Written by: Levi Frazier, Jr. Lead Writer. Akiba Shabazz. Tommy Lee Ray aka JO sei Ikeda. Quincy McKay. Hosea Henderson. Mary Ruth Robinson

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1 Written by: Levi Frazier, Jr. Lead Writer Akiba Shabazz Tommy Lee Ray aka JO sei Ikeda Quincy McKay Hosea Henderson Mary Ruth Robinson ARTS FOR A BETTER WAY OF LIFE

2 Blues City Cultural Center ( BCCC ) is a non-profit, 501(c)3 community based organization that has served the Memphis community for over thirty (30) years. Our mission is to utilize the arts to enlighten, empower and transform Memphians into more productive, responsive, and caring citizens. We have diligently worked to improve the quality of life for Mid-South residents by providing an array of services, which assist low-wealth women and youth build self-reliance, develop servant leadership qualities, and aspire to attain greater personal, educational and professional achievements. BCCC knows that the successful elimination of poverty involves more than just obtaining employment or raising incomes. In order to reap long-term benefits, it requires changing beliefs - formal and informal - that retard development and advancement. In response, our organization provides much needed services to women and children in poverty-stricken areas of the community currently through three programs Hope Day Zone [homeless women], Seek To Serve [adults], and Peace In The House [youth]. Head Writer for BIG TEN, Levi Frazier, received his M.A. from the University of Memphis Communications Theater and B.A. from Rhodes College. He is presently an Associate Professor in Speech and Theatre at Southwest Tennessee Community College. Other Works: 2007 wrote and directed the Fall production of In It To Win It. 2002, When It Rains, won first place in Chattanooga Theatre Center s Playwriting Contest and was subsequently produced in Memphis at Southwest under the direction of Ron Gephart and in Hollywood under the direction of Tommye Ray, a graduate of Southwest he produced his play, A Tribute To Richard Wright, by invitation in Paris, France at the Sorbonne as part of the African-Americans and Europe International Festival he was commissioned to write a musical for the Tennessee Bicentennial. The musical, entitled Beale Street Back Again, had its world premiere at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center in June of his commissioned living history play was produced at the National Civil Rights Museum in commemoration of the fortieth anniversary of Dr. King s death. Most recently Levi has become a book author with the publication of 151 Things That Happen or Don t Happen When You Turn cofounded Blues City Cultural Center.

3 BIG TEN is a 60 minute drama that deals with the importance of education in the face of seemingly lost hopes and dreams. Barry Turner, also known as BT or Big Ten is both a high school and college football All- American, but sustains a career ending injury in his sophomore year and returns home as a nobody, or it appears that way to him. Disgruntled and depressed, the nineteen year old isolates himself in his room and refuses to have company until his best friend, Scat, comes by to reconnect and offer him a business opportunity-selling drugs. Initially, Barry turns him down cold, but an argument with his mother later on that day emboldens him to consider the deal. Will he go against everything his mother and cleric father have taught him and be swayed by dashed dreams and the promise of easy money or will he remain true to his family s teachings and go forward with his life? OBJECTIVES 1. To have students define key terms in their own words: Values and Goals 2. To have students research information concerning injuries to young athletes. 3. To have students discuss illicit drug use in the Memphis community? Lesson 1 Prior to Performance Objective 1: To have students define key terms in their own words: Values and Goals Activity 1 Discussion If Values refer to things that are important to a person, what is something or someone you value? And why? If Goals are a result we intend to reach through our own actions, what is a goal that you want to achieve in the next 2 years? Explain how our own actions can move us closer or farther from goals. Other things that may impede a student s progress are a lack of commitment to goals and conflicting goals. When faced with disappointing situations some people often can become discouraged by the challenge of adjusting. What kinds of things should you say to yourself when you face disappointment? Objective 2: To have students research information concerning injuries to young athletes. In the play, BIG TEN, a young man is faced with a disappointing situation and many people try to give him advice. Who do you talk to when you are faced with a disappointing situation? More discussion questions: What is a role model? How do you select a supporter or role model. Where do you find a role model/? Activity 1 Discussion and Research Have students read the following information and have them respond to one of the statistics: 1)They might consider writing about the statistic that most surprised them, or 2) Give an example of someone they know who was injured and how it impacted his/her life. 3) Present a newscast about the statistics. High school athletes account for an estimated 2 million injuries and 500,000 doctor visits and 30,000 hospitalizations each year. 1 More than 3.5 million kids under age 14 receive medical treatment for sports injuries each year. 1 Children ages 5 to 14 account for nearly 40 percent of all sports-related injuries treated in hospitals. On average the rate and severity of injury increases with a child's age. 4 Overuse injuries are responsible for nearly half of all sports injuries to middle and high school students 2

