Kid Athletes

Sticky is a beat-around-the-head foster kid with nowhere to call home but the street and an outer shell so tough that no one will take him in. He started out life so far behind the pack that the finish line seems nearly unreachable. He's a white boy living and playing in a world where he doesn't seem to belong. But Sticky can ball. And basketball might just be his ticket out, if he can only realize that he doesn't have to be the person everyone else expects him to be.

Are you a parent, coach, or grandparent concerned about the stress, setbacks, and self-doubt that come with competitive sports? Do you want to help your athlete build resilience, confidence, and mental toughness, but aren't sure where to start? This book is your complete guide to nurturing a winning mindset in young athletes. Through real-life baseball stories and proven strategies, it empowers them to face challenges on and off the field with strength and determination.

Different sports. Different backgrounds. Different barriers to break. One thing in common: they got there first … fearlessly. Hear about more than 50 athletes who took risks, overcame the odds, and changed the rules. From historical figures to modern trailblazers, these athletes never gave up, wouldn’t take no for an answer, and transformed the world of sports forever.

Carmelo Anthony has had an incredible basketball career. As a freshman at Syracuse University in 2003, he led his team to victory in the national championship game. Next, Carmelo joined the National Basketball Association's (NBA) Denver Nuggets for the 2003-2004 season. As one of the best scorers in basketball, he helped turn the Nuggets into a winning team. Carmelo loved playing in front of his hometown fans after being traded to the New York Knicks during the 2010-2011 season. Learn more about one of the NBA's biggest stars.

Do you play sports? Maybe you dream about scoring a goal on the soccer field or hitting a home run in baseball. Perhaps you're thinking about trying a new sport, but you're still not sure. In We Got Game! you'll meet 35 female athletes who played hard, broke records, and inspired girls around the world. Some of these athletes have retired. Others are still competing. But they have one thing in common: They all got game!

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck has had incredible success playing at the highest levels of football. Andrew helped Stanford University win the Orange Bowl in 2010. He could have gone to the National Football League (NFL) after the season, but Andrew returned to Stanford to get his degree. He was chosen by the Colts with the first pick in the 2012 NFL draft. Andrew quickly made his new team a winner. Learn more about this young quarterback with a bright future.

In 2013, New York Yankees relief pitcher Mariano Rivera announced he would retire after playing 19 seasons in the major leagues. Recruited in 1990 at the age of 20, Mariano racked up many astounding pitching records over the next two decades. In 2011, he closed out a game against the Minnesota Twins for the 602nd save of his career, making him the top closer in history. Follow Mariano's inspiring story from Puerto Caimito, Panama, to the mound at Yankee Stadium.

In an era of discrimination, Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson broke Major League Baseball's race barrier. Before Robinson took his place at first base, the majors discriminated against African-American athletes, denying them a chance to compete. Despite facing harassment from fans and other players, Robinson stayed focused on the game, becoming the MLB Rookie of the Year in 1947 and later a baseball legend. This biography follows Robinson's time on semi-pro teams, his days in the US military, and his history-making experience with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

This graphic biography tells listeners the moments that have defined Colin Kaepernick’s life as a quarterback and an activist. His talent and determination made him a college football success and brought him to the National Football League. As a quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, he led his team to multiple playoffs and even competed in the Super Bowl. When outrage over violence against African Americans became a national movement, Kaepernick joined the protests. His decision cost him his career in football, but he gained a voice heard worldwide.

Before she became one of the most famous basketball players on the planet, before she began speaking out for prison reform, Maya Moore was just a kid. In this chapter book biography by acclaimed author Andrew Maraniss, listeners learn more about the life and work of Maya Moore—from growing up with a single mother in Jefferson City, Missouri, to her journey to becoming a star player at UCONN and the WNBA, to her social justice fighting for prison reform and speaking up for Black Lives Matter.