Often characterized as David facing Goliath on the tennis court, at 5'9" and 150 pounds Michael Chang is used to playing with the big hitters. What he lacks in stature, he makes up for in determination. A serious contender at any Grand Slam event, his bold statement of faith in God makes him a role model we can all look up to. "What's nice," Michael says, "is that, as long as my priorities are straight, I'm able to go out with the mentality to really leave the winning and losing up to the Lord." In Holding Serve readers get a unique glimpse at Team Chang, Michael's powerful family unit that he credits with much of his success. Michael also shares the story of how he became a Christian and the central role his faith has played in his achievements.

Sultan is the official biography of Wasim Akram, the "sultan of swing", one of the greatest fast bowlers in the history of cricket. For twenty years, Wasim Akram let his cricket do the talking - his electrifying left-arm pace, his explosive left-handed striking, his leadership and his inspiration. For another twenty years he kept his own counsel about those days, full of drama, controversy and even mystery, in a country, Pakistan, that to outsiders is a constant enigma. Until now. Sultan tells the story of cricket's greatest left-arm bowler, and one of its greatest survivors, who was chosen from the streets of Lahore and groomed by Imran Khan to become champion of the world - man of the match in the final of the 1992 World Cup. Along the way were unforgettable rivalries with the greatest of his time, from Viv Richards and Ian Botham to Sachin Tendulkar and Shane Warne. Along the way, too, a backdrop of conspiracy and intrigue over ball tampering and match fixing about which Wasim finally sets the story straight. But there's more: Sultan goes frankly into the crumbling and rebuilding of Wasim's private life, marred by the tragedy of his first wife's death and the torment of addiction. The result is an unprecedented insight into the life of a cricketer who revolutionised the game with his speed and swing, and a patriot buoyed and burdened by the expectation of one of the game's most fanatical publics.

As the saying goes, "When life deals you lemons, make lemonade." Having a handicap of his own, the author tells his story of finding his niche in life after retirement with the creation of a community baseball program for children with disabilities. Awakened to the opportunity quite by accident, and aided in funding by Green Bay Packer great Brett Favre and wife Deanna, along with local philanthropist Dick Resch, his mission included building a handicap-safe, rubber surface, baseball field. Touched by the lives of special children, he describes, in detail, the labor of love that went into the development of the program. Relationships develop with parents and their children. After a while it feels like family. Nothing, however, can prepare a person for the loss of someone's child.
With the field completed he could sit back and turn over the program to be run by others. But no, he teamed up with the mother whose child passed away and went on to raise funds to develop a handicap accessible playground to add to the venue. His hope is that others may replicate his experiences and develop the same Miracle of joy and happiness for children in their communities.

Diving Dream to Olympic Team is the fascinating story of 1968 Olympic diver Keith Russell. At the age of 20, Keith was the youngest athlete ever named the world's best diver by an international poll of coaches. Sports Illustrated named him to win the gold medal at the 1968 Olympics, where he was the only American to qualify in both the springboard and platform events. But the controversial platform finals proved to be more of a test of inner strength than athletic skill. By the time he retired from competition after the 1976 Olympic Trials, Keith was a six-time National Champion, World University Games Champion, and World Championship medalist.

Since his retirement from diving, Keith has been coaching and grooming national champions and Olympians. The former President of the United States Professional Diving Coaches Association, Inc., Keith coached the U.S. National Teams at the 1999 and 2001 World Student University Games. He recently represented the United States at the 2008 Beijing Olympics as the only American diving judge.

This is a feel-good story that will leave readers deeply satisfied and uplifted as they learn about one man's incredible struggles and astonishing achievements in one of the world's favorite sports.

If you enjoyed the 1994 fictitious movie Forrest Gump, you'll love Roy Story, the remarkable, rags-to-riches true account of the colorful, comical and quick-witted Roy Bucek, who succeeded beyond his wildest dreams on the football field, the battlefield and in numerous business fields with a combination of a tremendously strong backbone and an incomparable funny bone. Bucek came from such poverty that he and his family barely noticed the so-called "Great Depression." His athleticism earned him a college scholarship, where he became the first official track and field All-American in Texas A&M history and helped the 1939 Aggies win the football national championship. Bucek lost his eye in the historic Battle of the Bulge in World War II, but he became a man of remarkable entrepreneurial vision. He built so many successful businesses in Schulenburg, Texas that he resided in a sprawling home he built just south of Interstate-10 and at the end of...Bucek Street. His fascinating stories are guaranteed to mesmerize you and motivate you to pursue your own dreams, no matter how far-fetched they may seem. Roy Story is a captivating read that will take you back in time and challenge you to build a brighter future.

