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Blades of Glory: The True Story of a Young Team Bred to Win
"By high school, the pressure mounted along with the stakes. The Jaguars knew they were expected to beat the lower-ranked teams. When you're No. 1, that means everybody…"
Under the watchful eye of pro scouts and the weight of massive expectations, seventeen young men rank No. 1 in the country. In the tradition of Buzz Bissinger's classic Friday Night Lights, Blades of Glory follows these talented athletes, their coaches, their parents and their fans, offering a captivating glimpse into an elite program and the triumphs and tragedies of real life.
***
"The fervor with which Minnesotans celebrate hockey raises issues about sport and society that transcend Minnesota and reach into communities across the country, wherever kids play and parents cheer them to victory." ―from the Introduction
For a championship team like the Bloomington Jefferson Jaguars, hockey is religion and failing to win is a sin. This is a place where kids dream of playing for the state championship from the time they can pick up a stick, and parents plan their entire social calendar around the season.
John Rosengren was given unlimited, season-long access to every harsh reality and euphoric high these teammates experienced during one full season at the top. Amid the turmoil, politics and pain, Blades of Glory draws into sharp focus the challenges of divorce, teen suicide and performance-enhancing drugs to examine what it ultimately means to win.
Though Blades of Glory follows one hockey team, this story could be set in any gym, rink or field where students train and compete, coaches holler and parents scream from the stands. This is a story of high drama and emotion; intense and poignant, it is what happens to boys with championship dreams…
Under the watchful eye of pro scouts and the weight of massive expectations, seventeen young men rank No. 1 in the country. In the tradition of Buzz Bissinger's classic Friday Night Lights, Blades of Glory follows these talented athletes, their coaches, their parents and their fans, offering a captivating glimpse into an elite program and the triumphs and tragedies of real life.
***
"The fervor with which Minnesotans celebrate hockey raises issues about sport and society that transcend Minnesota and reach into communities across the country, wherever kids play and parents cheer them to victory." ―from the Introduction
For a championship team like the Bloomington Jefferson Jaguars, hockey is religion and failing to win is a sin. This is a place where kids dream of playing for the state championship from the time they can pick up a stick, and parents plan their entire social calendar around the season.
John Rosengren was given unlimited, season-long access to every harsh reality and euphoric high these teammates experienced during one full season at the top. Amid the turmoil, politics and pain, Blades of Glory draws into sharp focus the challenges of divorce, teen suicide and performance-enhancing drugs to examine what it ultimately means to win.
Though Blades of Glory follows one hockey team, this story could be set in any gym, rink or field where students train and compete, coaches holler and parents scream from the stands. This is a story of high drama and emotion; intense and poignant, it is what happens to boys with championship dreams…
352 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2003
6 people are currently reading
83 people want to read
About the author
John Rosengren
18 books21 followersJohn Rosengren is the award-winning author of eight books and hundreds of magazine articles.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 9, 2018
"By high school, the pressure mounted along with mistakes. The Jaguars knew they were expected to beat the lower ranked teams. When you're No. 1 that means EVERYBODY..."
The book is filled with the ups and downs sports can bring to kids and teens and how it can completely change there lives whether its for the bad pr the good. The pressure amounted on young people especially high school athletes is crazy and can either help them in succeeding or bring them to failure.Will they be able to live up to the hype or get swallowed up in doing so?
The book is filled with the ups and downs sports can bring to kids and teens and how it can completely change there lives whether its for the bad pr the good. The pressure amounted on young people especially high school athletes is crazy and can either help them in succeeding or bring them to failure.Will they be able to live up to the hype or get swallowed up in doing so?
November 6, 2023
Humor, history and controversy: Blades of Glory has it all. More important, Rosengren taps into truth from a variety of perspectives, including those parents, players, coaches--and scouts whose livelihoods depend upon not just upon a prospect's potential but also his circumstances.
