Ohio Valley Athletics would like to take a minute to thank Mr. Jason George from John Marshall High School for putting this list together. He shares our passion for educating children. As teachers ourselves, Ohio Valley Athletics ownership, we truly believe in the benefit of reading. This helps someone become a more well-rounded person. Two things that help an athlete get a college scholarship are an athlete’s GPA and their test scores. By reading, a person’s vocabulary is increased and their comprehension improves. The benefits of reading more is immeasurable in the difference this can make in a person’s life.
As sports fans we love statistics because stats tell stories. Sure, fans can argue that one player or athlete is more skilled than another, but at the end of the day, the numbers don’t lie. We may all have personal preferences or teams we adore, but we can definitively say which athletes and teams are the greatest of all time. The arts are a different story. We all consume the arts to varying degrees, but unlike sports, the arts are subjective. I think that’s important to note here at the beginning of this list. I must admit I’m not the biggest sports fan (although I love Major League Baseball), but I am a lover of storytelling. I’ve compiled a list of what I believe to be ten of the best works of literature about sports put to the page. Remember, this is from the point of view of an English teacher that rarely watches sports that aren’t baseball. I’ve covered many bases here (pun fully intended), and provide examples of novels, short story collections, young adult literature and autobiographies. Here are ten great works
- The Natural by Bernard Malamud
Will Hobbs is a gifted baseball player that returns to the game after suffering a gunshot wound. The book was adapted into a film starring Robert Redford in 1984. The book and film were so influential, the “Wonderboy” bat used in the movie can be found in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.
- Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, and a Dream by H.G. Bissinger
It’s said that everything is bigger in Texas, and no state in the country has a bigger love of high school football. This nonfiction piece focuses on the Permian High School Panthers of Odessa, Texas and the football obsessed culture of the community. A critically acclaimed film adaptation starring Billy Bob Thornton was released in 2004, which in turn spawned the NBC series which ran five seasons. The book isn’t for the easily offended, however. Due to the language and use of racial slurs, the book has been challenged and frequently lands on the American Library Association’s list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged books. To censor this book would do the reader a disservice. These are real people, with real struggles, and everything feels genuine.
- Shoeless Joe by W.P. Kinsella
”If you build it, he will come,” whispers a mysterious voice in Ray Kinsella’s cornfield, and thus begins the mystery of Shoeless Joe, the disgraced baseball player that appears after Kinsella builds a baseball field in the middle of his farm. Of course, if you’ve read the book or seen the movie Field of Dreams, you know that finding Shoeless Joe is just the beginning for Ray. In the rare case a reader isn’t familiar with the story, I will say no more. The final act must not be spoiled for new readers/viewers.
- A Separate Peace by John Knowles
Set during World War II, A Separate Peace is the story of two boys, Finny and Gene, at a private boarding school. Finny has it all and makes it look easy; good looks, athletic ability, and charisma. Finny is always doing incredible things like breaking the school’s swimming record on a whim. His best friend Gene struggles and feels like he’s constantly in Finny’s shadow. Tragedy strikes when Gene commits a horrible deed out of jealousy. This is a terrific read for teen athletes that must work hard and who may feel overshadowed by other competitors whose abilities come more naturally.
- The Milan Miracle: The Town That Hoosiers Left Behind by Bill Riley
If Texas is the unofficial land of high school football, then Indiana is the land of high school basketball. The Milan Indians achieved the ultimate in underdog victories in 1954, later immortalized in the film Hoosiers, starring Gene Hackman. In this book, Riley studies life in Milan since 1954, asking the question, “will lightning ever strike twice?” This is the story of Milan, its love of basketball, and the Milan Miracle, considered both a blessing and a curse.
- I Never Had It Made: An Autobiography of Jackie Robinson with introductions by Hank Aaron and Cornel West
We all know the story of the legendary number 42, Jackie Robinson, so no need to go into great detail here. Read the story of the breaking of the color barrier by the man himself. The book includes some classics photos that are a welcome addition to the narrative.
- The Basketball Diaries by Jim Carroll
Arguably the darkest entry on the list (with perhaps the exception of #9), Diaries is the memoir of Jim Carroll, a promising high school basketball player and musician that became addicted to heroin. This too was adapted into a feature film in 1995 starring Leonardo DiCaprio.
- Athletic Shorts: Six Short Stories by Chris Crutcher
Although I adore this book, I am not the target audience. Chris Crutcher writes young adult literature and most of his stories are about teen athletes. This book covers a wide range of memorable, diverse characters such as Angus Bethune, the overweight football lineman with two dads; the Telephone Man, a boy on the autism spectrum, and Johnny Rivers, the talented wrestler that lives in the shadow of his father, Cecil B. Rivers who was a wrestling champion in his time. Each story is top notch and works with Crutcher’s overall themes of acceptance.
- Blockade Billy by Stephen King
Few modern authors love baseball more than Stephen King, an avid Red Sox fan, so naturally fans would always ask when he was going to write a baseball book. This is it. This is the delightfully twisted tale of William Blakely, a feeble minded but phenomenally talented baseball player. Blakely has a dark secret that is uncovered by the ending of the story. To say much more would spoil the fun. Just remember this: if you shout, “KILL THE UMPIRE!” Billy might take you seriously.
- Ric Flair: To Be the Man by Ric Flair and Keith Elliot Greenberg, and edited by Mark Madden
Let’s just get this out of the way right now: yes, I know the outcomes of wrestling matches are predetermined. Yes, I know that it’s like a soap opera for men. Regardless, it takes skill, endurance, and hard physical work to be a professional wrestler. Ric Flair is an icon and living legend, but it was a long road becoming The Nature Boy. This is the perfect story for someone making a comeback from injury. Flair survived a plane crash that should have killed him, and THEN went on to win sixteen world championships in professional wrestling promotions. Flair’s endurance and the ability to perform for an audience sometimes for up to an hour have led many other wrestlers to think of him as “the king of cardio.”
These are the top ten books about sports from the point of view of a high school English teacher. Your mileage may vary.
We had a few honorable mentions from our POV at Ohio Valley Athletics that we would like to mention.
- Bleachers by John Grisham
If you are a follower of Ohio Valley Athletics you know quite well that we are fans of small-town football. During our trips to Cameron and Barnesville We discussed how the settings at both places remind us of this book. This book is more about the kids and their coach than small-town football. You do not need to be a football fan to enjoy this read.
- A Season on the Brink: a year with Bob Knight and the Indiana Hoosiers, By John Feinstein
How can any sports book list be complete without one book about Coach Bobby Knight? Love him or hate him the coach was a well-known winner. This book was about a season where author, John Feinstein had complete access to the Indiana Hoosiers Basketball Team. No where was off limits and it was a season of struggle making this read one not to be missed.
- Seabiscuit: an American Legend, By Laura Hillenbrand
Last book on our list is Seabiscuit. This story was the story of a undersized crooked-legged thoroughbred that stole the news from people like FDR, Gehrig, and even Hitler back in 1938. A small group of underdog horse trainers, jockeys, and partners took this long shot into a national story and an American Sports Icon.
We truly hope you find a good read or two and enjoy these books as much as we have.
We at Ohio Valley Athletics are Amazon Affiliates. We did link all of the books listed below to Amazon. By purchasing these books through these links, a portion of the money you spent will come back here to the Ohio Valley. By bringing more money back to the Ohio Valley this lets us continue to grow and do more for the athletes of the Ohio Valley. It does not cost you anymore money to purchase these books through these links. Just to be clear we do make money from you purchasing the books through these links. We are not trying to hide that fact.
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