The Crossover By Kwame Alexander

Family is Everything

“Making the family a top priority will invariably bring success.” These words by motivational speaker, Zig Ziglar, may seem subjective to some, yet obvious to others. Through dialogue and character thoughts in The Crossover, Kwame Alexander uses the loss of a young son’s biggest inspiration to highlight the connection between family and success.

Josh is a 14 year old, highschooler who is a big basketball star at his school. Some may say it’s talent, but in this case, it’s more than that. Josh has a rock, his family, who makes him who he is. The pillar of the family is Josh's dad, who even though Josh refers to as old school, he still respects him dearly. He has the same adoration for his mother. Josh wraps his arms

Josh clearly values these tight-knit bonds and guards them fiercely. He understands that family love and support are some of the most important things in his life and will lead him to great victories. Even through difficult times, Josh is always reassured and motivated by his parents' kind words. They portray this as Josh’s dad’s health started going downhill. When this occurred, Josh expressed his grief by saying, “all that matters is swish because our backboard is splintered”(Alexander 210). Josh’s reference to “our backboard” demonstrates his dependence on and honor for his dad. He cares about him so deeply, that when his dad got put into the hospital, it took a toll on him. He was so heartbroken about this because he and his dad have such a good relationship. Mourning about the situation, JB (Josh’s brother) says he doesn’t like basketball because it was dad’s favorite thing, “besides us” (Alexander 211). Their dad has created a relationship with the family that makes them more devastated about his declining health. JB says, “besides us” showing he knows his dad prioritizes and loves them. The respect and admiration Josh has for this strong, athletic man makes it deeply depressing for Josh as he watches his dad become weak and frail. His dad’s greatest success was his family and he earned a reciprocal bond of love through his many years of making his family his top

Josh has a healthy relationship with his family and it makes him who he is. He sees the love that is shown and so does the rest of the family. When Josh’s dad starts having health problems, it impacts the entire family. He was Josh’s biggest inspiration and he was like a best friend to him. They were so close because Josh’s dad made sure to always motivate, inspire, and lift Josh up. Josh’s dad shaped him to be who he was, and it was for the good. The whole family was living for each other. They all felt love from one another. This one-of-a-kind bond made them stronger, happier, harder working, and ultimately, more successful. I guess Zig Ziglar was onto something; family = success! Now, go kiss yo