Curveball: The remarkable story of Toni Stone

Toni Stone had balls. She’s also one of the best baseball players you’ve never heard of. Since women’s leagues refused her eligibility due to the color of her skin, Stone ended up playing alongside men in the Negro League. She became the first woman to play professionally in the league against big-shots like Ernie Banks, Willie Mays, Buck O’Neil, and Satchel Paige. At one point in the 1953 season, she batted a whopping .364—fourth highest in the league. Today she’s often referred to as ‘the female Jackie Robinson’.

Author Martha Ackmann has written a new book called Curveball which chronicles Stone’s struggles and victories as a woman of color playing what was once considered a white-man’s game. Stone (1921-1996) wanted to play professional baseball more than anything in the world. In over twenty years of barnstorming, semi-pro and finally Negro League baseball, she proved that she could compete on men’s teams and handle the skeptics and abuse that often trailed her.

Stone followed the same purposeful path that Jackie Robinson traveled several years before in breaking the color line of major leagues. Keep your head down. Concentrate on the game. Let your play prove the bigots wrong.

Writer David Halberstam once observed that behind every great sports story is the story of a nation. And if you think about it—Robinson, Muhammad Ali, Billie Jean King— he’s right. Toni Stone’s story is the story of a nation as well: a nation stuck in the quagmire of Jim Crow, blind to the talents of women athletes, and yet open to one remarkable woman determined to live her dream.

To celebrate the release of Curveball, Ackmann will be visiting these venues for a reading, discussion, and book signing:

July 10, 2010
St. Louis, MO:
Left Bank Books (399 N. EUCLID AVE. SAINT LOUIS, MO 63108) 7:00pm

July 12, 2010
Kansas City, MO:
Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (1616 E. 18th St, Kansas City, MO, 64108)
11:00am

July 15, 2010
Chicago, IL:
Women & Children First (5233 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640)
7:30pm

If you can’t make it to one of the events, purchase a copy of
Curveball: The Remarkable Story of Toni Stone the First Woman to Play Professional Baseball in the Negro League online.

Venus Williams releases new book: Come To Win

With the 38th anniversary of Title IX this month, a crucial question remains: Do sports make a long-term difference in a woman’s life?  Most experts say yes.

Competitive sports prepare women to take on leadership positions and this week, Multiple grand slam tennis champion and entrepreneur Venus Williams serves up a new book that every aspiring professional (no matter their gender or field) should read: COME TO WIN: Business Leaders, Artists, Doctors, and Other Visionaries on How Sports Can Help You Top Your Profession.

Venus Williams knows what it takes to be a winner. Combining talent, drive and hard work, she has mastered the game of tennis. But how does that drive serve her off the court, and how will she put it to use in her post professional tennis career? For inspiration, Venus turned to nearly 50 business leaders, politicians, doctors and artists, all of whom previously played competitive sports and who now operate at the top of their field, and asked them the essential question: What principles that inspired you toward success as an athlete are helpful in life? In business?

Here an A-list of visionaries, including Ken Chenault, Meg Whitman, Phil Knight, Jack Welch, Condoleezza Rice, Bill Bradley, Vera Wang, Marcus Samuelsson and Bill Clinton, respond with a useful array of tips woven through anecdotes from their athletic past that have been instrumental in their post-sports life success, such as:

· How visualizing a course of action before it happens has helped them “see” their success ahead of them

· How they learned to turn losses into learning tools

· How figuring out who best plays what position in a sports team environment, when applied to a work environment, translates into profitable results

· How being able to juggle a demanding sports schedule with school helped them become extremely organized and effective with time-management later on

· How learning how to block out distractions has helped them focus on the tasks at hand and the goals ahead

· How learning that there is no substitute for preparation has helped them with building their foundation

The advice in COME TO WIN is something every aspiring professional will want to read.

Venus also reflects on what she has learned from her own coaches, including her father and mother, and how their wisdom contributes to her own remarkable achievements, including the launch of her own businesses, V-Starr Interiors, an interior design firm and EleVen, her athletic clothing line.

To get your copy:

Win a copy of Ashley Fiolek’s ‘Kicking Up Dirt’

Are you a motocross fan? If so, you don’t want to miss the chance to read her new memoir, “Kicking Up Dirt” out in stores now. And for five lucky Pretty Tough winners – the book is free!

