• Ryan's adversary in the citywide tournament becomes his friend and doubles partner. - 09/01/2011

    Ryan slowly tucked his white shirt into his tennis shorts and grabbed his racket. He slammed the van door behind him. “Hurry, Ryan,” his mother urged. “You’ll be late for your first match.” For the first time he could remember, Ryan did not want to play in the citywide tournament. Steven, his best...

  • The Eastside hockey team needs to win this game to get into the playoffs. - 09/01/2011

    Like a Frisbee on edge, the puck rolled away from Todd. No, he thought. Don’t go in the corner. “Pass it!” Matty yelled from behind. Todd’s skate blades dug deep into the ice. The puck rolled against the boards in the corner of the rink. He reached for it with his stick. Another stick struck his...

  • A full count leads Bob to a surprising conclusion. - 09/01/2011

    “Strike one!” Sweat drips down my neck. Jason, the pitcher, catches the ball and checks the field. Three men on. Two outs. Bottom of the ninth. Some man is yelling somewhere behind me as I stand sweating in the batter’s box. “You’re ahead of him! Come on, Jason. Just put this guy away and we’re...

  • It all begins when Bailey ties his shoes to the dugout bench. . . . - 09/01/2011

    Will the Hornets win? They’re a shoe in! It was the bottom of the ninth. Bailey trudged in from right field and slumped behind the dugout fence. The Hornets were losing to the Mudlarks, fourteen to nothing. Bailey began to fiddle with his shoelaces. It was a habit he had when he was depressed or...

  • Six new activities for summer fun. - 09/01/2011

    Keep It Moving! Form a circle with some friends. Together, keep a ball or balloon moving without letting it touch the ground. Try to increase the number of hits each time you play. As you improve, add a rule that nobody can hit the ball twice in a row. Partner Pull-Up Sit on soft ground facing...

  • Despite the painful arthritis in his elbow, Sandy Koufax pitched the 1965 Dodgers team to a World Se - 09/01/2011

    Sandy Koufax fires a pitch in the seventh game of the 1965 World Series. Sandy Koufax sat in the locker room with his left elbow in a big tub of ice. The elbow was sore and swollen, and the ice would help to bring down the swelling. Koufax went through this treatment after every game; it was the...

  • José learns that teamwork is important in soccer and in family life. - 09/01/2011

    José Tavares tightened his grip on the fishing net behind him and grabbed the sand with his toes. Scan the field, he thought as he stepped forward. Look for a teammate to pass to. He moved the sand with short kicks. Left, right. Left, right. José always thought about soccer, even as he helped Mama,...

  • Caitlin has lost her sight but not her determination to be a championship swimmer. - 09/01/2011

    Caitlin sat in the moving car and tried to imagine the color blue. Light blue, shining and deep, like the clear water of a swimming pool. Caitlin tried hard. She knew she should be able to remember what things looked like. She had only been blind for two months, and she had been able to see for twelve...

  • Perhaps the only way to cure Stork of his teasing is to beat him at his game--basketball. - 09/01/2011

    “Come on, short stuff. Get in my face.” Stork dribbled the basketball, edging his hip into me one step at a time. With each bounce, he nudged me closer to the hoop. “You can quit the talk, Stork,” I answered. “Just shoot the ball.” Stork beat me at one-on-one every morning, needling me the whole...

  • Bret gives Ryan a run for his money! - 09/01/2011

    Ryan sat alone in the empty high-jump area. The asphalt surface felt warm and rough against his bare thighs. He grasped his ankles and leaned forward, his nose touching his knees. The minty smell of athletic ointment stung his nostrils. A light breeze rustled his hair and reminded him that he would...

  • Athlete John Woodruff makes history in Stopping for Olympic Gold. - 09/01/2011

    The torch is lit and the summer Olympics begin. The year is 1936, Berlin, Germany. Nazi leader Adolf Hitler watches from the stands. John Woodruff and eight other runners crouch on the track, ready to race. Bang! The starting pistol fires and they’re off. John runs behind the leader, waiting to make...

  • Find out how to throw a pitch to fool the batter! - 09/01/2011

    Photo by Jupiterimages Unlimited. It looks like a fastball, but batters will be fooled. Few things are more satisfying to a pitcher than striking out a batter. But what’s the best way to get it done? Many would say that rearing back and firing the ball as fast as you can is a great technique....

  • Will Marcie be able to get back on the balance beam after a nasty fall? - 09/01/2011

    Marcie lifted the ice pack and peeked at her bruise. Brown, purple, and blue swirls covered her leg just inside her right knee. “Feeling any better?” asked Coach Jaremko. She sat down on the bench next to Marcie and handed her a towel. Marcie pressed the center of the bruise with her finger. She...

  • Andy longs for someone from his family to watch his games. - 09/01/2011

    “Couldn’t you please change your shift at work so you could come watch me?” I begged Mom. “It’s the first playoff game, and Coach Rodgers said I’d be the catcher for this one.” Mom sighed. “I’m sorry, Andy. I’d really like to watch you, but I can’t change my shift again. I already changed twice...