"The nine members of the 1975-1976 Yeshiva University varsity basketball team attended their Jewish studies classes from nine to one, their secular classes from two to seven, practiced until ten, and went on to become doctors, dentists, or lawyers. The 1975 team's daily schedule and accomplishments were not unique, but rather representative of the approximately six hundred players who for eighty-three years have worn the Yeshiva University blue and white uniform. . . " "Why They Played," Chapter 11? The stories and observations that follow describe what happens when Yeshiva players attempt to find time for everything: Torah study, secular knowledge, and athletic triumph. When Dr. Halpert scours the globe for good player-athletes who will lead the team to victory, he looks for athletic promise, but in searching for the best, he is cognizant that, in the final analysis, his team will be the YU team. He knows that the players must be the best-but also informed by values, Jewish values, universal values, and values touched by the breath of Torah. Rabbi Simcha Krauss Rabbi Emeritus Young Israel of Hillcrest "The passion is there because the game of basketball is that kind of game. Coach Halpert exemplifies that spirit because he can get excited-and if you don't get excited, then the players won't get excited. He is able to translate that feeling and inner love to the players." Lou Carnesecca St. John's University

"Your to small" those were familiar words he heard from the critics growing up. With his blend of charisma and unparallel work ethic, overachieving talent and fierce determination, Sean Stellato defines the underdog. "There is so much I have learned throughout my career that I am looking forward to giving back to today's youth."

Now, in the same committed way he approached the game. Sean takes us into his life and onto the field. With his faith and detail, he talks about the influence of his parents, the work ethic they instilled in him, constant love they always displayed towards him at a young age, his true inspiration and guidance of significant others that kept him on course to conquer his dreams.

The commitment he has made to God has saved him and shaped him into the man he is today. He takes us back to Salem, Massachusetts a city rich in history, where be broke several school records and overcame tremendous adversity. A couple of particulars acts that almost cost him his life. He talks about his college career playing two Division I sports and finding time to get it done in the classroom as well as finding the love of his life. He reveals his struggles in the land of strictly business. He gives the reader a preview of one of the fastest growing sports in the USA, Arena Football.

'Mountains have given structure to my adult life. I suppose they have also given me purpose, though I still can't guess what that purpose might be. And although I have glimpsed the view from the mountaintop and I still have some memory of what direction life is meant to be going in, I usually lose sight of the wood for the trees. In other words, I, like most of us, have lived a life of structured chaos.' Structured Chaos is Victor Saunders' award-winning follow-up to Elusive Summits (winner of the Boardman Tasker Prize in 1990), No Place to Fall and Himalaya: The Tribulations of Vic & Mick. He reflects on his early childhood in Malaya and his first experiences of climbing as a student, and describes his progression from scaling canal-side walls in Camden to expeditions in the Himalaya and Karakoram. Following climbs on K2 and Nanga Parbat, he leaves his career as an architect and moves to Chamonix to become a mountain guide. He later makes the first ascent of Chamshen in the Saser Kangri massif, and reunites with old friend Mick Fowler to climb the north face of Sersank. This is not just a tale of mountaineering triumphs, but also an account of rescues, tragedies and failures. Telling his story with humour and warmth, Saunders spans the decades from youthful awkwardness to concerns about age-related forgetfulness, ranging from 'Where did I put my keys?' to 'Is this the right mountain?' Structured Chaos is a testament to the value of friendship and the things that really matter in life: being in the right place at the right time with the right people, and making the most of the view.

In 2011 the world was shocked when the news broke that Joost van der Westhuizen, known for years as the golden boy of South African rugby and a former Springbok captain, had been diagnosed with motor neuron disease (MND).

This rare condition attacks the central nervous system, causing progressive disability. There is no known cure. All who have seen Joost in action will know that he is not one to give up without a fight. His game-changing prowess as a brilliant scrum half is now focused on a battle for survival and, more importantly, on making a difference to the lives of others with the disease. In a race against time, Joost has a dream to fulfil. He says: “In the beginning you go through all the emotions and you ask, ‘Why me?’ It’s quite simple. ‘Why not me?’ If I have to go through this to help future generations, why not me?” His acceptance of his symptoms is equally pragmatic: “One day you can’t move your arm, another day you don’t have speech. Every day you are reborn and you take the day as it comes.”