One of the biggest stars in motocross, Ashley Fiolek has succeeded on and off the race track. At nineteen, she is already the top female competitor in a tough men’s sport. Since going pro in late 2007, Fiolek has taken gold at the X Games, won the American Women’s Motocross Championship twice, and become the first woman in American motocross history to be signed to a factory team—the highest echelon of industry backing.

But Fiolek’s rise has not come without obstacles. Fiolek was born profoundly deaf, a handicap that makes everyday life difficult—and competition on the track downright dangerous.

Learn more about this extraordinary athlete by winning a copy of her new book “Kicking Up Dirt.” To get your copy, you must…

• Follow @prettytough on Twitter
• CLICK HERE to send the tweet that enters you in our contest.

Join our Facebook Page for extra chances

Winners will be randomly drawn from the pool of entrants at midnight PST Monday, May 24th and contacted via Twitter direct message. Only residents of the U.S. and Canada are eligible to win. Please no P.O. boxes.

Good Luck to all!

Related Posts:
Ashley Fiolek is Kicking Up Dirt
Ashley Fiolek set to race in Europe again
Ashley Fiolek wins women’s moto X

Ashley Fiolek is kicking up dirt

Sponsored Post: Buy Kicking Up Dirt at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders or an independent bookseller.

At nineteen, Ashley Fiolek is already the top female competitor in a tough men’s sport: motocross, a form of off-road motorcycle racing that is one of the most competitive and dangerous extreme sports in the world. Since going pro in late 2007, Fiolek has taken gold at the X Games, won the American Women’s Motocross Championship twice, and become the first woman in American motocross history to be signed to a factory team—the highest echelon of industry backing.

But Fiolek’s rise has not come without obstacles. Fiolek was born profoundly deaf, a handicap that makes everyday life difficult—and competition on the track downright dangerous. Originally misdiagnosed as “mildly retarded,” she was a painfully shy and introverted child—until her parents introduced her to the world of dirt bikes, which helped her escape the silence in her head and connect with others who shared her passion. She began racing at seven, and as her successes grew through hard work and no small number of broken bones, so did her confidence.

Fiolek has never believed her disability should stand in the way of her dreams. Nor has she allowed her gender to limit her career—motocross historically has been a men’s sport, but with the love and support of her dirt-obsessed family, including her “Grandpa Motorcycle,” her little brother, Kicker, and her dogs, Turbo and Rocco, Ashley has emerged as one of the sport’s most talked-about stars, changing the way the entire industry views women. Armed with her extraordinary talent, contagious grin, and deep faith in God, Fiolek continues to venture into unknown territory, relentlessly pushing herself—and women’s motocross—to ever-greater heights.

Kicking Up Dirt is a remarkable, inspiring tale of a young woman’s courage and determination to succeed in the face of truly challenging obstacles.

Check back shortly to find out how you can win an autographed copy of Ashley’s new book

Book Review: Sweet Turnaround J

Sweet Turnaround J by P.V. Beck

Looking for an enjoyable basketball book to read this winter season? Check out P.V. Beck’s Sweet Turnaround J published by Bedazzled Ink.

Told over the course of a basketball season, Sweet Turnaround J follows sixteen- year-old spunky All State basketball player Janey Holmes through the most tumultuous season of her life. After her school suddenly closes, Janey must join a new team at a new school that hasn’t won a basketball game in over three years, leaving Janey to wonder, is her basketball career over?

As the Riverside Ravens transform from the worst to the best team in the league, Janey’s tumultuous temper, toughness, and first love are tested and begin to threaten the basketball team. Will the Ravens win the championship for the first time in school history? But, before this can happen, Janey has to overcome all the obstacles tossed her way. A fun book for the basketball player and fan.

Superheroines can be divas, too

Lots of comic book fans were stunned earlier this month when Marvel made the unexpected decision to merge with the Walt Disney Company. But earlier in the summer, the comic book company made another  unexpected decision–except this one was actually kind of cool.

In July, Marvel released Divas, a comic featuring some of the toughest females in the Marvel universe: Hellcat, Firestar, Photon, and Black Cat, to be precise.  NPR says Divas reads like a youthful, superpowered version of Golden Girls . The plotlines focus less on hyped up battle scenes and more on life as an off-duty lady-hero.

