Home Court: The Best of Rhode Island Sports Through the Years

Where does a great sportswriter find stories?

Everywhere he looks, which is what Bill Reynolds did for nearly 40 years as a columnist for the Providence Journal. He looked and listened to the people he met in his home state of Rhode Island, putting into words their triumphs and struggles. The result was a series of heartwarming columns that are gathered here for the first time in book form in HOME COURT.

Bill Reynolds loved Rhode Island. His passing in 2023 tore a hole in the fabric of the state's sports community, who became used to seeing Bill at games of all kinds, from Little League to high school playoffs to the hard-fought contests of Providence College and URI basketball. He seldomly felt the need or desire to leave Rhode Island for his inspiration, which makes his contribution to the state's history-and in particular it sports history-unique.

HOME COURT is a romp through time, a remembrance of people no longer with us, and a reflection through Bill's eyes of all that is wonderful in sports. From coaches who volunteer their time to help young people play to the young athletes themselves, who often need sports to better their lives, the people Bill wrote about are valiant in their own ways, if largely unknown to the larger world. They are us, they are Rhode Islanders, and they invariably reflect the better angels of our natures.

The places Bill writes about, such as Brown University's Marvel Gym and the old Boston Garden, are characters in their own right with their own compelling histories. HOME COURT brings back all of these stories and more, keeping them alive not only for the people who enjoyed them the first time around, when they appeared in the Journal, but also for all the kids who are out there right now, on some court or field, trying to fulfill their athletic dreams.