Excelling in Baseball: ISBN 978-1-68282-695-9 / eBook: 978-1-68282-696-6
Excelling in Basketball: ISBN 978-1-68282-697-3 / eBook: 978-1-68282-698-0
Excelling in Football: ISBN 978-1-68282-699-7 / eBook: 978-1-68282-700-0
Excelling in Hockey: ISBN 978-1-68282-701-7 / eBook: 978-1-68282-702-4
Excelling in Soccer: ISBN 978-1-68282-703-1 / eBook: 978-1-68282-704-8
School Library Connection, January/February 2020
This series is aimed at those students who dream of playing a professional sport, whether the stage is a baseball diamond, basketball court, football field, soccer field, or ice rink. These books offer students with this dream the ability to follow specific steps and set ups to improve their skills. Pointers are provided on how to develop into a better player through exercises and drills, how to prep for a game day, and what the next levels of collegiate and professional teams will demand of their athletes. Each title in this series includes source notes and a section about the author. Also included are colored photographs, quotes from the professionals within each sport, and details on hot topics within each sport. Students who are interested in detailed tips on how to continue advancing to the next level of their chosen sport will find this series very useful. I would recommend this series for your Arts and Recreation collection. It provides students with pertinent information from professionals in the field and represents a timely and relevant source of information for today’s young athletes. Additional Resources. Index. Image Credits.
Deb Grove, Library Media Specialist, Papillion-LaVista High School, Papillion, Nebraska
Recommended
Excelling in Baseball: ISBN 978-1-68282-695-9 / eBook: 978-1-68282-696-6
Excelling in Basketball: ISBN 978-1-68282-697-3 / eBook: 978-1-68282-698-0
Excelling in Football: ISBN 978-1-68282-699-7 / eBook: 978-1-68282-700-0
Excelling in Hockey: ISBN 978-1-68282-701-7 / eBook: 978-1-68282-702-4
Excelling in Soccer: ISBN 978-1-68282-703-1 / eBook: 978-1-68282-704-8
School Library Journal, November 1, 2019
Gr 6 Up—Though each book focuses on a different sport, this series includes a lot of crossover advice that can benefit any young athlete. Each title expresses the importance of training, practice, nutrition, and rest. Conditioning exercises are recommended for strength and endurance; the majority of the suggested moves focus on body weight resistance and require minimal equipment. Explanations are given for why each exercise is important. For example, chin-ups are great for building a hockey player’s upper body and strengthening their grip for better stick handling. Though illustrations of the exercise moves in particular would be useful, resourceful readers will just Google moves they don’t understand. Nutrition basics, common injuries, and game-day preparation are covered at length, as are the different levels of competition. VERDICT The writing is clear though not particularly exciting, and absent a personal coach, these will help young athletes train in the off-season. An additional purchase.