ESPN: Outside the Lines
In May 2013 ESPN's Sports Center featured an Outside The Lines documentary called Losing To Win: The Carroll Academy Lady Jags. Carroll Academy is a day treatment facility for at-risk youth grades 6th-12th located in rural Carroll County in West Tennessee. The school has a basketball program where the students can be court ordered to play. Most of them have never played basketball before (or any sport for that matter), but they are given a crash course and taught the basic rules of the game. This documentary shows the point is not at all about winning, but teaching the kids how to overcome adversity and giving them the tools they need to "win" in the game of life. Their girls' basketball team broke a 312 game losing streak on December 1, 2017.
The Carroll County Juvenile Court judge, who has authority over the school, and Carroll Academy’s director gave The New York Times unrestricted access to explore the school through its girls basketball team. For this five-part series, The Times spoke with the girls (with permission), many of their parents and relatives, school administrators and coaches.
The New York Times Articles
Written by John Branch
Photography by Ruth Fremson
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Part 1: "It Ain't About The Record"
by John Branch
April 14, 2012
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Part 2: "We're Not Really Bad Kids"
By John Branch
April 15, 2012
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Part 3: "Bad Decisions, Good Intentions"
by John Branch
April 16, 2012
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Part 4: "I Know What It Feels Like"
by John Branch
April 18, 2012
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Part 5: "I Won The Ballgame"
by John Branch
April 18, 2012