Fall brings a familiar soundtrack to East Tennessee: soccer whistles, football cheers and parents calling encouragement from the sidelines. Young athletes have spent weeks learning plays, chasing goals, making tackles and discovering that winning isn’t the only measure of success.
As soccer and football seasons begin winding down and basketball season approaches, it’s a perfect time to introduce children to books that celebrate the games they love.
One excellent choice is The Berenstain Bears Play a Good Game by Stan and Jan Berenstain with Mike Berenstain. This picture book reminds younger readers that sportsmanship, teamwork and treating others with respect matter more than the final score.
For elementary readers who enjoy football, Football Genius by Tim Green follows a young boy with an unusual ability to predict football plays. The story combines action, friendship and perseverance while showing that talent alone doesn’t guarantee success.
Soccer fans might enjoy The Kicks: Saving the Team by Alex Morgan, the first book in a series about a young soccer player adjusting to a new school and team. Written by the Olympic soccer star, it captures the friendships, challenges and determination that make youth sports memorable.
With basketball just around the corner, Salt in His Shoes: Michael Jordan in Pursuit of a Dream by Deloris Jordan and Roslyn M. Jordan offers an inspiring story about a young Michael Jordan learning patience, practicing and believing in himself.
These books share a message worth remembering as one sports season gives way to another. Children may forget the final score, but they remember the teammate who encouraged them, the coach who believed in them and the moment they discovered they could do something difficult.
Whether a child is hanging up soccer cleats, putting away a football helmet or lacing up basketball shoes, a good sports book can keep the excitement going long after the game ends.
And sometimes, the most important victory happens between the pages of a book.
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