Rick Ankiel had the talent to be one of the best pitchers ever. Then, one day, he lost it. The Phenomenon is the story of how St. Louis Cardinals prodigy Rick Ankiel lost his once-in-a-generation ability to pitch -- not due to an injury or a bolt of lightning, but a mysterious anxiety condition widely known as the Yips. It came without warning, in the middle of a playoff game, with millions of people watching. And it has never gone away. Yet the true test of Ankiel's character came not on the mound, but in the long days and nights that followed as he searched for a way to get back in the game... View More...
An astonishing memoir of redemption--the moving story of a former top NBA player who miraculously rebounded from a monumental fall thanks to hard work and his deep, transformative faith.Sixteen years ago, Vin Baker was an NBA All-Star, an Olympic Gold medalist, and a multimillionaire. While he excelled on the court, Vin harbored a dark secret: a dependency on drugs and alcohol that began after the clean-cut preacher's son turned pro. Eventually becoming a full-blown yet functional alcoholic, Vin convinced himself he played better under the influence--until his addiction cost him his basketball... View More...
Twin brothers David and Jason Benham grew up with big dreams of baseball and an even bigger trust in God. Though they attended a small high school with no baseball field, turned down a professional offer so they could attend college together, and faced more than one missed pitch and injuries, they kept dreaming, praying together on the field, and believing in God's provision for their lives.David and Jason's journey, from Little League to college to professional baseball and beyond, reminds us that even when we don't know what God is up to, He's putting together the pieces of our life's puzzle... View More...
Success. Influence. Accolades. Winning. Legendary Football Coach Bobby Bowden has it all. As the all-time winningest coach in Division I football history, Coach Bowden has statues erected in his honor and national charities and awards named after him. Four generations of fans have heard his message and witnessed his results. He built a successful career, climbed to the top of his field, and has a loving family. It's what we all want. And yet, Coach Bowden, who, as he puts it, is in the "fourth quarter" of his life, has a message for us all. The success . . . the influence . . . the accolade... View More...
One of the most talented and polarizing athletes of our generation, Michael Vick's stunning story has captured news headlines across the nation. From his poverty-stricken youth, to his success on the field in high school and college, to his rise to NFL stardom and his fall from grace, Finally Free shows how a gifted athlete's life spiraled out of control under the glare of money and fame, aided by his own poor choices. In his own words, Vick details his regrets, his search for forgiveness, the moments of unlikely grace--and the brokenness that brought his redemption on the way to a surprising,... View More...
The #1 New York Times-bestselling story about American Olympic triumph in Nazi Germany and now the inspiration for the PBS documentary "The Boys of '36'." For readers of Unbroken, out of the depths of the Depression comes an irresistible story about beating the odds and finding hope in the most desperate of times--the improbable, intimate account of how nine working-class boys from the American West showed the world at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin what true grit really meant. It was an unlikely quest from the start. With a team composed of the sons of loggers, shipyard workers, and farmers, th... View More...
Kentucky's charismatic coach shares the secrets of creating one of the premiere programs in college basketball, revealing how he transforms a group of former high school superstars into selfless, cohesive teams--including a remarkable squad last year that fell just one game short of a perfect season.Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari is highly regarded for his ability to recruit the country's top high school talent without making outlandish promises. Instead, he believes, Commit to each other, be about each other without sacrificing your goals, and by doing this you can achieve all YOUR d... View More...
Former cruiserweight champion of the world, Orlando Leone, Jr., must come out of retirement to redeem an impossible situation. In his night job as head of security, Orlando must subdue the current champion at a party. Cameras flash, and within minutes, Orlando's life is changed forever. Leone is dragged into the fight of his life. The champ wants revenge, his manager wants to reap the financial reward, and Leone must come out of retirement, against his will. The Champion will let you witness one of the most brutal fistic battles the ring has ever seen. A clash against love and greed, light an... View More...
Former cruiserweight champion of the world, Orlando Leone, Jr., must come out of retirement to redeem an impossible situation. In his night job as head of security, Orlando must subdue the current champion at a party. Cameras flash, and within minutes, Orlando's life is changed forever. Leone is dragged into the fight of his life. The champ wants revenge, his manager wants to reap the financial reward, and Leone must come out of retirement, against his will. The Champion will let you witness one of the most brutal fistic battles the ring has ever seen. A clash against love and greed, light an... View More...
Mark McGwire, Ozzie Smith, Lou Brock. These famous Cardinals are known by baseball fans around the world. But who and what were the predecessors of these modern-day players and their team? In Before They Were Cardinals, Jon David Cash examines the infancy of major-league baseball in St. Louis during the last quarter of the nineteenth century. His in-depth analysis begins with an exploration of the factors that motivated civic leaders to form the city's first major-league ball club. Cash delves into the economic trade rivalry between Chicago and St. Louis and examines how St. Louis's attempt to... View More...
