Sports in Young Adult Literature

One genre of popular culture that grabs the attention of most young adults is sports. Those who participate in sports during their years in middle school and high school most likely have a history of participating in sports such as baseball and basketball during their years as elementary school-aged children. However, regardless of gender, competing in sports while representing the school begins at the middle school level, which prepares them for the high school level of competition. One motivation for participating in sports is because children at a young age have a favorite sports athlete, mostly professional, that they admire. Competing in sports at the high school levels is the first step towards hopefully joining the ranks of the professional athletes they admired as children.

Young adults who have a liking for sports will tend to read literature that includes sports as part of the plot. The most significant part of novels featuring sports is the awareness of, as Kenneth L. Donelson and Alleen Pace Nilsen describe, �the training that is needed, the expected rewards, tangible or not, and the inevitable disappointments that make the rewards sweeter� (Literature for Today�s Young Adults, pg. 180). Like the games themselves, the plot implies that it isn�t all about winning or losing, but rather it is about the life lessons learned from the games.

The centerpiece of this annotated bibliography is Hoops, a novel featuring sports (basketball) by Walter Dean Myers. Myers has written several novels about basketball because it was part of his growing up in Harlem; The Outside Shot is Myers� sequel to Hoops. One of the most prominent authors implementing sports in their plots is Chris Crutcher. Novels such as Whale Talk and Running Loose are good choices for young adult readers who love sports.

Benjamin, E.M.J. Takedown. Wilmington, North Carolina: Banks Channel Books, 1999.

(information taken from epilepsyfoundation.org/epilepsyusa/takedown.cfm)

Jake loves wrestling and competes on his high school�s wrestling team. All of a sudden, Jake hits his head really hard and begins to feel strange. One night, Jake suffers a seizure; now, Jake can�t drive and his Navy scholarship is in jeopardy. Confused and unhappy, Jakes takes on a life of deception as means of keeping his disorder secret, as his father suggested. Jake deals with coming to terms with his disorder and having to take mandatory medications while still competing on the mat.

Carter, Alden R. Bull Catcher. New York: Scholastic Press, 1997.

The life of Neil �Bull� Larsen, along with his friend Jeff Hanson, has centered mostly, if not entirely, around baseball. Bull and Jeff push themselves to work hard (lifting weights and running sprints) so they can hopefully play at a higher level. As graduation nears, Bull contemplates whether or not to make baseball his life for the future, especially considering that he was ignored by the scouts in favor of Jeff.

Crutcher, Chris. Running Loose. New York: Laurel-Leaf Books, 1983.

(information taken from chriscrutcher.com/index.2ts?page=runningloose)

Louie Banks is in his senior year of high school. Louie has �the life� with a starting spot on the football team, good friends and the girl of his dreams. But in the second game of the season, all of a sudden Louie�s visions of sportsmanship and fair play disappear. By the time Spring comes, Louie�s expectations of life are shattered. Louie�s road toward manhood is cluttered with seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Louie must deal with being accountable for his actions and reacting in a mature and reasonable manner to the craziness in his life.

Deuker, Carl. Night Hoops. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2000.

(information taken from members.authorsguild.net/carldeuker/work1.htm)

All Nick Abbott wants is for his basketball talents to be recognized by his father, who praises only Nick�s older brother Scott. When Scott, a gifted athlete, chooses music over sports, Nick finally gains his father�s attention, along with his father�s win-at-all-costs mentality. As one of three sophomores on his high school�s varsity boy�s basketball team, Nick struggles with becoming a team player, especially when having to share the ball with the troubled yet talented Trent Dawson. Nick and Trent later share the same court � in Nick�s backyard � and play pick-up games. The late night pick-up games stir up a reluctant and unusual friendship between Nick and Trent, and they learn that how they play matters just as much as winning.

Deuker, Carl. On the Devil�s Court. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1988.

