The Boys From Riverside Chosen as Best of 2024

The Boys From Riverside, a book by Thomas Fuller about the success of the CSDR Cubs boys’ football team, was selected by Amazon editors as the best book of 2024. The Cubs just won their third consecutive CIF Southern Section title, but the book tells the story of a program that was not always dominant and faced many challenges on their way to the top.

California School for the Deaf Riverside opened over 70 years ago. Even though it sits conspicuously near the freeway and on one of Riverside’s busiest streets, many Riversiders never really thought much about what goes on there.

CSD Riverside is a California state school servicing deaf K-12 students from the Central Valley and South. Many of their students are transported to the school and live on campus during the week. Aside from specializing in the education of deaf students, CSD Riverside serves as a hub of a vibrant deaf community here in town. After graduation, many students settle in Riverside, and some families have had several generations attend the school.

Athletics have always been a big part of campus life and a rallying point for the Deaf Community. CSD Riverside students participate in both CIF and Parks and Rec sports for the younger kids. While the school has always offered its students a diverse slate of sports activities, it has not always fielded competitive squads. Their recent success is a result of a complicated mix of cultural and social factors that have brought prestige to attending CSDR within the Deaf Community.

You can pick up the book on Amazon, but it would be way cooler to stop by one of our local bookstores, like Cellar Door or The Downtowne Bookstore. The Boys From Riverside is a great holiday gift. We wish the Cubs continuing success and encourage Riversiders to think about the rich history of the Deaf Community in Riverside and the Cubs’ current success in athletics when passing by the Arlington Avenue campus.