According to writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (”Big Love”), “The idea behind the series was to have some sudsy fun and lift the curtain a bit and take a peep at some of our most fabulous super heroines. . . the series is going to a deeper place, asking question about what it means…truly means…to be a woman in an industry dominated by testosterone and guns.”

The atypical tone of Divas may make it a hard-sell to the usual comic book audience (read guys).  But the boys should read it: the daring to make something so unconventional is reason alone to pick it up. And, more importantly, Divas is a big step in easing comic arts away from female objectification and towards a more substantial depiction of what makes women so super after all.

Check Divas out yourself

Why She Plays: A Book Review

Did you ever wonder what combination of traits creates the perfect player? Is it raw talent? Is it drive? Or is it simply the will to win combined with passion and pure ability? Christine A. Baker answers all this and more in Why She Plays: The World of Women’s Basketball

With a forward by the WNBA’s New York Liberty’s Becky Hammond, Why She Plays is divided into six parts (Youth Basketball, High School Basketball, College Basketball, The WNBA, USA Basketball, and Media Coverage and Women’s Basketball) and ends with an eye-opening epilogue entitled Building the Perfect Player. From women’s basketball coaches to commentators to former to current players to the extraordinary to the average, Baker dives into the mind of the female athlete and packs this paperback with valuable insights.

Sprinkling in powerful statistics and personal remarks throughout the book, Baker, a former stand out college basketball player, uses her own observations to give the book a personal touch, including this memorable quote about an athlete’s love of the game.

“The happiest, purest form of inspiration and confidence I have ever experienced is found on the basketball court. Deep within me I feel the pure magic, the sheer, unabashed joy of a high arching fade away, a perfect pick and roll, or a flawless box-out. When I cross over the threshold and step out onto a gym floor. I’m able to shut the world out completely and leave my introverted shell for forty minutes to become a vial, outspoken leader who is capable of scoring at will, who is capable of winning games and making my teammates better than they thought they could be.” (Baker, 158)

Why She Plays is a modern women’s basketball bible with an exclusive pass into the world of the elite female athlete. Baker covers more floor in the basketball world than Candace Parker covers on game day. If you’re a fan of women’s athletics, a current or former basketball player, or a parent of a child navigating the world of youth sports, pick up Why She Plays.

Reviewer Keri Mikulski is the author of Screwball and Change-up as well the upcoming Full Court Press (a Pretty Tough novel).

Win a copy of Serena Williams’ new book

Are you a Serena fan? If so, you don’t want to miss the chance to read her new memoir, “On The Line” out in stores on Sept. 1st. And for five lucky Women Talk Sports winners – the book is free!

One of the biggest stars in tennis, Serena Williams has succeeded on and off the court. She’s applied the same strength and determination that helped her to become a champion to successful pursuits in philanthropy, fashion, television and film.

Serena’s 2009 Australia Open championship earned her the #1 world ranking for the third time in her illustrious career – and marked only the latest exclamation point on a life lived well and purposefully.

Her accomplishments have not been without struggle: being derailed by injury, devastated by the tragic shooting of her older sister, and criticized for her unorthodox approach to tennis. Yet somehow, Serena always manages to prevail.

Learn more about this extraordinary athlete by winning a copy of her new book “On The Line.” To get your copy, you must…

• Follow @womentalksports on Twitter
• CLICK HERE to send the tweet that enters you in our contest.

Winners will be randomly drawn from the pool of entrants at midnight PST Monday, August 31st and contacted via Twitter direct message. Only residents of the U.S. and Canada are eligible to win. Please no P.O. boxes.

Good Luck to all!

Blogderby Book Edition: Sporty reads for teens

Sports fiction for teens: As an athletic fanatic and sporty young adult author, I’m always on the hunt for an amazing book that features an athletic main character. And guess what? Some of the best teen and tween novels on bookshelves today feature a sporty protagonist.