But these aren't the reasons I selected the book in the first place. No, I picked up Blades of Glory because I'm a hockey fan (of all levels) and a hockey player; I selected the book because I have lived in Minnesota and have coached hockey (and other sports). I didn't know I'd learn so much about things I thought I knew about, and I didn't realize I'd get more than just a fleeting glimpse of the big hockey picture.
There is a wide variety of hockey books sitting on the virtual shelves at Amazon.com: NHL autobiographies, training manuals and minor league misadventures. I have read many of these books. I'll continue to read them--and will enjoy them for what they are. But these other books won't likely be laced with the same doses of humanity and history as Blades of Glory.
But these aren't the reasons I selected the book in the first place. No, I picked up Blades of Glory because I'm a hockey fan (of all levels) and a hockey player; I selected the book because I have lived in Minnesota and have coached hockey (and other sports). I didn't know I'd learn so much about things I thought I knew about, and I didn't realize I'd get more than just a fleeting glimpse of the big hockey picture.
There is a wide variety of hockey books sitting on the virtual shelves at Amazon.com: NHL autobiographies, training manuals and minor league misadventures. I have read many of these books. I'll continue to read them--and will enjoy them for what they are. But these other books won't likely be laced with the same doses of humanity and history as Blades of Glory.
June 12, 2017
Another really good book by John Rosengren, who also wrote a great book on Hank Greenberg as well as the 1973 baseball season. This book follows a very good high school hockey team in Minnesota during the 2000-2001 hockey season. It's basically a "Friday Night Lights" but for hockey and just about written as well. Talks not just about the games, but you really get to know the players and their families. The reader gets a real sense of what's going on in these players' heads when they are on and off the ice. The writer also talks about the parents and how they often become too involved. The reader also learns that a few players are taking performance-enhanced drugs. A very good hockey book, makes me want to visit Bloomington and the area to watch a hockey game. Very good stuff, easy to read. Although this book is old, I'm looking forward to reading more of Rosengren's books in the future.
February 28, 2024
I grew up loving hockey and every year of high school my brother and I were allowed to skip school and go to the state hockey tourney. All three years Bloomington Jefferson won it all. Those teams are arguably some of the best to have ever played in Minnesota. Of course, we all wanted them to lose and hated them, because during those year (91-94) they won in many sports. But I still look back in awe of their greatness. Some great teams and great players led by a great coach. So, this book was interesting to see behind the scenes of a hockey dynasty. The pressure and politics. The kids and their families. It is also interesting because this book is of the 2000-2001 season and Jefferson has become a very weak metro area team after near 30 years of top notch hockey. As we get older, you see things change, Jefferson had it's time and it's now passed on to the Eden Prairie's of the world. It will be interesting to see who is the hockey powers 20 more years from now.
April 5, 2019
The book shares a title with a goofy figure skating movie but bears no resemblance. Instead, this book tells the story of Minnesota hockey, its history and its evolution, through the story of one stellar hockey team in its run towards a state championship. The author focuses not just on history but on the stories of present high school players and their families, their coach, and their opponents. What starts as a book about a talented team chasing their dream ends up being a book that questions the ultimate value of spending so much time, money, and life on the potential for high school, college, and professional hockey fame. An important read, but not always a happy one. Quite poignant, really.
September 7, 2009
This was better than I'd expected. I'd been aware of this book for several years, having seen it on the shelves in bookstores. But I'd never bothered to read it until I found a copy at Half Price Books during the 20% off sale. I expected a fairly cliche book about a team overcoming obstacles to win a championship for their beloved coach before he retired. But that's not what this was at all.
Rather, it was a fairly cynical look inside an elite Minnesota high school hockey program -- the beloved coach comes across as a jerk, many of the players as arrogant, entitled jocks, and many of the hockey parents as overbearing stage parents. Yes, there are good kids and good parents in here, but it's not a whitewash. Rosengren also delves into issues like the use of dangerous stimulants by the players, the risks of injury, the decline of Iron Range hockey and rise of suburban dominance (and now the growing dominance of private schools over the suburban comprehensives), the growth of girls' hockey, etc. All in all, it's a fascinating warts-and-all picture of "the State of Hockey."
