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Wembley and Beyond: My Incredible Journey
by Barry BriggsIt started on a cold, frosty morning in 1951 in Christchurch, New Zealand, with a seventeen-year-old-boy, a crate of sheeps' kidneys and a dream.The boss of the city's Belfast meatworks, had arrived an hour early to set up for the day, when he noticed one of his workers packing up a crate on the countertop. The young lad was battling to move it so the boss went over to help. When asked what time he'd started, the boy replied 'Five o'clock this morning'. Stunned, and amused, the boss told him he'd be earning a good bonus at the end of the week, and wondered aloud what he'd spend it on. But the boy knew, and immediately replied, 'I'm going to race speedway in England.'And he did. That boy was Barry Briggs, and it was just the start of his great adventure. Little did he know he was soon to become the legendary speedway racer more commonly known as Briggo, and later as Barry Briggs MBE. From dangerous encounters in the jungles of Liberia to teaching Steve McQueen to slide a speedway bike, Briggo's incredible story is one of strength, determination and a life lived firmly in the fast lane.
Wendell Sailor: Crossing the Line
by Wendell Sailor Jimmy ThompsonSuperstar Brisbane Broncos and Kangaroos winger Wendell Sailor shocked everyone when he switched codes to play union in 2001. The King of the Wing, whose thunderous runs intimidated anyone in his path, surprised even himself when he was selected for the Wallabies, becoming the first Australian player raised in league to represent his country in both codes. But in 2006, it all fell apart. During a routine drug test for the Waratahs, he tested positive for cocaine and was banned from the game for two years. And those years away would prove to the toughest challenge of his life. The self-confessed party boy who constantly sought the public spotlight was now forced to do some soul-searching, and most of it wasn't pretty. But Sailor fought back hard and worked through the shame, throwing himself into charity work and mentoring young people in alcohol and drug awareness programs. With the help of his family and old coach and mentor, Wayne Bennett, he began his path to redemption. When the ban was up, Sailor made a triumphant return to the code that had first discovered him at age 18, and the St. George Illawarra Dragons had a new winger and a player determined to prove what he was capable of until his final game in 2010. But Crossing the Line isn't just Sailor's story as the comeback king. Written with Jimmy Thomson, Wendell reveals a dark secret that has haunted him since childhood. He tells us what it's like to be a black man in a white man's world and the toll racism takes on elite sport. He shows us how good friends and mentors are so important to our national heroes. And he also demonstrates how crucial the bonds of family and the love and trust of good people are for anyone, hero or not.
Wenger: The Making of a Legend
by Jasper ReesGranted access to Wengers friends and family, players and rival managers, Jasper Rees has written the untold story behind this private man. He follows Wenger from childhood in Alsace, through his stints as a journeyman player, to his coaching days at Nancy, Monaco, Grampus Eight and Arsenal.
Wenger: The Making of a Legend
by Jasper ReesGranted access to Wengers friends and family, players and rival managers, Jasper Rees has written the untold story behind this private man. He follows Wenger from childhood in Alsace, through his stints as a journeyman player, to his coaching days at Nancy, Monaco, Grampus Eight and Arsenal.
Wenger: My Life and Lessons in Red & White
by Arsène WengerIn Wenger: My Life and Lessons in Red and White, world-renowned and revolutionary soccer coach Arsène Wenger finally tells his own story for the very first time.Wenger opens up about his life, sharing principles for success on and off the field with lessons on leadership, personal development, and management.This book charts his extraordinary career, including his rise from obscurity in France and Japan to his 22 years at the helm of Arsenal Football Club.• Covers the years of controversy that led up to his resignation in 2018 and his current seat as chief of global football development for FIFA• Wenger offers studious reflections on the game and his groundbreaking approach to motivation, mindset, fitness, and the winning edge.•He popularized the attacking approach and belief that the game should be entertaining.• Includes full-color photo insert.Among the most successful managers of all time, Wenger, affectionately nicknamed "the professor," has won multiple championships and run one undefeated and unmatched English Premier League season.This is a must-read for Arsenal fans, soccer fans, athletes, trainers, business leaders, and anyone seeking the tools for success in work and life.The story of one of the most revered and successful coaches—and his tactics and vision—in the world's largest sport• Makes a great book for diehard soccer fans around the world• You'll love this book if you love books like Alex Ferguson: My Biography by Alex Ferguson, Beckham: Both Feet on the Ground: An Autobiography by David Beckham and Tom Watt, and Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success by Phil Jackson and Hugh Delehanty.Digital audio edition read by the author.