Born to run? There’s a ton of great sporty books out there for cross-country and track lovers. Eileen Cook’s (http://www.eileencook.com) What Would Eileen Do? follows Emma on her quest to snag a track scholarship with some major boy bumps along the way. Pheobe in Tera Lynn Child’s (http://www.teralynnchilds.com/) sensation, Oh My Gods, is a die-hard cross-country runner. Even best selling author, Megan McCafferty’s (http://www.meganmccafferty.com/) main character Jessica Darling (Sloppy Firsts) runs cross-country in high school.

 Performancing enhancing steroids isn’t just for boys anymore. Kathy Mackel (http://us.penguingroup.com/static/html/blogs/guest-author/boost-kathy-mackel) tackles this controversial subject and more in her eye-opening basketball book, Boost.

 If soccer is your game, you’re in luck because soccer books are booming. Liz Tigelaar’s (http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/471527.Liz_Tigelaar) Pretty Tough is filled with plenty of soccer action, both on the field and off. Parker from Tina Ferraro’s (http://www.tinaferraro.com/) The ABC’s of Kissing Boys thinks she’s a sho-in for the varsity soccer team after two long years on junior varsity except she doesn’t make it. 

Are you a fastpitch fanatic? After moving to Texas, Ella learns to fit in through the softball team in Weezie Mackey’s (http://www.weeziekerrmackey.com/) Throwing Like a Girl. Keri Mikulski’s (http://www.kerimikulski.com) Screwball series follows superstar pitcher, Ashley Clarke, as she attempts to juggle serious softball with school, sports, and a social life, including a new boyfriend.

 Teen sports fiction doesn’t stop with softball. Alexa Young’s (http://www.alexayoung.com/) Frenemies series features gymnastics. Chris and Winston go on a post graduation cross-country bike trek in Shift by Jennifer Bradbury (http://www.jennifer-bradbury.com/). Boxing is Taylor Lucia’s sport of choice in Taylor Morris’s (http://www.taylormorris.com/) tween book, Total Knockout. And Liz Tiglear (http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/471527.Liz_Tigelaar) tackles football in the second Pretty Tough series novel, Playing for the Boys.

 Can’t find the sport you’re looking for? Or am I missing a great book? Let me know at www.kerimikulski.com. Keep reading.

Read On: Pretty Tough Book Club

Last month I received a note from a teacher at Apopka High School in Apopka, Florida who is a huge fan of  ”Pretty Tough” by Liz Tigelaar, the first book in our young adult fiction series. 

JoJo says, “I loved it as a teacher who sees students just like the ones in the book. I loved it as a sister who I did get along with growing up…”

At Apopka High School, there is a reading event called “Oasis.”  It has been going on for about 6-7 years.  Any teacher can select a book to promote.  The library makes a really nice poster of the teacher, the book and all the information so students can sign up.  The students read the book and then meet during lunch in a special room in the media center to discuss the book over pizza and coke. 

JoJo had never done an “Oasis” but since she  LOVED the book so much, she organized a discussion for each of the 3 lunch shifts.   Usually, teachers sign up anywhere from 8-16 students but more than 34 students read ”Pretty Tough” and wanted to take part.

Through a friend of a friend of a friend, JoJo contacted us and asked for some Pretty Tough goodies to raffle off during the event. We were happy to oblige.

Here’s JoJo’s recap of the “Oasis,” including the girls’ ideas regarding film casting!

Everything worked out perfect today. We got into some interesting discussions about sisters, coaches, and school. The girls loved the t-shirts and the next book (”Playing with the Boys”) and want to know if we can do this again. .

The group had a bit of a hard time with the casting of the potential movie…here are the ones they came up with:

Krista: Blake Lively
Charlie: Dakota Fanning
Martie: Jada Pinkett Smith
Noah: Mike Vogel
Cam: Zac Efron
Brooks: Brenda Song
Pickle: I have a girl in my class who said she wants to be Pickle. She is a cute girl; very animated and plays soccer! I told her to make a video and we would send it to you!!

Thank you again for making today very special and memorable…One more thing…I re-read the book and took some notes to prepare simple questions for the raffle ticket as they entered. And I cried…again! Tears in the coffee this morning as I finished the last 20 pages!

Time to grade some papers…thanks again for everything.

Joanna “JOJO” Lowe

If anyone wants to organize a book club discussion around “Pretty Tough” or “Playing With the Boys” (Penguin) let us know and we’ll try to help out.

Read on….

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