An amazing and captivating story of how a kid on a farm in the depression years who never played the game rose to the pinnacle of the high school coaching profession in the basketball arena. Recognized as one of the best by his peers and former players, Dusty Carter wound his way from the hills of Clay County, Alabama into the Alabama High School Athletic Association Coaches Hall of Fame. During his journey, he endeared himself to those along the way--his family, his coaching colleagues, and his former players. This is his story of that pilgrimage, told through the mouths of those he touched along the way.

Four-year-old Sam Payne can knock the baseball out of the park. That "the park" is only the back yard of his suburban home makes little difference to his mother, Martha Payne, who understands baseball a lot better than she understands parenting. She yearns to make her son a star on the Little League field, where promising young players are rewarded with a spot on the All-Star team.

Fueled by endless ambition but only a pinch of maternal instinct, Payne helps her son navigate through the thrilling but often heartless world of Little League baseball. While revealing a host of parental neuroses and coaching excesses, "Put Him In, Coach "delves into the inscrutable bond between mother and son-a bond sometimes forged in unlikely places.

As Sam progresses from tee-ball through years of strikeouts and wild pitches and up to the brink of adolescence, he and his mother discover as much about each other as they do about the perils of the game. Most importantly, Payne learns that in raising a son, sometimes less is more-even if your kid does have a shot at becoming the next Babe Ruth.

Put Him In, Coach A Mother's All-Star Memoir, is a recipient of the prestigious Mom's Choice Award. The Mom's Choice Awards honor excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. The Awards esteemed panel of judges includes education and media experts as well as parents, children, librarians, performing artists, producers, medical and business professionals, authors, and scientists, including Dr. Twila C. Liggett, ten-time Emmy-winner and founder of Reading Rainbow; Julie Aigner-Clark, creator of Baby Einstein and the Safe Side Project; Jodee Blanco, New York Times best-selling author; LeAnn Thieman, motivational speaker and coauthor of seven Chicken Soup For The Soul books, and Tara Paterson, Certified Parent Coach and founder of the Mom's Choice Awards. Parents and educators look for the Mom's Choice Awards seal in selecting quality materials and products for children and families. Martha Payne's memoir has been honored with this distinguished award.

In 1964, Dan Reilly landed the dream job of every New York Mets fan. Pulled from his humble position in Shea Stadium's ticket office to become the Mets' mascot-and Major League Baseball's first official mascot-Reilly donned the baseball-shaped, papier-mache head of Mr. Met and began a career rubbing elbows with some of the game's most illustrious players. "The Original Mr. Met Remembers" is packed with never-before-told anecdotes, detailed team history, and intimate glimpses of players on and off the field. With a cast of characters that include the inimitable Casey Stengel, the bumbling Marv Throneberry, and Hall of Famer Richie Ashburn, Reilly delivers a rollicking ride from the Mets' celebrated first season in 1962 to their unexpected and thrilling 1969 World Series victory.

A must-read for baseball fans and sports historians alike, "The Original Mr. Met Remembers" recalls America's favorite pastime in all its glory, and is a devoted fan's personal tribute to one of New York's most celebrated teams.

Grabbing the Brass Ring is an epic Homeric tale of a complex and enigmatic man, Richard Mansan - a front-line fighter, an adventurer, and a natural leader. In a time close to ours...on a world not unlike our own...Mansan is either blessed or cursed with the ability to clearly see the inevitable consequences of mankind's actions, choices, and hubris - a vision shared by no one else. As a result of serendipity or design, he finds himself inextricably entwined with the major leaders of the day. Yet, despite the benefit of his friendship and counsel, as well as their own valiant efforts, they are unable to stem the tide of events as the world catapults madly to an unavoidable fate. A story of power, war, greed, ignorance, pride, and redemption, Grabbing the Brass Ring will give the reader a glimpse at the worst...and the best within all of us. After a phenomenal career as a legendary football player, record-setting track and field star, powerhouse wrestler and weightlifter, and multi-titled heavyweight boxing champion - Michael Earl Nolan joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1941. He fought at Guadalcanal, Bougainville with the famed Raiders, and Iwo Jima, rising from private to captain during the war, and retiring a major. With an amazing life that spanned hopping freight trains in the 1930s to becoming the highly respected civil engineer responsible for the massive Coronado National Forest, Nolan was a fascinating individual, a sensitive and prophetic novelist, a devoted family man and friend. To this day, he remains an inspiration, a real-life hero in every sense of the word.

