American Plays

Stefan Fatsis infiltrates a strikingly different subculture: pro football. After more than a year spent working out with a strength coach and polishing his craft with a gurulike kicking coach, Fatsis molded his fortyish body into one that could stand up - barely - to the rigors of NFL training. And over three months in 2006, he became a Denver Bronco.

Given his legacy, many Americans today believe Jackie Robinson was the first Black man to play in Major League Baseball, but that answer is wrong. As far back as the late 19th century, there had been professional baseball leagues that were every bit as segregated as any other aspect of society, but before that, there were, for a brief shining moment, teams of Black and White men playing with and against each other. One of the first Black men to play on such a team was Moses Fleetwood Walker, and he was the first who openly identified as Black.

Dr. Omalu provides answers to parents who fear contact sports might cause injuries that have long-term effects. Should your child play contact sports? This audiobook will help you answer this question.

Documenting multiple challenges at every turn - as a target for racism from society at large and sexism both inside and outside of the Negro League - this is the unique story of the first woman to play professional baseball on a men's team, breaking barriers in sports while believing, "There's got to be a first in everything. Maybe it will be me." The text explains that as players began to leave the Negro League for major league teams, Toni Stone seized her only opportunity to play professional ball and replaced Henry Aaron on the Negro League's top team.

Everyone has his or her type of sport that best characterizes the talents and skills within the person. But how do you see yourself playing football when it's not really your passion and choice of a ball game? It may be difficult for you to visualize it, especially when you are not really a football player. Among the many popular football players who fight for his own league is Tom Brady. Get to know more about him as you learn about his life story.

The New Rochelle High School team in suburban New York is like many across the country: a source of civic pride, a manhood workshop for a revered coach, and an emotional proving ground for boys of widely different backgrounds. In the fall of 2014, New Rochelle's season unfolded alongside watershed NFL head injury revelations and domestic abuse cases (remember Ray Rice?) as well as fatalities on nearby fields. The dramatic story of that season, for players, parents and coaches, underscores fundamental questions.

The horizon overlooking the landscape of college football brightened considerably with the announcement that a national committee had approved a four team college football playoff beginning in 2014. At long last, one of America’s most beloved sports and its devoted followers will finally be rewarded with a legitimate champion being crowned on the football field. Or so we’ve been told.

Everyone knows how rude and grumpy bears can be if they don't get enough sleep! When a bad-tempered bear trips over a tiny turtle, no one can foresee the consequence. When Turtle challenges Bear to a race along the lakeshore, Bear is confident about the outcome. But Turtle is smarter than Bear can imagine.

When Ameerah Monkey wants to cross the river, she hatches a plot to trick crocodile into helping her. But how will she escape being his next meal? And will Crocodile ever get his pot of Monkey Tail Soup?

When the curtains rise on Angelina Weld Grimké’s devastating drama, the Lovings—a Black family from the South—have settled into a small but immaculate apartment in an unnamed northern city. The widowed matriarch, Mary; her daughter, Rachel; and her son, Tom anticipate a more promising future here, but Rachel, a sensitive young woman, has a sudden reckoning with the past that throws her future into serious doubt.

In The Game Changers: Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid, you will get the whole story on how a quarterback and coach pairing for the ages was able to change the fortunes of one of the most beleaguered franchises in all of sports. Loaded with statistics, game recaps, and behind-the-scenes looks, The Game Changers is the book for anyone who wants to know about the hottest team in America.

Have you ever found yourself wondering what could possibly make fantasy football - seemingly, an imaginary sports game - so popular? Or maybe you love watching NFL games every Sunday and have always wanted to add a unique spin to one of your favorite pastimes. In this book, you will be taken on a journey through 101 tips that will help you learn - and more importantly, love - all of the aspects surrounding the wonderful world of fantasy football.

Play is an educated young man with a bright future ahead of him. He is in love with his best friend’s sister and is working to build up their relationship for both of their happiness. When an old college romance that he thought no one knew about resurfaces in his life, the bliss of his existence is shaken to the core. Play soon discovers that no secret stays a secret forever. As the truth unravels, the hidden information that seemed unimportant in college begins to disrupt Play’s life and everyone else around him.