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One of the great things about having this blog is the constant search and discovery of cool reading resources that somehow involve the sports world. A couple of weeks ago, I was lucky enough to stumble upon a book called Tackle Reading by author and urban literacy specialist Kathryn Starke. Officially described, Tackle Reading is a resource that will motivate children, support parents, and inspire teachers and fellow educators to love literacy. This book contains stories written by NFL players, celebrities, and authors who are passionate about reading education. It also includes pieces, lesson plans, activities, and guidance provided by literacy leaders, educators, and organizations dedicated to improve literacy instruction for all children. There are SO many things to really like about this! First, we can all agree that literacy instruction is perhaps the most important plate on the education dinner table. Reading=life. In an era of distracted kids, teaching kids to read AND to love the act of reading itself is essential. They do not exist in isolation. Starke clearly values both, which is why I value her work. The fact that she recognizes that sports is a great vehicle to promote literacy warms my heart to no end, and supports my philosophy! May I digress slightly? The problem I have with sports(sports figures) and reading thus far is that there needs to be a more constant connection. While having a professional athlete pop into a classroom and read a cute book to kindergartners is fantastic, what really needs to happen is a more consistent dialogue between athletes and young readers. At the middle and high school level, where the stars can no longer come in for a quick reading of Curious George and head out, athlete collaboration hits the wall. Instead, you get some loose reward incentive program from the local pro team that gives stickers or free nosebleed tickets to a Wednesday night game in exchange for whatever each kid wants to fib about in their reading log. How is this personalized? Where's the real connection? Wouldn't it be great if these teenagers could see how their sports stars modeled reading in their everyday life? How cool to see athletes tweeting out what they were reading? Maybe some book clubs? Yes, GENUINE collaboration. Teenagers won't buy into anything without it. Anyways, I urge you to check out Tackle Reading and Kathryn Starke. I haven't seen too many things out there that try to forge a real, sustainable partnership in this area, but this has promise. Kathryn is smart, she "gets it" when it comes to reading philosophy, and she incorporates sports! Winner! Order her book for your library and get it out to your teachers and parents. If you are a parent, there is great value in Starke's material to promote independent reading at home. https://kathrynstarke.wordpress.com/2016/04/13/tackle-reading-2/ Look, I'm a runner not a fighter. When I was asked by VOYA Magazine to create a list of good sports books for fighting/combat sports, I felt a little unqualified at first. I mean, how many librarians are versed in MMA fighting, boxing, or wresting? Sports involving beating people into submission are not exactly the hot topic of conversation at library conventions. And contrary to popular belief, I have never gotten into the ring with another librarian to settle a score over a conflicting Dewey classification. (But judging from looks of things at these gatherings, I might actually stand a good chance of winning) I'll be damned, however, if I was going to get sand kicked in my face! So, I fought back with a list of sports combat books that I think is terrific and that I am sure will knock anyone out in your library! Here is a copy of my story that appeared in the October issue of VOYA Magazine. Take a read and consider some of these selections. I have found that there is a huge appetite for these titles. Click on the article image for the story and full list of books!!
In the November issue, Runner's World rolled out a retro running theme for their 50th anniversary that provided a fun little blast into the past for me! One specific article that caught my eye was "Front Row of the Revolution," by Tish Hamilton, which does a fantastic job tracing the rise of women in running. As a runner for some 30 years, it is interesting to put into context just how important women have become to running--and I guess running to women--over that time. In coaching both girls and boys distance running at the high school level for 25 years, I have witnessed not only the dramatic rise in participation of girls in the sport, but the quality of female runners and the PR's being set in races are nothing short of incredible. There truly is a revolution!
In light if this, I thought I would highlight some books on women and running. In looking through my collection, however, I was shocked to find that about 90% of my running books involved male runners! While I am sure that the female runners in my school could identify with male running characters and would read those books, there was very little I had to represent their specific side of the sport. To make matters worse, as I set out to find books for female runners, there was a clear lack of material to satisfy this need. Not only was I neglecting female runners, but authors were as well. Luckily, a few strong options are pressing their way to the front. Amby Burfoot does a nice job tracing the history of women runners in his book First Ladies of Running. I can assure you that when I ask my male runners about great distance runners throughout history, they can rattle off Pre, Shorter, Rodgers, Salazar, etc. with ease! When I ask my girls team to talk about influential female runners, I get crickets. The book does a nice job of highlighting female pioneers of running, and would be a wise addition to any library. Other books highlight more inspirational stories of female runners. Some are professional athletes, most are ladies looking for outlets to better themselves. Running Like a Girl by Alexandra Heminsley, and Mile Markers by Kristin Armstrong provide fantastic examples and motivation for females looking to running for empowerment. There are also some excellent titles about running and family. My Year of Running Dangerously talks about the author's challenge of keeping up in running with his 18 year old daughter (I can relate!) and the Run like a Mother books by by Dimity McDowell and Sarah Bowen Shea are entertaining looks at the correlation between running and being a better parent. Finally, I wanted to include a very relevant book I just purchased for my library called Fit Not Healthy by Vanessa Alford. As a story about how a woman's obsession to be the best runner caused unhealthy habits, it is very applicable to a growing segment of competitive female runners that I see who are pushing themselves beyond what is healthy to maintain a competitive edge. Here is one wish I have for future running books. I have been able to stock up on many great running titles about male high school and college cross country team experiences. I would love there to be some of these same inspirational stories involving female teams. I know they are out there! we need to be sure our libraries represent these athletes in the same way they represent any other sport.
