fan but interesting to read what happened to the players and their families.

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book!

[Chastity Hite · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good book about how important something like Football became when the areas hit by Katrina had nothing to look forward too. Good read!

[Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Neal tells a heart warming tale.....

[Troy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good book about how important something like Football came bring people together in a hard time

[Richard Payne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moving story about how a high school football team survives and copes with Hurricane Katrina.