Glory Game – The Joost van der Westhuizen Story is a compelling narrative of redemption set against the backdrop of an illustrious career in rugby. It is the story of a modern-day warrior forced to face his own human frailty. Joost shows us that beyond ambition, success and fame lies the true wealth of family and friends, and that within a ravaged body the spirit can remain invincible.

As coach of the University of Alabama's powerhouse Crimson Tide football team, Gene Stallings encountered plenty of tough situations on the field. But in 1962, as a young protege and assistant under Alabama's legendary coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, Stallings was handed one of the greatest challenges of his life: his newborn son, John Mark, was diagnosed with Down syndrome - a genetic condition that causes mental retardation - and a serious heart defect. Doctors said he probably wouldn't live to see his first birthday. At a time when many families were ashamed of having children who were "different", doctors and friends urged the Stallingses to institutionalize Johnny so he would not be a burden. But for Gene Stallings, putting Johnny in an institution was just not an option: Johnny would always be part of the family, no matter what. And despite the doctors' predictions, Johnny - now thirty-five - leads a full life with his family and friends. Wherever Stallings coached - at Texas A&M, with the Dallas Cowboys, or with the St. Louis and Phoenix Cardinals - Johnny was an integral part of the team, whether chatting with the linebackers in the locker room or cheering them on from the sidelines. When Stallings took over as head coach for Alabama, the Crimson Tide took Johnny to heart, and he has become a familiar figure to the legions of Alabama fans. As a coach, Stallings always lived for the next game, the next season, and the season after that. But Johnny's precarious health has taught Stallings to appreciate every day they have together, and to reach out to other families with disabled children.

Jean-Pierre Rives epitomised the French rugby tradition of flair coupled with guts and glory. He captained the team a record 34 times, gaining 59 caps in all, the first against England in 1975. He led France to the Grand Slam in 1981 and was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame. After retiring, this most charismatic of flankers - his long blond hair stood out as he led by example, turned to sculpture and painting, hence the title of this book. He exhibits regularly at prominent public venues all over the world and was awarded the Order of the Legion of Honor and the National Order of Merit by the government of France. He divides his time between the South of France and California. Before French rugby writer Richard Escot's persistence paid off and Rives told him, 'OK, come down to the atelier and we'll see what happens,' little was known about the former player - beyond, that is, what Jean-Pierre considers to be an extravagant reputation. Previously he had guarded his silence; now, in a series of eight conversations, Rives reveals himself to be a natural talker, prepared to provide an insight both into his unique character and what it is like to play rugby at the highest level.

Many Indiana University fans have heard the name Branch McCracken, after whom the hallowed court at Assembly Hall is named, but how many of them know about the legendary coach himself? Before Tom Crean, before Bob Knight, IU basketball relied on this man to make the school famous for its hoops stars. And boy did he--with two national titles, four Big Ten titles, and numerous other accolades, McCracken defined Hoosier Hysteria for a generation. However, his greatest legacy remains the example of good character he set and the way he touched the lives of everyone around him. Fans remember him as the coach who helped IU break the color barrier in Big Ten basketball, and players remember him as a second father. If, as McCracken once wrote, "A coach is not paid in money or winning teams, but in the men his players become," he was a rich man, indeed. Branch McCracken made Indiana University basketball a force to be reckoned with, and this is his story.

Eric Tabarly was one of yachting's iconic figures who became a legend in French sailing from the moment he beat the British to win the second edition of the single-handed transatlantic in 1964. It was not so much that he won but the way in which he did it that raised his profile in his native country. Purpose-built for the race, his 44-foot Pen Duick II took yacht development forward in seven league boots, at a time when his more corinthian competitors' advances were only incremental. He beat Sir Francis Chichester, the winner of the first edition of the race, by nearly three days. Tabarly, a French Naval officer, was tough and fearless as well as an innovator; although it was single-handed sailing that elevated him to legendary status (he was awarded France's Legion D'Honneur for his triumph) he was soon taking part in races like the Sydney Hobart, the Fastnet Race and the Transpac, winning line honours in all three and setting a new course record in the Transpac. Before long he had begun to make plans to compete in a new round the world race - the Whitbread. Two dismastings prevented him (the fastest entrant on all points of sail) from winning the 1973 race. By now Tabarly had reached celebrity status in France but despite his appearances in the media it was always his exploits on the open ocean that commanded the most attention...such as winning the 1976 single-handed transatlantic race where he overcame the massive 236-foot schooner Club Mediterranee in his 73-foot Pen Duick VI. In 1984 Eric Tabarly was voted the most popular sports figure in France and ten years later, then 63, he was drafted into the Whitbread again to take over command of the French maxi La Poste where his legendary leadership skills were called upon to pull together a disparate team. Tabarly loved sailing to the very end and it was during a voyage to Ireland in 1998 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Pen Duick that he was struck by the boom just off the Welsh coast and swept overboard to his death. France and the international sailing community mourned his passing.