Some days you're lucky enough to meet a sports star! This past Monday was proclaimed Becca Murray Day in the Germantown School District. Murray was a 2008 Germantown High School grad who went on to become a member of the 2016 gold medal US Paralympic Basketball Team in Rio. We were fortunate enough to have her speak at each school and show off her gold medal. I can't begin to tell you how fantastic it was seeing all the big jocks of the school crowding around Murray for a chance to meet her and see the medal! Confined to a wheelchair due to spina bifida, Murray refused to make excuses and instead forged on competing in sports. As a wheelchair basketball player at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, she was an NCAA champion, and eventually won a gold medal in Rio. What an absolutely amazing girl!
Afterwards, when asked by a student if I had any books in the library on wheelchair basketball players or the Paralympics, I realized I had none. This was embarrassing. What's worse is the more I dove into researching some books to get, I was struck by the utter lack of material on paralympians. Two things need to happen here. First, we need to be sure our libraries represent these athletes in the same way they represent any other sport. Second, we need more quality books about inspiring paralympic athletes like Becca Murray who work as hard and accomplish as great of feats as the stars. Below are some titles that may provide a nice start for your collection.
Cheers to Wisconsin Badger basketball player Nigel Hayes for standing up for his beliefs about college athletes and their right to be compensated.
Connection: See articles Broke Badger(ESPN) and Good for Nigel Hayes (USA Today) Agree or disagree with Hayes, but do many people know exactly how much money is being generated by the sports these athletes participate in? Do many understand what type of commitment Div 1 athletes make on a daily basis? Here are a few books that might help shed some light on the world of NCAA athletics. Indentured, Billion-Dollar Ball and The System explore the money culture of the big ticket sports football and basketball, and how the NCAA treats the athletes who are the stars of the show. These titles not only look at the treatment of college athletes, but also how money has fed the beast of the sport itself- that has in many cases grown more powerful than the actual university it represents! I know in many high school English classes, the topic of "Should college athletes get paid?" is a staple come research paper time. It would be wise for any teacher/librarian to have a few of the suggested books on hand when students start asking. These are great reads as well for any of us(has-beens/wanna -bees) who spend endless weekends on the couch or at BW3's glued to our favorite college football and basketball games!
Who would have imagined we'd ever be debating the nature of "locker room banter." In light of the events this past week, we are hearing from politicians, athletes, and coaches just exactly what is appropriate banter in locker rooms and what isn't. Donald Trump Dismisses His ‘Locker-Room Talk’ as Normal. Athletes Say It’s Not. Time Magazine Don't think our kids aren't paying attention.
As an former athlete and longtime coach, I am not perfect, nor do I profess to be the great moral arbiter of what is right. I've been around the gnarliest kind of locker rooms--that of high school boys--for 20 plus years, and I can attest to some severe shenanigans. But there's a difference between stashing a freshly captured 20 pound carp in someone's locker and talking rape. Like anything, there is a thing called a "line", and my worry is that is that these kids, hearing from a public figure what locker room talk supposedly is, are influenced by a false reality. Perhaps this is an opportunity to reframe the conversation and point high school kids to some books that dive into what a locker room really looks like and the benefits of a fun, yet positive environment. Below are some selections that you may want to put on the shelves this week and steer you teen athletes towards.
The Rookie Handbook humorously peeks into an NFL locker room and the rookie experience. Season of Life connects football and lessons gained behind the scenes to growth into manhood. You Win In the Locker Room First talks about the importance of building a positive attitude within the organization. Tales From the Duke Blue Devils Locker Room is a great look at the success of the Duke basketball team and legendary stories that fill a locker room. Finally, They Call Me Coach talks about the legendary John Wooden and his "Pyramid of Success" which hung proudly in UCLA locker rooms as a blueprint for living a good life and competing the right way.
Let's defeat the negativity and show our kids that locker rooms should be a place of friendship and camaraderie-in the right context. These books should help the cause.
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