Sports stories are the ultimate vehicle for inspiration. By following the athlete’s journey through early morning practices, and powering through the doubts of others, we race with them to the moment when the hours, days, months, and years of dedication pay off with glory. Track programs for girls flourished in the ’80s and ’90s, and women everywhere laced up their sneakers never realizing that the Tigerbelles blazed the trail first. Women’s sports stories do exist, but they are harder to find. Women and girls deserve to see themselves reflected in stories that give them the overwhelming conviction that yes, they can accomplish triumphs in their own lives.
Here are 7 books that will make you laugh, cry, raise your arms high to celebrate hard-earned victories, and make you believe that overcoming the odds is possible. These books look back to the women who dared to defy expectations, and forward to the signs that leveling the playing field in sports and in life is an attainable goal.