The dazzling sport of Formula One motor racing has an exciting but violent past. Global celebrities and glamorous locations have long been part of the Grand Prix scene, but all the bells and whistles cannot hide the bloody costs in its history. To step into the cockpit in the 1960s and 1970s was to risk everything, every time.

Blood Sport brings you up close to the drivers of those days in 120 rare photographs and personal chapters by the author, who was there. Each of the 49 men in the book--Mario Andretti, Jack Brabham, Niki Lauda, Bruce McLaren, Carlos Reutemann, Pedro Rodriguez, Jackie Stewart and John Surtees, for example--has his own chapter. In addition, a compelling Bonus Section features five of the men who made the cars that so often killed the men who drove them.

As a journalist, Heglar worked inside the sealed world of Formula One during the sport's darkest years. She offers details on the triumphs and tragedies of those in that exotic universe, as well as an overview of F1 as it developed and how it has changed (or not). She had access to the pits, drivers and teams that is impossible today.

Road & Track published Heglar's earlier book, The Grand Prix Champions, which detailed the first World Driving Champions from Nino Farina through Emerson Fittipaldi. Like that book, Blood Sport is essential for any F1 enthusiast.

The American image of Alabama during the 1960s could be summed up by two distinct, and seemingly disconnected, images: Birmingham's Bull Connor targeting hoses against civil rights marchers and Coach Paul W. "Bear" Bryant guiding University of Alabama football to three national championships during the decade. By the end of the 1960s, however, both images had faded. Birmingham solved the worst of its civil rights problems and began to move into the modern era. Alabama football, on the other hand, appeared mired in mediocrity. Back to back 6-5 seasons suggested that Bear Bryant and his program could not adapt to the modern, integrated era of Southeastern Conference (SEC) football. The football program came under attack by its own university when the Afro-American Student Association sued the famous coach and the athletic department for not recruiting black athletes. While this suit was eventually dropped in federal district court, the message was clear. The University of Alabama had to recruit black athletes with the same fervor as white ones. Bryant's era seemed as dead as that of Bull Connor and the rabid segregationists. The year 1971, however, changed everything in Alabama football. This book examines why the team waned in the late 1960s and how was it revived in the 1970s. Read within the context of the social and political changes of the Civil Rights Movement, John David Briley's book is more than a history of a successful team; it also examines in detail, with probing interviews and extant manuscript sources, the internal process of cultural changes at Alabama that helped produce the team's and the coach's resurgence. This book is for anyone interested in sports, football, or civil rights.

""Dream Team" proves there really are saints and gentle souls capable of hitting home runs, pitching shutouts, and scoring touchdowns."-Brian Schneider, catcher, Washington Nationals

Former Marquette University basketball coach Al McGuire retired from coaching in 1977, just months after leading Marquette to the NCAA championship. When announcing his departure, McGuire explained, "There's more to life than coaching guys in short pants." Baseball great Roberto Clemente was even more to the point: "Anytime you have an opportunity to make a difference in this world and you don't, then you are wasting your time on Earth."

With a voice that exudes his love of sportsmanship and his faith in God's plan, attorney Frederick J. Day presents the fascinating and uplifting true stories of athletes, coaches, and sportswriters who, like McGuire and Clemente, recognized that life matters well beyond what takes place on a court or field. Showcasing the goodwill of dozens of sports heroes from the last century, Day proves that athletes can serve as powerful inspiration for positive contributions to society. "Dream Team" pays tribute to athletic pillars who understood, as did tennis player Arthur Ashe, that "the purest joy in life comes with trying to help others."