When soon after I started to meditate, I seemed to find myself inside of the beautiful birds body, flying so free. It was a beautiful feeling, the feeling of free flight, and I was able to fly wherever I wished and when suddenly I returned to my own body, there underneath the tree, I felt like a new person. I felt as if I was one with all that surrounded me in nature.

The Fearless Falcon

Where time is lost and truth begins,
the chains are finally broken.
All without you find within,
once scarred and tangled, now silken.

The worldly lust that pained once so,
seems now just an ancient token.
The Fearless Falcon flies so high,
True love can never be broken.

I read "Cochise" and I congratulate John " "Cochise" is free, beautiful, interesting and full of surprises. It is sensitive and able to fully convey the spirit of an era, the hippie generation. An enjoyable universal crossroad, John Leslie Fultz, Cochise for European basketball fans, is a psychedelic author, who writes as creatively as he scored baskets. His college rivalry with the great Julius "Dr. J" Erving, adventures with the late, great John Belushi, his friendship with Italian singers Vasco Rossi and Lucio Dalla and his teammates, Claude English and Dino Meneghin are all included
Luca Maggitti- Journalist and Writer. Conducts basketball TV programs. Journalist for Il Tempo since 2001.

"They Called Me Kociss" is an intense, fast paced, vibrant story. It is pure, sincere and honest like the man who decided to write it always was both during happy and difficult times. A great and important message that should be beneficial to the new generation. It is story that is not only for those who love basketball Marco Tarozzi -Won Coni- USSI's Award as "Sports Writer of the Year" (2004)

Class Dismissed is a look at the adventures of a high school social studies teacher who hunts around the world. Without the benefit of sponsors or freebies, the author goes on safari in Africa, up to the Canadian provinces and around the fifty states. as real life hunts are described as they happen. And most adventures told without too much exaggeration bow in your hand as you venture into the field after game and on many occasions bring home the bacon. No pun intended while reading about elk hunting. many frustrations and sweet victory. For the turkey hunter, here are some hunts that you will appreciate and even laugh as you can relate to the excitement and challenge of the hunt. in some hunts and witness the majesty of the outdoors. Family stories also show another side of this hunter.

Generations of fighting Harris blood exploded through Roy Harris's veins that August night in 1958 as he stood in the boxing ring in Los Angeles. He was facing the undefeated heavyweight champion of the world, Floyd Patterson, who, at the time, had earned that crown at an earlier age than any other man in history.

Roy faced a psychological handicap met by few other heavyweight challengers. How could a rustic backwoodsman turned gentleman-scholar-soldier cope with such a challenge? What strange events had conspired to create the meeting of such a contrast in pugilistic antagonists?

"Roy Harris of Cut and Shoot" is, in part, the story of how and why Roy Harris emerged from backwoods obscurity to the pinnacle of fistic heaven--a heavyweight title bout. But this is also the story of the rapidly vanishing breed that spawned and nourished him--the rugged individualistic frontiersmen from the oil-rich southeast Texas thicket country. Today, Cut and Shoot is a growing community northeast of Houston. Roy has retired from illustrious careers not only in boxing, but as an attorney, real estate mogul, and the county clerk of Montgomery County, Texas, for twenty-eight years.

Roy's personal memories are inserted throughout "Roy Harris of Cut and Shoot," adding authenticity to this dramatic saga.

Explores Jackie Robinson's compelling and complicated legacy Before the United States Supreme Court ruled against segregation in public schools, and before Rosa Parks refused to surrender her bus seat in Montgomery, Alabama, Jackie Robinson walked onto the diamond on April 15, 1947, as first baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers, making history as the first African American to integrate Major League Baseball in the twentieth century. Today a national icon, Robinson was a complicated man who navigated an even more complicated world that both celebrated and despised him. Many are familiar with Robinson as a baseball hero. Few, however, know of the inner turmoil that came with his historic status. Featuring piercing essays from a range of distinguished sportswriters, cultural critics, and scholars, this book explores Robinson's perspectives and legacies on civil rights, sports, faith, youth, and nonviolence, while providing rare glimpses into the struggles and strength of one of the nation's most athletically gifted and politically significant citizens. Featuring a foreword by celebrated directors and producers Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, and David McMahon, this volume recasts Jackie Robinson's legacy and establishes how he set a precedent for future civil rights activism, from Black Lives Matter to Colin Kaepernick.