Seventeen-year-old Joe Faust begins his senior year of high school in a new town. Joe is determined to get the most out of his senior year by playing on the city�s strongest public school basketball team. Joe�s senior year does not meet his expectations as the school he now attends is one he despises. In addition, Joe�s basketball skills begin to deteriorate. In desperation, Joe embarks on a fantastical rush when one stormy afternoon, he enters an abandoned gym. In that gym, Joe regains his basketball talents as a result of a bold and terrifying bargain.

Johnson, Scott. Safe at Second. New York: Philomel Books, 1999.

Todd Bannister has a bright future in baseball ahead of him. Todd has a fastball that has earned him many trophies and has caught the attention of college and professional scouts. Todd�s life is good, especially with friends such as Melissa (girlfriend) and Paulie (number one fan). All of a sudden, during a game, a line drive off the bat hits Todd in the face, resulting in a damaged eye that is replaced with a glass eye. Paulie�s obsession with now taking care of Todd restricts him (Paulie) from planning his own life. However, Paulie is convinced that Todd�s baseball skills can become as they were before the accident, as long as Todd keeps on practicing. Todd�s acceptance of his disability is also chronicled by Paulie.

Klass, David. Home of the Braves. New York: Frances Foster Books, 2002.

As part of getting ready of his senior year of high school, Joe Brickman looks forward to the soccer season. This season, Joe will be the captain of a not very competitive Lawndale team. Joe is not discouraged by the legend that his school is haunted. All of a sudden, scary and unpredictable things happen, and Joe questions the cause of the events. Along the way, a Brazilian soccer phenom, Antonio Silva, arrives at Joe�s school; Antonio�s presence transforms the soccer team into a contender. The social order in the school begins to change when soccer becomes the �in� sport, and Antonio, who clashes with the school�s football players, dates Joe�s friend Kristine. Joe finds himself searching for the courage to get through the negativity before it consumes himself and his school.

Lipsyte, Robert. The Contender. New York: HarperCollins Publishers Inc. 1967.

(information taken from classzone.com/novelguides/litcons/contendr/guide.cfm)

Alfred Brooks is an African-American youth whose life is going nowhere. Living in Harlem during the 1960�s, Alfred drops out of school and winds up with a job at grocery store, a job that won�t take him anywhere. Alienated from his best friend and targeted by a gang, Alfred desperately begins to turn his life around by going to Vito Donatelli�s boxing gym. Alfred puts himself through the rigor and discipline of training, building muscle and endurance, and develops boxing skills. Alfred questions himself regarding if he has the heart of a contender; his question can be answered by way of stepping in the ring and challenging an ex-Marine, who is known to bring a vicious battering of his fists while in the ring.

Lynch, Chris. Iceman. New York: HarperCollins Publishers Inc. 1994.

Eric, 14-years-old, is perceived by his hockey teammates as a heartless player, hence the name �Iceman.� Eric is determined to prove his teammates wrong, and prove that he has a deep passion for hockey. In addition, Eric is determined to make his family understand his passion for hockey, and not be the �smashing other hockey players to a pulp� player that his father joyfully endorses.

Myers, Walter Dean. Slam!. New York: Scholastic Inc. 1996.

(information taken from childrenslit.com/f_walterdeanmyers.htm)

Greg �Slam� Harris is a high school boy living in Harlem. Slam has a love for and talent in basketball, but also has trouble with his academics. Along with problems at home (for instance, his grandmother is sick and his father is unemployed), Slam deals with the difference between sexuality stemming from want and that coming from love, learning that one of his closest friends is a drug (crack) dealer, and trying to keep his cool in the midst of prejudice from teachers and peers. Slam�s best advisor, Coach Coldy, who is white and gets on Slam�s case, tells him that the only difference between on-the-court and off-the-court is that everybody is in the game while off-the-court; and that Slam is in the game of life whether he wants to or not.

Other Works Cited

Donelson, Kenneth L. and Nilsen, Alleen Pace. Literature for Today�s Young Adults, Seventh Edition. New York: Pearson Education Inc. 2005.