THE FIVE: Most Memorable Sports Scenes

Bewarned: I'm not much of a sports fan. Every four years I get my fixduring the Olympics, and that tends to hold me over until the next onerolls around. But even I have to admit that there are some books thatmake me see how exciting, monumental, and awesome sports can be in aperson's life. Here, I submit my top five most memorable sports scenes:

5. Slam! by Walter Dean Myers
Basketball?Check. Backstory? Check. The multiple-award-winning Myers tells thestory of a teenager nicknamed Slam who transfers to a new school and,as a result, a new basketball team. Slam's skills in the finalchampionship game shine and ultimately lead his team to victory. I wason the edge of my seat during the game scenes — check out this excitingpassage: "There were nine seconds left when the ball came across themid-court line . . . The ball was on my palm over my head with my elbowpointed toward the rim and my wrist cocked. Somebody grabbed my shirtat the waist as I started the shot. It felt like my shoulder was comingout of the socket as I felt myself being pulled down. The next think Iknew I was on the floor and Nick was on top of me screaming andpounding me with his fists. We had won!"

4. Kristy and the Walking Disaster by Ann M. Martin
Poor Jackie Rodowsky. It can't be easy being nicknamed "the walkingdisaster"! In Book 20 of The Baby-sitters Club, Kristy decides tocreate a baseball team for a group of misfit kids, including the town'svery own walking disaster. In the first official match-up, Kristy'sKrushers face off against Bart's Bashers, whose polish and skill areintimidating. After a tough game, including a disaster at therefreshment stand, the Krushers succumb to the Bashers, 16–11. But theteam is thrilled, and Kristy helps remind them what sports are reallyall about: teamwork and trying your best.

3. Players in Pigtails by Shana Corey
This book for young readers is a fictional account of theabsolutely true story of the young women who played professionalbaseball during World War 2 — the All-American Girls ProfessionalBaseball League. When Katie Casey hears about the tryouts, she can'tbelieve her dream is about to come true! Even though everyone tells hergirls shouldn't play baseball, she tries out and makes the team. Inthis scene, it's the opening game of the new women's league, and thecrowd is teasing the players — but Katie doesn't care: "She stepped upto the plate and looked out at the stands. She'd been waiting her wholelife for this. The pitcher threw the ball, and Katie swung . . . CRACK!The ball sailed up, up, up into the air. Katie took off running. 'It'sa grand slam home run' shouted the announcer. The crowd went wild! AndKatie cheered right along with them because for once, no one was askingwhat good baseball was to a girl. They were too busy talking about howgood GIRLS were at baseball!"

2. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
You haven't played baseball until you've played it with vampires. In Twilight,Edward brings Bella to one of the Cullen family's favorite familyouting locations — an empty field outside of town — during athunderstorm. It all makes sense once the vampires begin to play. Asthey hit the ball, "the crack of impact was shattering, thunderous; itechoed off the mountains," imitating thunder. Bella is riveted — "itwas impossible to keep up with the speed at which the ball flew, therate at which their bodies raced around the field." Of course, those ofyou who read Twilight know that the game is eventually interrupted, but while it lasted, I couldn't put down the book.

1. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
I couldn't possibly leave out the most exciting sportsscene I've ever read! You may have heard of it — the Quidditch WorldCup? Witches and wizards from around the world — a hundred thousand ofthem, to be exact — camped out (after arriving via portkey, of course)to watch Ireland battle Bulgaria in a tournament for the ages. Thechase for the golden snitch is always exciting, but even more so whenveela and leprechauns are serving as mascots and the Weasley twins aretaking bets from participants. The celebration, though, ends up beingdramatically cut short when He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named makes his presenceknown. But overall, the Quidditch World Cup tops my list of favoritesports scenes.

What about you?

— Morgan, Scholastic Staffer

Comments

[Comment #1]

I'm a girl, and I play baseball. I'm the only girl in the majors.