Sports Athletes

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.

Team USA goalkeeper Tim Howard was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome in sixth grade. He went on to become a national treasure after single-handedly keeping America competitive in the 2014 World Cup. Stephen Curry was told he was too small, too weak, and too slow to even receive a scholarship to play college basketball. He outworked everyone and went on to become MVP of the National Basketball Association. Jim Abbott was born without his right hand, yet he refused to be defined by what he lacked. He went on to pitch a no-hitter in the Major Leagues.

In the high-pressure world of sports, female athletes often face a unique set of challenges. The expectations to be tough, competitive & to win, can conflict with the expectations to be feminine, flexible, and to conform to idealized body standards can be overwhelming. These pressures can impact performance, self-esteem, and well-being.

Whether you call him King James or simply LeBron, one thing is certain: LeBron James is the face of the NBA. At just eighteen, and facing sky-high expectations, LeBron headed straight from high school to the pros. Cool under pressure, he went on to shatter the record books and become the most popular athlete in America. Yet nothing was ever handed to LeBron. As a kid, he had to move homes constantly, even separating from his mother for a time. But through all the adversity, he took his natural talent and combined it with hard work to set himself on a path to greatness.

Many female athletes struggle with body confidence and change their nutrition in unhealthy ways, only to the detriment of both their performance and their health. SPRING Forward: Balanced Eating, Exercise, and Body Image in Sport for Female Athletes provides performance nutrition and body image flexibility guidance for adolescent and adult female athletes. This book details the problems and the consequences, and provides extensive education on healthier, higher-quality performance.

In The I of the Tiger, retired athlete and sports researcher Kimberly Carducci analyzes the psychology behind forming an athlete identity and its impact on mental health in today’s sports world. With a basis of who we are as athletes, Carducci guides listeners through the toughest moments athletes face along their journey (defeat, injury, retirement), and how to get through them. In this timely audiobook, Carducci demonstrates how ignoring athlete’s emotional struggle in modern competition is a harmful, outdated approach to sport.

Do you really know what separates champions from others? Learn from Olympic medalist, NCAA champion, and academic all-American Obadele Thompson, the “secrets” of how to: Avoid common student-athlete mistakes and pitfalls, improve your study habits and ace your classes, train better and win bigger and more often, get “paid” now by using your opportunities and resources, establish power habits to succeed in college and beyond, grow your brand, network, and relationships, and prepare for a professional sports career.

Unleash your inner champion and discover the secrets to transforming yourself into an unstoppable force on and off the field with "Mental Toughness for Athletes: 7 Proven Strategies for Young Champions to Build Grit, Boost Emotional Resilience, and Become Unstoppable."

As an athlete, you know you must allow time for your body to rest and recover to improve. If you don’t, you risk overtraining your body, excess fatigue, and injury. Your performance suffers, and you may even stop enjoying your sport.

The NCAA and the Exploitation of College Profit-Athletes: An Amateurism That Never Was provides a comprehensive historical, sociological, legal, financial, and managerial argument for the reclassification of profit-athletes as employees. Such a reclassification would permit profit-athletes to gain not only fair financial compensation but also equal access to educational benefits that have been promised but systematically denied. The authors trace how Power Five college sports have morphed into a hyper professionalized and commercialized sport-business enterprise.

As the revenues generated by big-time college sports continue to skyrocket, virtually all of the debate involves whether (and how much) student-athletes should be paid for play. Kenneth L. Shropshire and Collin D. Williams Jr., argue that "student" has to come first: the focus should be on prioritizing a meaningful education. They draw on new research to reveal that it has become increasingly difficult for college athletes to balance school and sports, much less a social life, leading to serious economic, professional, and emotional consequences for young people.

In the world of athletics, success isn't just about physical prowess—it's about mastering the mental game. From clutch performances to sustained excellence, elite athletes understand that mental strength is the key to outperforming the competition.

Champion Minds is your gateway to the hallowed secrets of athletic motivation that have catapulted countless sportspeople to the pinnacle of their games. Benefit from the wisdom of the best, and tap into the reservoir of mental fortitude you need to amplify your performance.

Being able to prevail over obstacles and opponents gives you a boost in confidence that carries over to your school and personal life, improving your performance in those areas as well. Unfortunately, you can’t win all the time. Sometimes, you have a bad day, or you simply get outplayed, and you end up doubting yourself and your athletic abilities. These feelings of worry, uncertainty, fear, doubt, or anxiety will make it difficult for you to perform consistently well. But with time, some effort, and the right knowledge, you can take control of your confidence.

Sports vision is an often-overlooked area that can be leveraged for improved performance. Most athletes invest in equipment and training without ever thinking about their vision. Many scientific studies have highlighted the relationship between vision and on-field performance, and most professional sports teams employ a sports vision specialist to ensure all team members have optimal vision and visual function for success.

Hilary Topper was a 48-year-old working mother who, once upon a time, had practically failed high school gym class. She was working 60-plus hours a week, running a small business. In the meantime, her weight kept increasing, and she was unhappy with her life. To turn things around, she joined a gym for the first time. This book will take the listener on Hilary’s journey as she trains for and runs her first 5K, swims the waters of the Caribbean, cycles in Milwaukee, learns how to run-walk through the New York City Marathon, and competes in her first triathlon in Sanibel, Florida.

The number one sports series for kids takes listeners on the court and behind the scenes with beloved NBA icon Kobe Bryant in this inspiring biography.

How does an undrafted free agent and two-sport college walk-on end up in a Chicago White Sox uniform? With a college football career derailed by mononucleosis and a college baseball career shattered by rotator cuff surgery, Brian Kent's narrative will motivate any athlete. Follow the journey from high school to college(s); from the dojo to the independent leagues; and from personal training to a White Sox contract.

No matter where you’re at with your sport - you might be an amateur hobbyist, a college student, or a professional at the peak of their game - you’ve probably got some idea of what the word "champion" means to you. It’s a word that evokes images of someone who’s entirely capable and confident in every way they want to be. A champion is respected and revered by all their teammates and opponents, and they set the standard for what perfect play looks like. Champions don’t just win - they never lose.

What happens when the stadium clears for the last time? You've built a career - a life - around your sport. But when the stadium clears and you hang up your jersey after your final game, what will your career be? Who will you be? In Shift, Jonathan Van Horn explores the truth behind the adage that athletes die twice, once when they stop competing and again when they stop breathing. Having experienced heartache, withdrawal, and identity loss when he transitioned to life beyond soccer, he understands the struggle and emotional toll of that first death.