Sports Athletes

The athletes competing in the 1960 Rome Olympics included some of the most honored in Olympic history: decathlete Rafer Johnson, sprinter Wilma Rudolph, Ethiopian marathoner Abebe Bikila, and Louisville boxer Cassius Clay, who at 18 seized the world stage for the first time, four years before he became Muhammad Ali.

From his days growing up in Scotland to his harrowing experiences fighting in Italy during World War Two, Bill McLaren has always been in the thick of it. Used to being caught up in the most dramatic moments rugby has ever seen, McLaren relives the highlights of his illustrious career, and talks of the game today and his regrets that rugby went professional.

One night, one time, nothing more. That's all it was supposed to be. They'd agreed their first night together would be their only night together - and Minnesota Glaciers defenseman Dylan Rylie was fine with that. Giant hickeys and claw marks on his ass had never been his style, even if the very memory of Samantha Yates' merciless sexual energy gets him hard within seconds. He needs to focus on getting a better contract, not mind-blowing orgasms.

Pinned follows Ivan Korske and Bobby Zane, two high school seniors, as they embark on the most important winter of their lives in a quest for the New Jersey state high school wrestling championship.

In All Heart, adapted from When Nobody Was Watching specifically for younger listeners, Carli tells the full inspiring story of her journey to the top of the soccer world - an honest, action-packed account that takes listeners inside the mind of a hardworking athlete.

Back in his old basketball league, before the car accident, 13-year-old Carlos Cooper owned the court, sprinting and jumping and lighting up the scoreboard as his opponents (and teammates) watched in amazement. But now, Carlos feels completely out of his league on his new wheelchair basketball team, the Rollin’ Rats. After all, how can he make a layup when he’s still struggling to learn how to dribble? But when the city’s crooked mayor threatens to tear down the Rollin’ Rats’ gym, Carlos realizes that he can’t stay on the sidelines forever.

Be inspired by the story of Kevin Atlas (formerly Laue), whose faith and perseverance helped him become an NCAA Division I basketball player, despite being born with only one arm. Even before entering the world, Kevin Atlas was a fighter. He should have died in childbirth, as the umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck twice, but he survived because his left arm was in the middle of it, allowing blood to flow to his brain. But since circulation was cut off in that arm, he was born with his left arm ending just below his elbow.

The inspirational manual 350 Mental Models on Developing Mental Toughness: A Handbook for Young Athletes by Boris Mullayev gives young athletes the mental tools they need to excel in their sports and overcome difficulties with resiliency and determination.

This publication is full of practical techniques and questions designed to promote an understanding of why, at times, you feel the way you do, and help you to become rooted, mindful, and more accepting of you as the person you are.

Legacy of the Mat is a collection of stories from the Athletic and Coaching careers of twin brothers Jim and Dave Hazewinkel, two-time Olympic wrestlers. For years they have shared these stories with family and friends, and now they share them with you. Listen to the inspiring stories of these athletes as they smuggle Bibles across the Iron Curtain, coach the West Point Cadets, and witness the 1972 Munich Massacre.

In today's digital age, being a teenage athlete comes with unique challenges. The Game Within is your ultimate guide to navigating the social media landscape as a young athlete, equipping you with the tools and strategies to thrive both on and off the field. In this empowering self-help book, the seasoned author delves into the impact of social media on young athletes' mental health and athletic performance

Written for the athlete, Triumph! is a guide that helps you understand how to approach your sport philosophically and practically. Kunz explains how to focus your energy and play with confidence through ART (alignment, rules, and technique), understand the politics of sports, and manage relationships that surround you as an athlete. Apply the lessons learned in Triumph!, gain a competitive edge, and become a winner on and off the field. With forewords from legendary national championship football coaches Lou Holtz and Ara Parseghian.

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.

Before he became one of the most famous basketball players on the planet, before he began speaking out for justice, LeBron James was just a kid. In this chapter book biography by acclaimed author Andrew Maraniss, listeners learn more about the life and work of LeBron James—from growing up with a single mother in Akron, Ohio, to his journey to the NBA and ten NBA championships, to his social justice work creating I PROMISE and speaking up for Black Lives Matter.

Join Debs as she starts another season as a triathlete, becoming a more and more likely triathlete as time gets on. In this book we see a wider range of events than ever before, including her first half marathon.

By studying this playbook, aspiring and rookie NBA and NFL athletes will be able to create a blueprint to prepare them to navigate the world of professional sports and successfully transition into the final stage of their lives. This playbook takes a proactive approach in addressing the common issues that plague athletes, enabling them to move forward strategically and with purpose.

Simone Biles was raised by a single mother with addiction issues, forcing her grandparents to intervene. But Simone soon discovered balance beams and gymnastics mats, setting her on a path toward Olympic greatness. Carli Lloyd, meanwhile, believed her youth soccer career was really starting to take off, only to be cut from her team. Instead of quitting the sport she loved, Carli rebuilt her confidence, ultimately becoming one of the leaders on the World Cup Champion US Women's Soccer team. The athletes featured in this book met earth-shaking challenges head on, and went on to conquer the sports world.

Right out of college, Abby Wambach shot to fame in the United States soccer scene. In 2002, she was picked second in the Women's United Soccer Association draft by the Washington Freedom. She also became a leading scorer on the US Women's National Team. After winning the 2012 FIFA Women's World Player of the Year award and two Olympic gold medals, Abby is still going strong. She holds the world record for international goals. Follow Abby's story from her beginnings at University of Florida to becoming an international soccer superstar.

What does it mean to be ready to play? Coaches and athletes understand the importance of being ready to play. However, many competitors find it difficult to define mental readiness and a challenge to be ready to play each and every time they perform. Ready to Play: Mental Training for Student-Athletes is written to help athletes better understand what it means to be ready to play and how to create and maintain a positive mindset for performance.

In full and intricate detail, featuring an amazing cast of characters from the worlds of politics, athletics, entertainment and more, this is the story of how President Theodore Roosevelt helped shepherd in a sports and fitness revolution that forever changed the complexion of the United States.