We're Good: The Power of Faith, Hope, and Determination
by Meg Keeshan McGovernWe&’re Good is an inspiring story about a well-rounded teenage athlete whose life changed in the blink of an eye. Chris O&’Brien innocently dove into the ocean, hit a sandbar, and was instantly paralyzed. Going from a D-1 athlete to quadriplegic at eighteen years old is life changing. Chris was a swimmer, sailor, and student in college going about life before the accident. First time author, Meg Keeshan McGovern, has beautifully captured the pathos that accompanies a family tragedy and illustrates how it can become triumph for all. Through narrative and personal stories she guides the reader through the various stages of grief, denial, anger, therapy and devotion that this one family went through to emerge on the other side stronger and full of more promise than ever.
Weregirls: Birth of the Pack
by Petru PopescuWhen sixteen-year-old Lily Willison and her friends Nikki, Arielle, and Grazia start up a girls' soccer club and name their team the Weregirls, they soon find themselves drawn into a battle between good and evil. Lily's father, a supernatural guardian, makes contact with Lily after his death and reveals that she has magical powers--as do her friends. As the girls learn more about their powers, they inadvertently awaken the Breed, sworn enemies of the Weregirls. To fight the Weregirls, the Breed Master calls upon Lily's soccer rival--the rich, conceited, and arrogant Andra Hewlit. Desperate for powers of her own, Andra will do anything she can to destroy Lily and the Weregirls.
West by West: My Charmed, Tormented Life
by Jerry West Jonathan ColemanHe is one of basketball's towering figures: "Mr. Clutch," who mesmerized his opponents and fans. The coach who began the Lakers' resurgence in the 1970s. The general manager who helped bring "Showtime" to Los Angeles, creating a championship-winning force that continues to this day. Now, for the first time, the legendary Jerry West tells his story-from his tough childhood in West Virginia, to his unbelievable college success at West Virginia University, his 40-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, and his relationships with NBA legends like Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, and Kobe Bryant. Unsparing in its self-assessment and honesty, WEST BY WEST is far more than a sports memoir: it is a profound confession and a magnificent inspiration.
West Ham: Irons in the Soul
by Pete MayMany feared that West Ham would fade and die during the 2001-2002 season. Former gaffer Harry Redknapp had been sacked in mysterious circumstances and would never again exclaim that a Hammers side is 'down to the bare bones'. Meanwhile, Glenn Roeder - the man who was initially told not even to apply for the job - admitted to feeling like a 100-1 outsider who had won the Grand National upon being handed the job no one else would take. Young England stars Rio Ferdinand and Frank Lampard had been sold for 30 million and Leeds fans greeted the appearance of the massive new Dr. Martens stand with a refrain of 'Is that the Rio stand?' Furthermore, the bookies had West Ham down as certainties for relegation and there was universal bemusement at West Ham's appointment of a rookie Premiership manager. Pete May has supported the Hammers ever since he heard cries from the Chicken Run of 'Come on Hammers really pep it up and make it mediocre!' and 'Remember goals, West Ham? They were big in the Seventies!' He offers a supporters' view of Glenn Roeder's crucial first season, while also reminiscing about some of the funniest moments in Hammers' history.
Western Lane: A Novel
by Chetna MarooA taut, enthralling first novel about grief, sisterhood, and a young athlete's struggle to transcend herself.Eleven-year-old Gopi has been playing squash since she was old enough to hold a racket. When her mother dies, her father enlists her in a quietly brutal training regimen, and the game becomes her world. Slowly, she grows apart from her sisters. Her life is reduced to the sport, guided by its rhythms: the serve, the volley, the drive, the shot and its echo.But on the court, she is not alone. She is with her pa. She is with Ged, a thirteen-year-old boy with his own formidable talent. She is with the players who have come before her. She is in awe.An indelible coming-of-age story, Chetna Maroo’s first novel captures the ordinary and annihilates it with beauty. Western Lane is a valentine to innocence, to the closeness of sisterhood, to the strange ways we come to know ourselves and each other.
