I’m Booked: My Favorite Sports Books and “One Life”

Written by Ally Abruscato, Graphic by Anna Porter

As I sit here in the airport, waiting on my delayed flight, I’m forced to stare blankly at ESPN and watch what I can only assume is a rerun of a baseball game I don’t care about. Before you call me a sports hater, please note my Savannah Bananas shirt and Pebble Beach sweatshirt. I can appreciate a sport and even find myself pursuing a career in sports advertising, but I still think that they should throw on a sitcom or something. Nonetheless, I find myself inspired to rank all of the sports books I’ve read in recent years! 

“Banana Ball: The Unbelievably True Story of the Savannah Bananas” by Jesse Cole 

Going from my least favorite to my favorite sports books, we’ll start strong with “Banana Ball.” Just because it is at the bottom of the list doesn’t mean it isn’t a good read. I love the Savannah Bananas and found it very enjoyable to learn about their unique journey. 

“One Life” by Megan Rapinoe 

Megan Rapinoe is understandably one of the most well-known names in sports. Her dazzling soccer career is complimented beautifully by her strong stances and social activism. More thoughts on “One Life” to follow so keep reading besties.

“Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike” by Phil Knight 

As a die-hard Nike fan, of course, I loved “Shoe Dog.” There is a reason Nike has become one of the biggest brands in the world. 

“Carrie Soto is Back” by Taylor Jenkins Reid 

Let’s switch it up and throw in a fiction sports book! “Carrie Soto is Back” is a thrilling tennis story that keeps you consistently invested in the players and the game. 

“All In: An Autobiography” by Billie Jean King, Johnette Howard and Maryanne Vollers

Speaking of tennis, Billie Jean King’s autobiography is a must-read. Her iconic tennis career strengthens her fight for pay equality, fair treatment for women, and LGBT+ rights. 

Honorable Mentions 

“Choosing to Run” by  Des Linden and Bonnie D. Ford

Before we head into our top three, I’d like to acknowledge some honorable mentions. I can’t fully review “Choosing to Run” because I have yet to finish it. But so far, I’ve loved learning about Des Linden’s journey to becoming a Boston Marathon champion. 

“Malibu Rising” by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Compared to “Carrie Soto is Back,” “Malibu Rising” doesn’t seem like much of a sports book. However, surfing plays a fairly big role in this book providing a safe space and community for the main characters.

“The Silver Linings Playbook” by Matthew Quick 

As much as I love “ The Silver Linings Playbook” I wasn’t sure if it qualifies as a sports book. Still, it is an amazing book that features running, football and dance. 

“The Right Call: What Sports Teach Us About Work and Life” by Sally Jenkins

Moving into my top three favorite sports books, I must highlight “The Right Call.” In this book, Jenkins discusses a plethora of sports and famous athletes. Although, at first glance, their achievements might seem unrelatable Jenkins does a wonderful job connecting each story to everyday life for non-professional athletes. 

“Good for a Girl: A Woman Running in a Man’s World” by Lauren Fleshman 

As a female athlete myself, I was instantly enthralled by “Good for a Girl.” Fleshman includes personal anecdotes and data that added to my understanding of being a woman running in a man’s world. 

“Running Home” by Katie Arnold

I have to say, no book on this list made me cry as much as “Running Home.” At the end of the day, running, like other sports, is merely a reflection of our lives and emotions. Arnold demonstrates that beautifully in this book as she pushes herself to unbelievable distances as she endures tragic heartbreak. I’ll be back soon with another book review, but until then, I’m Booked.  

AND I’m back! We’re in for a longer article this time folks, but I couldn’t share my favorite books without sharing more thoughts on “One Life” by Megan Rapinoe.

One of the greatest soccer players in the world and a defiant social rights advocate, Megan Rapinoe explores her life in her autobiography, “One Life.” Published in 2020, this book is truly a sign of the times. Rapinoe details how she got into soccer as a kid and how her actions and protests impacted her career as she grew in fame. The witty writing also reflects Rapinoe’s well-known confidence and spunk. 

Rapinoe works chronologically in her book as she discusses growing up as a twin, getting into soccer, dealing with drug abuse in her family, battling injuries, coming out as gay, and pushing against the norms of the soccer community. While it is always fun to see how celebrities, especially ultra-talented athletes, grow up, my favorite part of Rapinoe’s story is her journey of standing up for herself and other marginalized groups. As many already know, professional female athletes have been struggling relentlessly with the wage gap between them and their male counterparts. This was especially frustrating for the world-renowned U.S. women’s national soccer team, who won countless times and was still paid far less than the men’s team. Rapinoe was a key player on and off the field for the national team and worked constantly with her teammates for equal pay. 

Besides pay equality, Rapinoe is also a strong advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. As one of the first openly gay female soccer players, Rapinoe encouraged her teammates to come out to show fans that it is okay to be who you are unapologetically. After Colin Kaepernick took a knee during the national anthem, Rapinoe and a few other athletes joined in solidarity against racism and police brutality. Rapinoe faced a lot of backlash for this and ended up missing out on a lot of playing time on the national team. Although the U.S. Soccer Federation banned kneeling during the national anthem, it was eventually repealed in 2020 during the social unrest following the murder of George Floyd and countless others. Hearing Rapinoe’s perspective was extremely insightful and gave me a better understanding of the risks professional athletes take when they decide to stand up for what they believe in. 

There is no question that Rapinoe is an unbelievably talented soccer player. She won the Ballon d’Or Féminin and was named the Best Fifa Women’s Player in 2019. She was a part of the national team that won multiple gold medals and consecutive World Cups. Learning about her life and achievements as a person and player was fascinating. I highly recommend “One Life” to soccer fans and civil rights advocates.

I’ll be back soon with another book review, but until then, I’m Booked.