4 Although 62 percent of organized sports-related injuries occur during practice, one-third of parents do not have their children take the same safety precautions at practice that they would during a game. 2 Twenty percent of children ages 8 to 12 and 45 percent of those ages 13 to 14 will have arm pain during a single youth baseball season. 3 Injuries associated with participation in sports and recreational activities account for 21 percent of all traumatic brain injuries among children in the United States. 4 According to the CDC, more than half of all sports injuries in children are preventable. By age 13, 70 percent of kids drop out of youth sports. The top three reasons: adults, coaches and parents. 2 Among athletes ages 5 to 14, 28 percent of percent of football players, 25 percent of baseball players, 22 percent of soccer players, 15 percent of basketball players, and 12 percent of softball players were injured while playing their respective sports 4 Since 2000 there has been a fivefold increase in the number of serious shoulder and elbow injuries among youth baseball and softball players. 4 References: JS Powell, KD Barber Foss, Injury patterns in selected high school sports: a review of the seasons. J Athl Train. 34: Safe Kids USA Campaign Web site American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Preserving the Future of Sport: From Prevention to Treatment of Youth Overuse Sports Injuries. AOSSM 2009 Annual Meeting Pre-Conference Program. Keystone, Colorado. Objective 2 Activity 2 Research Have students divide into groups and research college and professional players who have been injured during their career. What was the result? Do you agree or disagree with the outcome? Why? What would you have done in that situation? Some suggested players: Robert Griffen III RGIII Kyle Hardrick Basketball Jessica Dube Ice Skating Dave Dravecky Baseball Venus Williams Tennis Stanley Doughty Football Kent Waldrop Football Steve Yzerman Hockey Preston Burpo Soccer Jamie Woode Cheerleading Objective 3: To have students discuss illicit drug use in the Memphis community? In the play, BIG TEN, Barry Turner has to change his career goals. What should he consider? How does his injury compare with the athletes you researched? Activity1 Word matching Game Working in small groups, have students write down words they associate with people who use drugs and people who do not use drugs onto slips of paper and put them in a bag. Then draw out the pieces out of the bag and them to a sheet a paper divided into two columns headed Drug user and Non drug user according to how you view each group. Once the small groups have made their assessments, the who class sums up the assessments by making one big chart at the front of the class room. Then have the class discuss their perceptions about people who use drugs and those who don t.

5 Objective 3: Activity 2 THE LEARNING TREE This is a popular educational brainstorming tool that looks at the symptoms of a problem, its causes, institutions that support the cause, solutions to the problem and the ideal situation. 1. Divide the class into teams of four to five. 2. Each team researches and discusses the causes and effects of illicit drug use in their community or country. Each team will focus specifically on the common risks and the protective factors at the individual level, family level or community level. 3. Students should create a learning tree that shows the root causes and the effects of drug use. 4. Students give 5 minute presentations to the class based on their learning tree. They should present all the elements (problem, cause, solution, or ideal situation) in relation to drug use. In the play, BIG TEN, Barry Turner s friend, Scat offers him a new career choice. What are some of the consequences Barry will face if he makes that choice? What are some of the reasons young people use or sell drugs? PANELISTS INCLUDE: Vertie Sails PART 2: At the PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES Retired Basketball Coach, Southwest Tennessee Community College Curtis Weathers John Jarnagin Judith Black Moore Winston Howard Retired professional football player with the Cleveland Browns Baseball Coach Victory University Mother of University of Memphis basketball player, Tarik Black Moderator, College football player, Northwestern University of Louisiana 1. To have students prepare questions for the panelists about student athletes. 2. To have students engage the panelists about how they counsel student athletes. 3. To have students discuss how the play represents real life situations. PART 3: After the PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES 1. To have students discuss the major themes in the play. 2. To have students share what they learned from the experience. 3. To have students create a new ending to the play. Objective 1. To have students discuss the major themes in the play. Activity 1 Essay Have students write a summary of the play. The essay may include: Who was the protagonist and antagonist?

6 Who was the protagonist and antagonist? What was the major theme of the play? Who tried to helped Barry? Which character gave the best advice and why? If you were Barry s friend what advice would you have given him? And why? If you had been Barry what would you have done? And why? How did the research they did prior to the field trip compare to the play? Objective 2 To have students share what they learned from the experience. Activity 1 Divide students into small groups and have them share the experience of: Going on a field trip Being in a college environment Participating with other schools Listening to coaches, athletes, etc. Discussing what they enjoyed most Discussing how the experience could be better After the small group discussions, have the students prioritize their responses. Have the students send their responses to Blues City Cultural Center, 314 A.W. Willis, Memphis, TN Objective 3. To have students create a new ending to the play. Activity 1 Have students write a new ending to the play. Have students tape it and play it back. Discuss the new ending.

7 My Two Year Goal Plan What is your goal for the next two years? In 2015, I will Who am I? Name Grade: School: What do you value? What is important to you? What is the most important thing in life you have to do, right now.? How do you plan to get there? What step do you have to take to reach these goals? What are some obstacles to keep you from reaching your goals? Or Who or What is standing in your way to keep you from reaching these goals? Who are your supporters who you can turn to the help you reach your goals? What can you do on you own or all by yourself to make sure that your reach your goal?