In 1961, ABC’s Wide World of Sports coined the phrase "The Thrill of Victory and the Agony of Defeat." Our basketball season had begun with the agony of defeat, up to the moment when the season could be saved or completely lost.
The team of 10 and 11-year-old boys in recreational basketball had worked hard, but had lost all of their games so far in the season. On a Saturday in February the team, scheduled to play two games, were dominated in their first game, losing 31-14. What could they expect in the next game? Were they destined to lose all of their games? These were the questions emerging on the brink of failure.
In this true story of youth basketball, Coach Bill describes his team’s struggles on the way to that brink, and the dramatic time that followed. It is an inspiring youth sports story, in which young players enjoy learning the game, but must be patient when it comes to winning.
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A copy of Youth Basketball on the Brink personally autographed by Bill Madura.
Bill Madura – Author
Bill Madura is a new author (2026), with a published memoir on the topic of youth basketball, Youth Basketball on the Brink.
Bill worked 22 years as a volunteer coach in youth recreational basketball. As he coached a team of 10 and 11-year-old boys in 2024, the team had great difficulty through the beginning of the season. Then things suddenly changed.
Bill Madura had a 31-year career as data analyst/researcher for the Colorado Department of Human Services. He is retired from his careers in human services and youth basketball coaching. Before his career in human services, he had a brief first career as a master’s level psychologist. While he has always been fascinated with psychology and personal growth, he felt that he would be more effective in a career focused on data and research. This led him to a Ph.D. degree in educational research from the University of Colorado – Boulder (1990). The career in human services followed, along with 15 years in part-time teaching of psychology courses (Metropolitan State University of Denver).
Bill and his wife, Jeanne live in Centennial, Colorado. He does volunteer work as a facilitator of grief support groups.
