Under the Boards
An original story by Jim Schafer, rooted in Atlantic City High School basketball and the players, coaches, families and friendships behind the championship years.
A feature-film project currently in development.
2005: The Championship That Changed Everything
In 2004, the coaching staff’s first year together, Atlantic City reached the South Jersey Final but lost to undefeated Tournament of Champions winner Lenape High School. Afterward, the staff returned to refine its approach and decide what needed to change. Coach Schafe refocused the program on the principles that make programs and players successful.
Champions are made in practice. Every minute had a purpose: offense, defense, out-of-bounds plays, skills and game situations, with each element designed to maximize the players’ strengths.
Atlantic City needed to control the tempo and direction of each game through defense. Defense travels, overcomes mistakes and is a common thread among championship dynasties. Winning one championship was never the ultimate goal.
To make that vision a reality, Jim Jr. recruited his father, Jim Sr.—the man who had taught him everything he knew—to help teach the players and staff. The players called him “Big Schafe,” and they loved him. Jim Jr. often welcomed players into his home to discuss X’s and O’s with his father over dinners prepared by Peg Schafer. The players remain close to Jim; they still talk and get together regularly.
The players often speak about learning to understand the game beyond their individual roles. Many now coach boys’ and girls’ teams at various levels, knowing Coach Schafe is always just a phone call away.
Beyond achieving what once seemed impossible, the 2005 team laid the foundation for every team that followed. They took on one of the toughest challenges we all face: breaking bad habits for the good of the entire group. As Jim puts it, “We were—and remain—a family.” Those players, coaches and families became the people behind Under the Boards.
How Under the Boards Began
From 2016 to 2018, Jim faced a series of surgeries and a fight for his life. During that difficult time, he turned to writing—a love his mother had taught him. He had first been published at 17.
What began as an exercise for his mind and a search for something positive became Under the Boards.
Producer Scott Rosenfelt connected with the story's point of view, honesty and diversity. The project returned to preproduction in late 2025.
Rosenfelt has interviewed coaches, players, parents, boosters and friends connected to Atlantic City High School to help the film reflect the era and the people who lived it.
We were—and remain—a family.
Basketball Built the Relationships.
The Foundation Carries Them Forward.
The story and the Foundation grow from the same lifetime of coaching, shared experiences and giving back. Learn how the Jim Knute Schafer Foundation is helping create opportunities for the next generation.