Tonight at 7:00PM, the producers of CROFT will detail the vision for the project, opportunities for participation, and conduct a Q&A for interested parties. Also discussed will be the latest news on the CROFT film production and to tell you how you can get involved. CROFT is about the decorated Vietnam Veteran and Legendary Track Coach Hal Croft.
The film is being produced by Brandon Millett, a 1987 RMHS graduate and former member of Croft’s track team, who is an award-winning producer and CEO of Constant Motion Entertainment.
Zoom registration is required via this link.
In 1974, there was a Invitational track meet in Andover. Coach Croft wanted us to parricipate, in large part to show us the competition from the inner city, instead of just competing against the (almost exclusively white) suburban Middlesex league. The problem was that the meet was to be held on a Sunday, and the conservative community of Reading would not allow it. Coach appealed to the AD, to the RMHS principal, to the School Board, without success. He finally came up with idea for one of his young runners to present the case directly to the town Board of Selectmen, from the perspective of a participant. The ploy was successful and the team was granted the opportunity to compete. I don’t remember whether we won the meet, but I still have a picture from the 880. Like Friday Night Lights, it’s a story about the interaction of HS sports, the community, and the historical culture of the 1970s in Reading.