Fast Pitch

Download or read book Fast Pitch written by Nic Stone and published by Crown Books for Young Readers. This book was released on 2021-08-31 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From #1 New York Times bestselling author Nic Stone comes a challenging and heartwarming coming-of-age story about a softball player looking to prove herself on and off the field. Shenice Lockwood, captain of the Fulton Firebirds, is hyper-focused when she steps up to the plate. Nothing can stop her from leading her team to the U12 fast-pitch softball regional championship. But life has thrown some curveballs her way. Strike one: As the sole team of all-brown faces, Shenice and the Firebirds have to work twice as hard to prove that Black girls belong at bat. Strike two: Shenice’s focus gets shaken when her great-uncle Jack reveals that a career-ending—and family-name-ruining—crime may have been a setup. Strike three: Broken focus means mistakes on the field. And Shenice’s teammates are beginning to wonder if she’s captain-qualified. It's up to Shenice to discover the truth about her family’s past—and fast—before secrets take the Firebirds out of the game forever.

Download or read book Fastpitch written by Erica Westly and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2016-06-14 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “A League of Their Own for the softball set” (Lily Koppel, bestselling author of The Astronaut Wives Club), Fastpitch is hidden history at its most intriguing—the tale of the forgotten beginnings of one of the most popular and widely played sports today. Softball is played by tens of millions in various age groups all around the world, but the origins of this beloved sport (and the charismatic athletes who helped it achieve prominence in the mid-twentieth century) have been shrouded in mystery…until now. Fastpitch brings to vivid life the eclectic mix of characters that make up softball’s vibrant 129-year history. From its humble beginnings in 1887, when it was invented in a Chicago boat club and played with a broomstick, to the rise in the 1940s and 1950s of professional-caliber, company-sponsored teams that toured the country in style, softball’s history is as varied as it is fascinating. Though it’s thought of today as a female sport, fastpitch softball’s early history is full of male stars, such as the vaudeville-esque Eddie Feigner, whose signature move was striking out batters while blindfolded. But because softball was one of the only team sports that also allowed women to play competitively, it took on added importance for female athletes. Women like Bertha Ragan Tickey, who set strikeout records and taught Lana Turner to pitch, and her teammate Joan Joyce, who struck out baseball star Ted Williams, made a name—and a life—for themselves in an era when female athletes had almost no prospects. Softball allowed them to flourish, and they in turn inspired a whole new generation of athletes. Featuring eight pages of captivating, vintage photos and compelling, well-researched historical commentary, this “fun and entertaining read” (Billie Jean King) chronicles softball’s unique history as well as its uncertain future (as evidenced by its controversial elimination from the 2012 Olympics, and the mounting efforts to have it reinstated). A celebration of this distinctively American game and the role it plays in our culture today, Westly has written “a must-read for anyone who loves the sport” (Jonathan Fader, author of Life as Sport).

Download or read book Mexican American Fastpitch written by Ben Chappell and published by Stanford University Press. This book was released on 2021-08-17 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Mexican American communities in the central United States, the modern tradition of playing fastpitch softball has been passed from generation to generation. This ethnic sporting practice is kept alive through annual tournaments, the longest-running of which were founded in the 1940s, when softball was a ubiquitous form of recreation, and the so-called "Mexican American generation" born to immigrant parents was coming of age. Carrying on with fastpitch into the second or third generation of players even as wider interest in the sport has waned, these historically Mexican American tournaments now function as reunions that allow people to maintain ties to a shared past, and to remember the decades of segregation when Mexican Americans' citizenship was unfairly questioned. In this multi-sited ethnography, Ben Chappell conveys the importance of fastpitch in the ordinary yearly life of Mexican American communities from Kansas City to Houston. Traveling to tournaments, he interviews players and fans, strikes up conversations in the bleachers, takes in the atmosphere in the heat of competition, and combs through local and personal archives. Recognizing fastpitch as a practice of cultural citizenship, Chappell situates the sport within a history marked by migration, marginalization, solidarity, and struggle, through which Mexican Americans have navigated complex negotiations of cultural, national, and local identities.

Download or read book Softball Pitching Edge written by Cheri Kempf and published by Human Kinetics. This book was released on 2014 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A guide for coaches and pitchers, Kempf goes beyond the basics of female softball as she covers pre-motion presentation, stance, posture, timing, location and speed. Advice is given on the correct choice of pitch illustrated with drawings.

Download or read book Clean Getaway written by Nic Stone and published by Yearling. This book was released on 2021-01-05 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the New York Times bestselling author of Dear Martin comes a middle-grade road-trip story through American race relations past and present, perfect for fans of Jacqueline Woodson and Jason Reynolds. How to Go on an Unplanned Road Trip with Your Grandma: - Grab a Suitcase: Prepacked from the big spring break trip that got CANCELLED. - Fasten Your Seatbelt: G'ma's never conventional, so this trip won't be either. - Use the Green Book: G'ma's most treasured possession. It holds history, memories, and most important, the way home. What Not to Bring: - A Cell Phone: Avoid contact with Dad at all costs. Even when G'ma starts acting stranger than usual. Take a trip through the American South with the New York Times bestselling author Nic Stone and an eleven-year-old boy who is about to discover that the world hasn't always been a welcoming place for kids like him, and things aren't always what they seem--his G'ma included.

Download or read book Hitting with Torque written by Paul F. Petricca and published by Archway Publishing. This book was released on 2017-11-07 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Paul Petricca draws on his experience as a coach, player, blogger, and student of baseball and softball to share what hes learned about hitting in this essential guide for players seeking dramatic results at the plate. The author presents easy to understand hitting mechanics highlighting how the engineering concept of torque can be applied to hitting and is often the difference between a weak groundball or a long home run. Topics covered include understanding where hitting power really comes from and the importance of increasing bat speed through the fundamentals of a repeatable and powerful rotational swing. Hitters of all ages who adopt his eight hitting keys will enjoy a dramatic increase in bat speed and power almost immediately. Hitting with Torque is more than a set of hitting mechanics---its a mindset. Readers will be challenged to look past the worn-out hitting theories and myths that have been holding back hitters from reaching their full potential. With an open mind and practice, all hitters can unlock the power and consistency that is Hitting with Torque.

Download or read book Focused for Fastpitch written by Gloria Solomon and published by Human Kinetics. This book was released on 2004 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Annotation Focused for Fastpitchcombines the best qualities of a drill book and a softball-specific guide to sport psychology, ensuring that come game time everyone will play at peak performance. Informative yet easy to read, mastering the Focused for Fastpitchtraining principles requires no prior experience, and each chapter includes interactive exercises and charts to help monitor progress. Each drill clearly specifies the mental and physical skills targeted, the goal, proper execution, coaching tips, and variations for increasing or decreasing difficulty. And for additional insight into successful skill building, some favorite drills are included from these top coaches:-Gayle Blevins, University of Iowa-Tami Brown, All-American Softball School's College Prep Program-Connie Clark, University of Texas-Michelle Gromacki, California State University, Fullerton-Jacquie Joseph, Michigan State University-Brian Kolze, University of the Pacific-Patrick Murphy, University of Alabama-Coaching staff, University of California, Davis-John Reeves, University of California-Kathy Strahan, California State University, SacramentoIntegrating concentration, confidence, mental imagery, and energy regulation at practice with softball-specific drills will result in players reaching their potential far sooner than practicing any of these aspects alone. Applying the information in Focused for Fastpitchis the best way to gain the advantage.