In a span of 81 days in 1978, Henry Rono broke four world records, committing the most ferocious assault on the track-and-field record books by a middle-distance runner in the history of the sport. This is what Henry Rono is known for. However, it is not who Henry Rono is. Henry Rono was born a poor Nandi in Kenya's Rift Valley. After an accident when he was two, doctors believed he would never again walk. This would be the first of countless obstacles Rono would have to overcome in order to pursue his two life goals: to first become the greatest runner in the world and then to become the best teacher he could be. Rono's first goal was accomplished in 1978, when he was considered not only the greatest track-and-field athlete in the world, but also by many to be the world's greatest athlete period. His second and greater goal, to become a teacher, was more difficult in coming. Once Rono became a star, coaches, agents, meet directors, and corrupt Kenyan athletic officials (whose boycotts of the 1976 and 1980 Olympics turned Rono's dreams of Olympic gold into Olympic smoke rings), wanted him to serve as their personal moneymaker, and so they did everything they could to discourage Rono's pursuit of an education and dream of teaching. The corruption and discouragement Rono encountered, as well as his alienation and exile from his homeland and family, pushed him to 20 years of alcoholism and even occasional homelessness. This is the life story of Henry Rono, whose descent from triumph to abyss, and whose subsequent ascent from abyss to triumph, are perhaps steeper than those of any track-and field athlete in history.

Huddle with Rudy into the heart of college football in this true story of a young athlete achieving success against all odds. A story that will be familiar to athletes, coaches and everyone that listens and pursues that inner voice that tells you never to give up.

The Cameroon Indomitable Lions soccer team has much to be proud of. Touted as the best African soccer team of the twentieth century, ten of its players have won Player of the Year awards. In addition, the team has participated in: Sixty-one Africa Nations Cup games, four of them in the championship game Five World Cup Soccer Championships Seventeen World Cup games Eight Confederations Cup games Nine Olympic games matches Two Afro-Asian Cup games

Passionate soccer analyst Raphael Ebanga-Mballa recaps all of these accomplishments and more in this fascinating book. With an amazing attention to detail, he shares more than fifty years of success, including discussions on the team's victories and defeats, as well as anecdotes and testimonials

Reflecting meticulous research, "The Lion's Share" also contains an astonishing amount of data on teams and players. Soccer fans will find much to appreciate about Cameroon's leading team, including greats such as Roger Milla, Thomas Nkono, and Samuel Eto'o.

"The Lion's Share" is a moving tribute to Africa's most successful soccer team, a perfect companion for fans and players alike.

On a stormy night, as a hurricane raced up the Gulf Coast and created havoc in its path, Betty Gilliland was born on a corn shuck mattress in a barn at the foot of Sand Mountain. As soon as the midwife wrapped her in a blanket and gently laid her in a cow manger, Gilliland began a journey through life that would eventually test her spirit, courage, and, most of all, her power to forgive. Gilliland begins by chronicling her growing up years during a challenging time in America's history. Her father was drafted into the war and then abandoned his family, leaving Gilliland and her mother to eke out a life for themselves in their tiny cabin, surviving on a diet of wild greens, nuts, and roots. As she weaves through the threads of her life's tapestry, Gilliland recalls the challenges she confronted during her difficult coming-of-age journey as she suffered through hardships, physical abuse, emotional abandonment, and her own self-destructive behavior. Yet through it all, she never lost the faith. What's more, she used that faith to begin building a new life and to discover her roots. Destiny's Tapestry shares one woman's poignant memories of moving from the darkness of abuse into the light of healing.

From twice Booker-shortlisted author Deborah Levy, a moving and revelatory collection exploring the muses that have shaped her life and work as a writer

In The Position of Spoons, Deborah Levy invites the reader into the interiors of her world, sharing her most intimate thoughts and experiences, as she traces and measures her life against the backdrop of the literary and artistic muses that have shaped her.

From Marguerite Duras to Colette and Ballard, and from Lee Miller to Francesca Woodman and Paula Rego, we can relish here the richness of their work and, in turn the richness of the author’s own.

Each page draws upon Levy’s life in exalting ways, encapsulating the wonderful precision and astonishing depth of her writing, as she seamlessly shifts between and meditates on questions of mortality, language, suburbia, gender, consumerism and the poetics of every day living. From the child born in South Africa, to her teenage years in Britain, to her travels across the world as a young woman, each page is a beautiful, tender composition of the questioning self: a portrait of Deborah Levy’s writing life and intellectual vitality in all of its dimensions.