Winning a prestigious 2010 New York International Film Festival Award in the category of Best Sports Documentary last week, was another in a series of surprises for Westville resident and Bridgeport high school arts and media teacher Kathy Silver. “The Pride of the Lions,” a 20-minute documentary film, chronicled the challenges and adversity that faced the football and soccer teams at Bridgeport’s Bassick High School, while capturing some of the most transformational moments in the school’s recent history.
The documentary’s “life-imitates-art” story line was not conceived in the mind of a Hollywood script writer, but is a gutsy, real-life story written in real-time by the athletes and students of Bridgeport’s smallest, and arguably, poorest of three high schools. The award winning video was directed by Silver and features footage shot by her video classes as part of an interdisciplinary effort integrating communication skills, reading, writing, technology, video editing and artistic creativity, according to Silver. The film’s narration was done by student athletes, some of whom were in Silver’s video classes. Their passionate voices tell a story of pride, determination and the leadership that catapulted them to a series of dramatic and improbable victories on and off the field.
The 20-minute video is the stuff of classic sports movies, complete with a thrilling climactic scene: a tied football game with 15.5 seconds left. Against all odds, the underdog Bassick Lions, who had once owned the state’s longest losing streak at 0 – 60‑2, shock cross-city rivals Harding High, on the last play of the game. The pivotal scene shows Bassick Lion quarterback Rodney Lanham scrambling, then connecting with his receiver, Davonte Franklin, who smashes through defenders to reach the end-zone in a blaze of celebratory bedlam. Footage of the play, which came to be called “The Final Play,” was shot by Silver’s crew, and would have future implications beyond demonstrating the team’s mettle, by becoming the winning video highlight in a nation-wide contest sponsored by State Farm Insurance Company. Of some 350 entries, in the “Friday Night Feats” highlight contest, Bassick’s entry would pass several “Zone” hurdles on the path to winning the coveted cash prize of $15,000.
Click the play arrow above to watch the winning touchdown.
Entering the contest was not without its own adversity. Team Bassick had only days to edit and submit their entry. Intermittent challenges required mass internet voting on YouTube, in support of the video once it was completed. “That created a problem because many of the school’s students do not have readily available internet access, and at school, You Tube access is blocked” noted Silver. Ron Remy, Silver’s supportive former principal, secured special permission to unblock the site for several days and the student lines soon began to form at available computers. After the school’s entry passed the first round of cuts, making it one of 52 remaining videos, the critical mass necessary to get into final contention seemed within grasp. “We hope we come out on top… we really need the money” said a hopeful Jordan Claude, the Lion’s football Captain.
Silver’s frustration when discussing the obstacles faced by Bassick student athletes is palpable: “Our kids practice on fields with no goal lines, no bleachers, no uprights, and no home field advantage.” She recounted an incident that played into her decision to become more involved and help change perceptions about the students at her inner-city school. While at a game, she overheard a chain-link crew (assistant referees that measure downs) talking among themselves as they berated visiting Bassick athletes with demeaning comments. “They were ignorant and I was appalled. They had no idea what our kids go through to get to there” said an incredulous Silver.
Bassick High, the only Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference (FCIAC) school without its own sports facilities, is forced to hold team practices at Went Field Park, an off-site public park where athletes often endure distractions of noise, traffic, and even verbal abuse from some park goers. Games are played at Kennedy Stadium, a City park that is actually the home field for Bridgeport’s Central High School.
Unlike other schools where teams stroll out of their lockers onto a home field, Bassick football players walk four urban blocks, often in inclement weather, to get to practice. “Practice at Bassick is very tough” explained athlete-narrator Keith Teele — “Other schools have their own fields, their own lights, their own water supply, their own everything. We have a public park where people are everyday, bothering us with their nonsense. Our practice field is surrounded by the hood. There’s a lot of gang activity and violence going on while we try to practice. Sometimes people ride dirt bikes and motorcycles through our field so we have to duck and dodge them.”
Romaro Johnson, Bassick Lions soccer player, moves in on ball
Also featured in “The Pride of the Lions” is Bassick’s gritty soccer team. School hallways serve as make-shift locker rooms for the team. Bus transportation to their off-campus practice site remains problematic, with occasional hour-long waits or no-shows. Football and soccer teams practiced at Went Field Park until recently, when soccer coaches decided to move their team to a place they could embrace as their own. Assistant coach Michael Silver, Kathy Silver’s husband, explained: “We decided to move practices and home games to Seaside Park in an effort to create a home for ourselves. [Though] we still face obstacles like poorly maintained fields, tattered nets and no benches for the team to sit on.” The team has grown to appreciate the natural elements and beach terrain they nick-named “The Sandpit,” as assets in their training. Team captain Alex Andujar, said coaches Hanaif and Silver taught the team that they “can make something from nothing” and the team earned a winning record last season to prove it. The documentary celebrates the team’s remarkable change in culture from that of perennial losers, to qualifiers in the State Soccer Championship Tournament for the first time in over 30 years.
Mrs. Silver credited the athletic program’s turnaround to a change in coaches two years ago and a shift to higher expectations, in addition to inspiring “heart, jive and spirit” among the athletes. She hopes the film will help build on that momentum and deliver a positive statement about the character and capabilities of the school and its students. It was head football coach Frank Marcucio who originally suggested submitting a documentary to the highly competitive New York International Film Festival (NYIFF). As with the Friday Night Feats contest highlight, which figures into the NYIFF submission, the completed entry would require an extraordinary production effort under the pressure of an imminent submission deadline.
On July 24, Silver (bottom left) took a group of 13 students to the festival screening of “The Pride of the Lions” at New York’s Village East Street Cinemas. For some of the students, train and subway rides were a first-time experience, along with the honor of attending the highly-regarded festival. The film’s screening generated enthusiastic applause and excitement, drawing considerable attention to the Bassick contingent after the lights went up. “It was important that students were with me,” said Silver, “I like students being exposed to opportunities that empower.”
Silver started getting emails from Festival organizers a couple of week ago indicating that the Bassick Lions have once again, triumphed over extremely long odds. She will be attending a ceremony in New York City in the Spring of 2011, to receive the Festival’s award for Best Sports Documentary.
“The Lions Den,” a cable show produced by Silver’s classes can be viewed on Public Access channel 78, at 9:30 a.m./ p.m. throughout the year. The show, which received a Tommy Award from The SoundView Media Center last year, will be re-screening “The Pride of the Lions” as part of the program beginning at month?s end. “I do not know what this coming school year will bring” said Silver, “I do know that whatever we do, it will reflect the pride, passion, and higher standards set by past students.”