What's so bad about being married to a coach? Mary Lou Podlasiak boldly, but playfully, reveals how the "women behind the men" really feel. Whether you are dating a coaching fanatic, or have spent half of your existence married to one, the stories and insight within will no doubt change the way you feel about yourself. (Unless, of course, you are already feeling good!)

Filled with warm memories, as well as a minefield of topics, the primary focus is aimed at turning frustration into empowerment. Read about the events that have led the author, and other seasoned wives, to look beyond the annoyances and view their situations as nothing less than wonderfully life-affirming.

Mike North's true loves are boxing and photography. But, a Missourian in Los Angeles, he has only managed to live his dreams through being an amateur boxing official and a wedding photographer. Then he meets David, the skilled journalist and retired British midshipman, and together they navigate the hard-hitting, complex, and exciting world of boxing in its heyday. AT THE APRON: A NIGHT AT THE FIGHTS brings us right up to ringside to witness the thrilling, true-tolife experiences of photographers, journalists, promoters, judges, and fighters both at and away from the apron.

"AT THE APRON "explores the boxing world, capturing the lively and action-packed decades in which boxing was the premier combat sport. Mike North, writer, photographer, and amateur boxing official, introduces us to an incredible cast of characters who chose the boxing life-and the arenas where their lifeblood was spent-and invite us to share in their stories, their knowledge, and their passion.

St. Patrick High School, a small, no-frills Catholic institution located in a rough urban area of New Jersey, houses one of the nation's most storied high school basketball programs. Kevin Boyle, a leader who garnered multiple National Coach of the Year awards, cultivated that winning tradition, and brought the team to the top of its sport over the course of two decades.

In Celtic Pride, sportswriter and author Brian Fitzsimmons chronicles a group of teenagers forced to juggle friendship and the immense pressure of being on the nation's best team throughout the 2010-2011 season, while unmasking the man behind it all.

This biography narrates how, with the help of a close support system and famous alumni now making headlines at the collegiate and professional levels, Boyle orchestrated a rags-to-riches story. Despite being hampered by a budget shortfall strong enough to present a potential death blow to his school's existence, Boyle not only produced a number of high-achieving players but also earned the reputation of being one of the most respected high school basketball coaches in the United States.

When legendary Chicago Cubs' broadcaster Harry Caray passed away in February of 1998, thousands of baseball fans mourned the loss. In Where's Harry?, Steve Stone pays tribute to one of baseball's biggest legends never to take the field, remembering the unique baseball commentator who was also the game's biggest fan.

"Overtime," is a true story about Texas high school football, the way it is and what it should really be about-love.

A story about facing one's shame and becoming a man of substance, "Overtime" gives you a look into the author's life and those of the young men he coaches.

Vivid flashbacks and colorful play-by-play make this a book that you won't want to put down. "Overtime" is an attempt to carve out the eternal question, "Why are we here?"

Right before your eyes you'll see a wounded boy mature into a man who believes winning in football comes second to winning in life. "Overtime" is a book about overcoming adversity and learning how to be a real man. It is an honest and moving story that athletes, coaches, and all people can identify with.

"Awesome, a must read story. It could change your life."
-David McWilliams, University of Texas head football coach, 1987-1991

Baseball was everything and everywhere in the 1950s on the east side of Brockton, Massachusetts. In "The Eastside Kid, " author John DeCosta tells what it was like growing up in that era and what the game of baseball has meant to his life.This memoir describes DeCosta's baseball experiences both as a youngster and as an adult, and it shows how this passion shaped him. With photographs included, "The Eastside Kid" shares DeCosta's life story from 1957 to 2007, including details about his Catholic family, his love for animals, his first job, serving in the military in Korea, dealing with heart problems, and his continued participation in baseball.From the sandlot to Little League to adult amateur baseball, "The Eastside Kid" provides an inside view of how deeply baseball beats in the heart of John DeCosta.

Mike Nicholson is a highly respected former rally co-driver who competed in UK and European rallies for over 35 years, reaching the very pinnacle of his sport. He partnered some of the most famous rally drivers of the time including Jimmy McRae, Tony Pond and Pentti Airikkala. In this book Mike takes the lid off the glamorous side of rallying as he recalls the highs and lows of his career from the 1970s through to his heydays winning the National Rally and British Open Rally Championships. Written with tongue firmly in cheek and peppered with wry observations, Listen To Me is sure to delight all rally enthusiasts who want to know what really goes on at the sharp end.