Title: Live Your Dream
By: Tamir Goodman
PJ Publishing
34 pages
Jewish basketball all-star Tamir Goodman is used to dominating the court with his dunks, alley-oops, and layups, but now he has really slam-dunked it with his newest book, titled Live Your Dream, published by PJ Library and beautifully illustrated by Jim Madsen. Even though this book is marketed and geared for children, I found the life lessons applicable to adults as well. I read it with my two boys (a teen and a tween) and we all agreed it was a must-read for anyone struggling to cope when life throws you a curveball (no pun intended).
The book chronicles Tamir’s childhood growing up in Baltimore, and takes us on his evolutionary journey from basketball enthusiast to player to professional athlete and ultimately to coach and entrepreneur. There are several lessons imparted in the beautifully artistic drawings of the 34-page book. The thematic motif of the book is the life lesson that Tamir wishes to impart: Just like in sports, often we will miss our goal. There is no need to dwell on it; instead, rebound and pivot in order to continue scoring in life.
The story begins with Tamir as a young child who loves basketball but isn’t very good at it. Not allowing himself to be deterred, he pushes himself, committed to mastering the game. In addition to his struggle to master basketball, Tamir struggles academically in school. He has difficulty reading, but not wishing to dwell on that negativity, young Tamir assures himself, saying, “Inside, I know I’m smart.” He is ultimately diagnosed with dyslexia in high school. Once again, not wanting to focus on his limitations, he channels his learning disability to his advantage, acknowledging that while he might struggle with words, the way his mind works benefits him on the court as he is able to mentally determine other players’ moves.
Rather than be depressed about a bad game and letting it affect their self-esteem, Tamir advises readers to choose to “move on and try to play better next time.” The recurring lesson of not letting challenges impede you from your goals is a dominant message relayed throughout the book.
Additionally, woven into the plot is Tamir’s dedication to family and religion. Many of the pages are filled with images of him engaging with his grandparents, siblings, and parents while celebrating key aspects of Judaism like Shabbos, davening, and learning. It is a very telling subliminal message when young readers see pictures of Tamir playing sports right next to pictures of him with tefillin or standing near the Shabbos candles. His devotion not only to the game but to staying observant while facing obstacles is most remarkable. The book instills the importance of remaining steadfast in your observance even when it is being challenged.
When Tamir outgrew his yeshiva athletically, he made sure to research a new school that would respect his Shabbos observance. The same held true for college – he gave up a scholarship to a prominent university so he could remain true to his faith. Being frum didn’t stop him from following his dreams. Tamir was able to excel in a Division 1 team and eventually was recruited by Maccabi Tel Aviv.
One would think that this is where the story concludes, but no. Even in Israel, Tamir faced many challenges and injuries which ultimately forced him to retire at the height of his career at age 27. Once again, not letting setbacks hold him back, he chose to stay positive and go into coaching. He was successful and set up basketball clinics and camps for children and teens all over the world. He also co-founded Aviv Sports, which invented a special anti-microbial and moisture-wicking net, which was instrumental in allowing basketball to continue during Covid. Not bad for someone who admitted he couldn’t even read the scoreboard.
All through this, Tamir never let success go to his head because, as the book portrays, his father always taught him to remain humble – another great lesson for kids who happen to excel in school and sports.
The book ends with the powerful message by Tamir that “struggles can lead to success.” Despite initially being a weak player, despite dealing with dyslexia, despite being challenged religiously, Tamir didn’t let anything or anyone stop him from achieving his dream of being a professional basketball all-star. Any kid who picks up this book will be inspired by this message too and hopefully apply it.