Rather, it was a fairly cynical look inside an elite Minnesota high school hockey program -- the beloved coach comes across as a jerk, many of the players as arrogant, entitled jocks, and many of the hockey parents as overbearing stage parents. Yes, there are good kids and good parents in here, but it's not a whitewash. Rosengren also delves into issues like the use of dangerous stimulants by the players, the risks of injury, the decline of Iron Range hockey and rise of suburban dominance (and now the growing dominance of private schools over the suburban comprehensives), the growth of girls' hockey, etc. All in all, it's a fascinating warts-and-all picture of "the State of Hockey."
January 17, 2013
1. The name of my book was called Blades of Glory:A team bred to win.
2. The author of this book is John Rosengren.
3. The genre is sports biography.
4. The book takes place in the winter of 2000. It is a biography of the Bloomington Jefferson Jaguars in Minnesota who are ranked #1. Through the story you see the ups and downs of the many talented players on the team. Reading this book makes you really understand how important high school hockey is in Minnesota and what the players go through.
5. The themes of this book are Hard work makes you a better person and belonging to a team creates a great accomplishment in your life.
6. "Being a good team mean everyone is gunning for you especially when you are ranked #1." (Back cover)
7. The quotes helped me understand the rough competition in high school hockey and the drama that the players go through.
8. The main people that would enjoy this book would be all high school students especially athletes because it teaches you what drama and pressure student athletes go through and relates a lot to high school students.
2. The author of this book is John Rosengren.
3. The genre is sports biography.
4. The book takes place in the winter of 2000. It is a biography of the Bloomington Jefferson Jaguars in Minnesota who are ranked #1. Through the story you see the ups and downs of the many talented players on the team. Reading this book makes you really understand how important high school hockey is in Minnesota and what the players go through.
5. The themes of this book are Hard work makes you a better person and belonging to a team creates a great accomplishment in your life.
6. "Being a good team mean everyone is gunning for you especially when you are ranked #1." (Back cover)
7. The quotes helped me understand the rough competition in high school hockey and the drama that the players go through.
8. The main people that would enjoy this book would be all high school students especially athletes because it teaches you what drama and pressure student athletes go through and relates a lot to high school students.
November 25, 2014
The book was good, but had some slow parts. Blades of Glory follows a few different teams as they play through their high school hockey seasons. It was interesting to see how the best ranked team in Minnesota faced each team with the constant thought that their post-season was on the line. Even when they were playing weak opponents, the Jaguars never let themselves think that they would win. Blades of Glory was a good book and I would recommend it.
January 31, 2016
A chronology of the 2000/2001 season for the Bloomington Jefferson boys' varsity hockey team. Deep inside access. Kind of a tragic outcome. A little old now and full of insights that are now common knowledge. Probably a good read for parents who are about to make the leap to encouraging their kids to put it all on the line for varsity athletics.
May 27, 2015
This is one of my favorite books I have ever read and one of the few I have decided to read outside of school. I like it because I can relate to it, being that it is about Minnesota high school hockey and is set in Bloomington Minnesota. This era was dominated by BJ and is marked as the best team ever in Minnesota high school hockey. I would recommend it to all hockey fans in Minnesota.
October 11, 2012
A bit wistful and romantic, but a good look at the problems and triumphs associated with high school hockey in Minnesota. Much along the lines of Friday Night Lights, so if you enjoyed that book, you should like this one even if you don't follow hockey very closely.
Want to read
January 22, 2008Another one that has to go back to the library before I've finished it and after I've used all my renewals. I'd like to finish it, though, so I'll be checking it out again.
March 26, 2012
Familiarity with hockey terminology helps when reading.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews