'Satch' Turns Pro (Journalist, That Is)

Crimson basketball coach Tom "Satch" Sanders has made his debut in the world of journalism with the fall publication of "Through the Hoop--A Season with the Celtics," a pictorial essay which he co-authored with free-lance photographer Pamela R. Schuyler.

The 90-page essay published by the Houghton-Mifflin Co. of Boston is geared for children and it follows the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association through an entire season, at home and away from the first day in training camp to the final game of the playoffs.

Sanders, a former Celtic great who was known as a defensive specialist, offers candid glimpses at the thoughts and emotions of a professional basketball player to complement the illustrations of the Celtics churning up and down the court.

For the Kids

"Pam contacted me about a year and a half ago on whether or not I wanted to do this book for little kids," Sanders said yesterday. "She was a free-lance photojournalist who had done a lot of work with the Celtics in the past," the Crimson mentor added.

"Since the book is geared for children," Sanders said, "I could be as simple in approach as I wanted. The book is real simple basically, but I gave some of my philosophy on the game in the introduction."

Sanders states in the introduction that "many people think playing basketball is just a matter of running, jumping, and shooting. They are not far from the truth. To be correct, however, you must modify that formula to read: specified running, timely jumping, and selective shooting. These terms tell you what the game is really about."

"Through the Hoop" offers the reader much more than Sander's philosophy on basketball as the former Celtic great's attitudes on life come alive in tpe stmry. He emphasizes the constant need for mental preparation and total effort in every aspect of human endeavor.

"I had thought of doing a book in the past," Sanders said yesterday, "but it depends on two things--publishers interested in what you have to say and secondly, having something new to say yourself."

"I'll look forward to writing more in the future if the right combination of factors comes up," Sanders said.

When asked whether he expects a financial return on the book, Sanders quipped: "If anyone starts buying it. Right now I think only my mother has bought the book. She buys a new copy every week."