The Coast
by
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It was four years ago in July that I awoke from a restless night of sleep, called my brother Ray from my home in Boston, Massachusetts, and told him I'd be at his house the next morning to talk about him and his friends. He was not so surprised because every time we were alone together, I would relive some of those great moments that involved his friends Daniel Parks and William Harrison. It was close to noon when I pulled up in front of our family home on South 14th Street. Ray opened the front door and met me at the top of the stairs. We embraced, and I followed my brother through the front room, pass the dining room, and into the kitchen. Ray had some fried chicken and potato salad that was already prepared. He suggested that we go out into the backyard. We carried our food and a couple of cold cans of Ballentine Ale and sat at the picnic table under the 100-year old maple tree. I took a deep breath as I looked at my older brother, who at 63 years old still had his athletic physique. The gray hair that sprinkled his wavy dark hair, the few lines that added structure to his good-looking, dark-brown face and softer color in his eyes were the only differences I noted from the young man I remembered in 1946. "How did you meet Daniel Parks and Billy Harrison, and how did the Boomerangs Football team get started?" I asked. Ray took a few minutes to answer and recalled that first day of practice with the newly formed sandlot football team. "You were there," he said to me. "I was where?" At the East Orange Oval, when we had our first practice." Snatches of that day started to come back to me as Ray spoke. I pictured the Oval Park on Eaton Place in East Orange as he continued. I wasn't the only preteen at the Oval that day. Andy my neighbor and another youngster named Cooky were there also. Andy's brother and Cooky's cousin were among the twenty young Negro men trying out for the team. The Oval Park was exceptionally beautiful that morning. The recreational facility derived its name from the shape of the quarter-mile running track that surrounded the baseball and softball playing fields. Any major league baseball team would have appreciated the well-manicured facility. In fact, the Newark Eagles of the old Negro Baseball League played exhibition games there. Although the baseball season was over, the white markings outlining the playing field were still visible. My brother and I lived a block from the Newark and East Orange city line, and the Oval was the closest park to us. It was a favorite site for the youngsters who lived in the area. The park officials never challenged the Newark youngsters, and treated us as if we were residents. Many adults from Newark used the facility also, and I never recalled anyone complaining about their presence. From the way Ray described the park as he spoke, I could tell he loved the park as much as I did. Approaching the park on Eaton Place, you could see the sandy-colored grandstand that loomed in the distance as you peered through the six-foot-tall wrought-iron picket fence that guarded the entire facility. The many trees that enhanced the park had shed some of their leaves, which made it possible to get a better view of the stately cement structure with the steel beams that supported a corrugated metal roof, covering the 500-seat grandstand. The Oval Park was a pretty sight from any vantage point, but for me, it was the view from the Main Street Railroad tunnel that flashed in my mind. The back of the Erie-Lackawanna station was directly across the street from the main entrance. The red brick structure was elevated about two stories above the street. For some reason, I decided to take the longer and more adventurous route to the park that morning. I remember my brother leaving me at the house and telling me to meet him at the Oval. I ran most of the way and entered the station from the Main Street entrance, climbed the stairs to the east side platform and descended the forty or so steps. The sky was clear, and from the top of the steps, you could see the bright sun shining through the exit below. The light grew brighter as I drew closer to the opening. When I reached the arched opening and looked across at the park, the beautiful site moved me, and I stopped and took in the whole panoramic view of the park. I didn't really understand the feeling that came over me at that time. I could hear voices coming from inside the park as I crossed the street. It did not matter that the gates to the park were still locked with heavy chains and large padlocks. The people inside must have scaled the avoiding the spiked rods to get into the park. We had another half an hour before the park officially opened 10 a.m. Because I was a very small 11-year-old boy, it was easy for me to squeeze between the gates using the slack in the chain.
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About the Book
Three Afro-American veterans return home after World War II to their hometown in Newark, New Jersey. The friends have not seen one another since serving in the military and meet in a neighborhood tavern located on FOUR CORNERS called The Coast. All three experienced racial prejudice in the military yet they managed to overcome those trials and served their country with distinction. Two of the friends, Dan Parks and Ray Smith, played high school football and still have a passion for the game. They decide to organize a sandlot football team to play in their spare time. William (Billy) Harrison was not an athlete, but he admires his two friends and convinces them that he can learn the game. On the first day of practice, two seemingly shady characters proposition Dan and Ray to put together a football team in two weeks to play an established local team. After listening to an unbelievable story, Dan and Ray decide to accept the challenge presented by Jim Coarsley and Sterling Boatwhite. With the financial support of a black entrepreneur, who has an establishment on The Coast, they field a team and win the game. The unexpected success of the team, sparked by Dan's exceptional leadership and outstanding performance, results in a large following of fans mostly from the community. Before the first season ends, the team, now called "The Boomerangs,"is victorious over several semi-professional teams. The women in the lives of Dan, Ray, and Billy become part of the drama and confusion that develops as these men lead the all-black football team into the world of the racially segregated world of semi-professional football. Dan's life becomes more complicated when Ted Nolte, the owner of the Metuchen Golden Bears, becomes interested in recruiting him. Dan has plans to go to college and wants to protect his amateur status. Nolte is affiliated with the professional New York Yankees professional football team and pursues Dan. Dan's girlfriend, Ruth, wants him to stop playing with the Boomerangs, but Dan's leadership is the reason for the team's success. Ray meets his love, Frances, at one of the games, and he tries to woo her, find a job, and win football games. Billy is married to his high school sweetheart, Brenda, who is expecting a baby. Brenda is worried about Billy's ambitious methods of earning money to support her and the baby. Dan decides to play another season with the Boomerangs, much to his girl's dismay. Nolte desperately wants to see Dan play again and reluctantly agrees to schedule a game with his Golden Bears. He sets up an impossible scenario that leads to the impelling climax to this story. The Coast is a sports story. The Coast is a story about courage and commitment. The Coast is a love story. The Coast is a story about struggle and triumph. The Coast is a story that involves unwavering friendships. The Coast is a chronicle of events that will inspire the reader to look at the past and try to change the future.
About the Author
Samuel A. Foster, Jr., was born in Newark, N.J., in 1934. He completed his public school education in Newark and served four years in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War. He earned a bachelor's degree at Winston-Salem State University (formerly Winston-Salem Teachers College) and a master's degree at Newark State College. He taught elementary school and served as a school principal in his hometown. He retired from the Washington, D.C., Public School System after twenty-three years, serving as a principal and holding other administrative positions. Inspired by some unusual and exciting events during his adolescent years, he decided to document these events to share with his family and friends from his old neighborhood. His numerous notes evolved into a novel, The Coast.