“Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team,”
by Steve Sheinkin.
Roaring Brook Press, New York, 2017, 280 pages, Grades 7-11.
Jim Thorpe was voted the greatest athlete of the first half of the 20th century by American sportswriters. His exploits on the football and track fields may never be surpassed. All-American football player, gold medal track and field star and hero to thousands of Americans and American Indians, Jim Thorpe towers above his contemporaries.
But just as fortune and fame found their way into his life, tragedy and heartache also accompanied this legend. Steve Sheinkin, award winning writer of adolescent literature, has written a compelling biography on this great athlete. The name of this astounding biography is “Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team.”
Born in Oklahoma May 22, 1887, Jim Thorpe’s parents were each half white and half Native American. At that time, Oklahoma still bore the name of Indian Territory. This changes in 1893 with the Oklahoma Land Rush. In the 1830s, the Indian tribes were forced east of the Mississippi River during Andrew Jackson’s presidency. After the brutal 1,200-mile Trail of Tears, the Indians arrived in Oklahoma, now designated as Indian Territory. The supposed promise of perpetual ownership lasted until 1893.
When the Plains Indian Wars ended in the 1890s, the American government chose the policy of cultural assimilation for the Native tribes. With this, government boarding schools were started across the nation. The first school was founded in Carlisle, Penn. Native children from across the United States were enrolled in the Carlisle Indian School. The government policy was based on the evil and ill-founded idea that you had to “kill the Indian to save the man.” Indian clothes, hair styles, native language were all suppressed. The English language was used exclusively and children speaking Indian languages were severely punished. This caused much social misery among the Native children.
The one source of pride for the students were the athletic teams of the Carlisle Indian School. The famous football coach, Pop Warner, directed the program. On Feb. 6, 1904, 15-year-old Jim Thorpe entered Carlisle. Within several years, Jim Thorpe’s daring exploits on the football field would become the talk of the sports world. His athletic brilliance also dominated the sport of track and field.
During the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden, Jim won two gold medals. The King of Sweden said: “You sir are the greatest athlete in the world.” Thorpe supposedly answered: “Thanks, King.”
But tragedy soon followed the Olympics. During several summers, Thorpe played minor league baseball and made a small salary. This meant he technically was no long an amateur. Though this practice was commonly done at the time, Thorpe was made the scapegoat by a hypocritical athletic system.
What happened to Jim Thorpe after the scandal? Did he continue to play sports? Did his being an American Indian have anything to do with choosing to expose him while letting dozens of athletes slide by? What disgusting role did his coach, Pop Warner, play in the saga? How did Jim Thorpe keep his dignity throughout the years? What actions did the Olympic Committee finally take to right the wrongs inflicted on Jim Thorpe? To find out the answers to these and other questions, go to the library and check out this outstanding biography, “Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team,” by Steve Sheinkin.
This biography, by Steve Sheinkin, is another outstanding book in adolescent literature. He treats the Native American issues with fairness and lucidity. It is not always a pleasant story to read, but Sheinkin’s treatment of the life of Jim Thorpe is brilliantly told. I highly recommend this book to all students over seventh grade and to any adults interested in the life of this famous American.
