A collection of nine short stories about middle-schoolers and sports. They range from a game of "H-O-R-S-E" to running, ping pong, dirt biking, surfing, place kicking, soccer, and basketball.

Steve is King of the Bench. No brag. That's just a fact. And this season, Steve and his friends are ready to sit on the sidelines of the Spiro T. Agnew Middle school football field. But then they stumble upon an old-school video game controller, and they become convinced it can control sports plays. With it, Steve might become King of Football too!

Explores the roles of both genetics and training in athletic success, arguing that both are equally necessary components of athletic achievement while considering such topics as race, gender, and genetic testing.

"Sportswriter and columnist Sally Jenkins spent her whole life literally stamping great coaches and athletes down in letters. But somewhere along the line, she realized, they had begun to write her. Their example could shape her into something better if she paid attention. What she learned from great athletes and coaches is that champions are the product of their own work. This book is an effort to catalog the inner qualities that allow ordinary people...

"Artie Lieberman is most comfortable in the broadcast booth. He loves announcing games! But when the goaltender for Peabody's hockey team is injured, Artie volunteers to be the substitute. Coach Walters is not sure, since Artie only plays recreational hockey. Will Artie's size be a problem? And can he make the leap from rec league to competitive hockey?" --