Cyrus Walker Alexander III and Carl Lut Williams's New Book "Beyond the Backboard" is a Reflection in the Life and Career of a NCAA Division I Basketball Coach
Recent release "Beyond the Backboard: My Unique HBCU Experience in the Shadows of Big-Time College Basketball" from Page Publishing authors Cyrus Walker Alexander III and Carl Lut Williams, is a story of the trials and tribulations of an African American HBCU head basketball coach competing at the fiercely competitive NCAA Division I level, the highest and most elite rung of college hoops. It is a story of his uphill battle for acceptance, inclusion, and respect.
GREENSBORO, N.C., Jan. 25, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Cyrus Walker Alexander III, a father, grandfather, and accomplished NCAA Division I basketball coach whose HBCU career spanned four decades and who made his mark as the only HBCU head coach to serve on the NCAA Committee on Academic Enhancement and the only HBCU head coach on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), and co-author Carl Lut Williams, a freelance writer in his twenty-fourth year publishing and editing "The Black College Sports Page," publisher, producer, and commentator for HBCU games and events on TV and radio, have completed their book "Beyond the Backboard: My Unique HBCU Experience in the Shadows of Big-Time College Basketball": a year-by-year journey through Cy's life and coaching career that highlights his personal and professional challenges, gut-wrenching decisions that shaped his professional future, and the highs and lows he experienced while carving out a special place in the annals of college hoops and developing a who's who of friends and comrades along the way.
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have a special niche in the world of big-time college basketball. As late entrants into this world, they fight an uphill battle for on- and off-court relevance, a battle steeped in the historical intersection of sports, race, and culture in this country.
Competing on the court in the elite world of America's NCAA Division I college basketball is a daunting task. Competing off the court with the more well-heeled, legacy institutions for funds, top recruits, TV time, and ultimately relevance is decidedly more difficult.
"Beyond the Backboard: My Unique HBCU Experience in the Shadows of Big-Time College Basketball" explores how author Cy Alexander navigated the deep waters of and found success in this environment during a thirty-seven-year career as a Division I HBCU basketball coach, twenty-six of those years as a head coach.
Along the way, Alexander learned from and matched wits with coaching luminaries, was a key participant on prestigious NCAA and NABC committees, became a member of an exclusive club of Nike clients that included Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing, and Charles Barkley among others, and landed before movers and shakers in politics and trendsetters in entertainment.
"Beyond the Backboard" highlights an exciting career filled with slights, embarrassing defeats, signature victories, personal triumphs and tragedies, and a ton of lessons learned."
Published by New York City-based Page Publishing, Cyrus Walker Alexander III and Carl Lut Williams's book is a story of successes and victories, of overcoming the odds when the cards are stacked against a person. It's a must read for all who fight the daily grind of becoming and staying relevant in their chosen profession.
Readers who wish to experience this inspiring work can purchase "Beyond the Backboard: My Unique HBCU Experience in the Shadows of Big-Time College Basketball" at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble.
For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708.
About Page Publishing:
Page Publishing is a traditional New York-based, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors' books, including distribution in the world's largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create - not overwhelmed with logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and the like. Its roster of accomplished authors and publishing professionals allows writers to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues to focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com.
SOURCE Page Publishing, Inc.
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