When all she wanted was to fit in, Tamika Catchings never imagined one day she'd stand out--as a basketball superstar and an inspiration. Catchings faced being set apart by her hearing loss, separation from family, living up to high expectations, and the pain and discouragement of debilitating physical injuries. Yet she reached for the stars with hard work, perseverance, and her faith in God. Through the silence, she found the way to shine.Catch a Star tells Tamika's story of overcoming: of leading the Indiana Fever to its first championship, being named to the WNBA's All Decade Team, earning ... View More...
An Olympic run wasn't his most important race. Eric Liddell was born to run. From childhood, his physical abilities brought honor and fame--culminating in a gold medal at the 1924 Olympics. But it was another run that really mattered: the race of life mentioned in Hebrews 12 (." . .and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. . . ."). Eric Liddell's commitment to God was so strong that he once skipped an Olympic qualifier because it was held on Sunday. His scrupulous faith was chronicled decades later in the movie Char... View More...
The inspiring autobiography from Gabrielle Douglas--the first African-American gymnast in Olympic history to become the individual All-Around champion--revealing her journey from the time she first entered a gym to her gold-medal-winning performances.In the 2012 London Olympics, US gymnast Gabrielle Douglas stole hearts and flew high as the All-Around Gold Medal winner and the brightest star of the US gold-medal-winning women's gymnastics team. That same year, Gabrielle was also named the 2012 Sportswoman of the Year by the Women's Sports Foundation.In this personal autobiography, Grace, Gold,... View More...
2008 Retailer's Choice Award winner Tony Dungy's words and example have intrigued millions of people, particularly following his victory in Super Bowl XLI, the first for an African American coach. How is it possible for a coach--especially a football coach--to win the respect of his players and lead them to the Super Bowl without the screaming histrionics, the profanities, the demand that the sport come before anything else? How is it possible for anyone to be successful without compromising faith and family? In this inspiring and reflective memoir, Coach Dungy tells the story of a life lived ... View More...
2008 Retailer's Choice Award winner Tony Dungy's words and example have intrigued millions of people, particularly following his victory in Super Bowl XLI, the first for an African American coach. How is it possible for a coach--especially a football coach--to win the respect of his players and lead them to the Super Bowl without the screaming histrionics, the profanities, and the demand that the sport come before anything else? How is it possible for anyone to be successful without compromising faith and family? In this inspiring and reflective memoir, now updated with a new chapter, Coach Du... View More...
The New York Times bestseller is now in softcover with a bonus chapter on how the "Dare to Be Uncommon" movement is reaching schools, teams, and families across the country and an update on Tony's life since retiring as head coach of the Indianapolis Colts. What does it take to live a life of significance? When Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy took home the trophy in Super Bowl XLI, fans around the world looked to him as the epitome of success. Athletic victory, professional excellence, fame and celebrity, awards and honors--he had it all. But even in that moment, he knew those achievements... View More...
Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s only authorized book revealing the inside track on his final year of racing and retirement from the driver's seat."Time was running out on my charade... My secrets were about to be exposed to the world."It was a seemingly minor crash at Michigan International Speedway in June 2016 that ended the day early for Dale Earnhardt Jr. What he didn't know was that it would also end his driving for the year. He'd dealt with concussions before, but concussions are like snowflakes, no two are the same. And recovery can be brutal, and lengthy.When NASCAR star Dale Earnhardt Jr. retire... View More...
Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s only authorized book revealing the inside track on his final year of racing and retirement from the driver's seat."Time was running out on my charade... My secrets were about to be exposed to the world."It was a seemingly minor crash at Michigan International Speedway in June 2016 that ended the day early for Dale Earnhardt Jr. What he didn't know was that it would also end his driving for the year. He'd dealt with concussions before, but concussions are like snowflakes, no two are the same. And recovery can be brutal, and lengthy.When NASCAR star Dale Earnhardt Jr. retire... View More...
One of the most inspirational stories of sports and faith ever told, The Chicken Runs at Midnight powerfully shows that God can work in our lives even when we think it's too late to change.As a Major League Baseball coach, Rich Donnelly was dedicated, hardworking, and successful. But as a husband and father, he was distant, absent, and a failure. He'd let baseball take over his life, and as a result his family suffered. That is, until one day he received some harrowing news."Dad, I have a brain tumor, and I'm sorry." These words from his seventeen-year-old daughter, Amy, turned his world upsid... View More...
A UFC champion and a boy with leukemia, in the fight of their lives. Cody Garbrandt dreamed of being a UFC champion. In his darkest moments, when those dreams were dashed, he dug deep with the help of an unlikely friend--five-year-old Maddux Maple, a local hometown fan with leukemia. They made a pact: Cody would be in the UFC and win the championship, and Maddux would beat cancer. Read their moving story in Cody's new book, The Pact, and go behind the scenes into Cody's training and how he made his dreams come true. Cody Garbrandt grew up in a rough town in the Central Appalachian region of Oh... View More...