Western Riding
by Lesley WardRecently updated and extended, The Horse Illustrated Guide to Western Riding covers the fundamentals-from loping and galloping to trail riding and showing. Complete with step-by-step instructions, countless tips, full-color photos, and an easy-to-use glossary, this book takes the guesswork out of western riding.
Western Riding Winner (Horseland #5)
by Jay Abramowitz Annie AuerbachEveryone at Horseland knows that competing is a natural part of the horseback riding world. But only one rider can represent the ranch at the upcoming Junior Nationals. Friendly competition quickly turns to hurt feelings as Chloe, Zoey, and the others try out to ride. When Chloe wins the spot, she thinks riding will be the hardest part-until she realizes what it takes to make up with her friends.
Westwater Lost and Found: Expanded Edition
by Mike MilliganWestwater Lost and Found: Expanded Edition is the continuing story of Westwater—a relatively short, deep canyon near the Utah-Colorado state line that has become one of the most popular river-running destinations in the Southwest—and its lasting significance to the study of the Upper Colorado River. Thousands of recreational river runners have pushed this backwater place into the foreground of modern popular culture in the West. Westwater represents one common sequence in western history: the late opening of unexplored territories, the sporadic and ultimately often unsuccessful attempts to develop them, their renewed obscurity when development doesn’t succeed, their attraction to a marginal society of dreamers and schemers, and the modern rediscovery of them due to new cultural motives, especially outdoor recreation, which has brought many people into thousands of remote corners of the West. This expanded edition brings to light historical events and explores how Westwater’s location greatly contributed to early Grand (Upper) Colorado River boaters’ knowledge and how the lush Westwater Valley and Cisco became critical stops for water, wood, and grass along the North Branch of the Old Spanish Trail. Other new additions include explorer Ellsworth Kolb’s unpublished manuscript describing his 1916–1917 boating experiences on the Grand and Gunnison Rivers; two stories relating to Outlaw Cave, one of which expands upon the mystery of the outlaw brothers; a letter from James E. Miller to Frederick S. Dellenbaugh in 1906 revealing new information about his boating excursion with Oro DeGarmo Babcock on the Grand River in 1897; and a portion of botanist Frederick Kreutzfeld’s little-known journal of 1853 that describes Captain John W. Gunnison’s railroad survey. Loaded with extensive information and river-running history, Milligan’s guide is sure to enhance readers’ knowledge of the Upper Colorado River and Grand Canyon regions. Boaters, river guides, scholars of the American West, and historians of the Colorado, Green, and Gunnison Rivers or the Old Spanish Trail will gain much from this new edition.
We've Got Spirit! (Cheer USA #4)
by Jeanne BetancourtThe big Regional Cheer USA Competition in Miami brings all the girls on the Claymore Middle School squad to a new level of rivalry, ambition, and friendship.
Whale Talk (School Softcover Ser.)
by Chris Crutcher<P>A varsity letter jacket: it's exclusive, nearly unattainable, revered . . . and everything that's screwed up about Cutter High, as far as T. J. Jones is concerned. <P> That's why T. J. is determined to have the Cutter All Night Mermen--the unlikeliest swim team a high school has ever seen--earn letter jackets of their own. It won't be easy. <P>For one thing, they don't even have a pool. They will fight for their dignity, they will fight with each other, and sometimes they will just fight. And then they will realize that a single moment can bring lifelong heartache or lifelong friendship. <P>For T. J. and his crew of misfits, the quest may be far more valuable than the reward.
Whaling in Massachusetts (Images of America)
by Gioia DimockThe popular novel Moby-Dick first spurred young and old alike to romanticize the whaling industry. Author Herman Melville wrote his story based on the exploits of the Essex whaleship, and he documented his travels aboard the Acushnet, which departed from a Massachusetts whaling port. In the early 1700s, Massachusetts residents caught whales from the shore before embarking on offshore voyages for several weeks. Later, these trips would extend over many years, bringing home an average of 1,500 barrels of whale oil and thousands of pounds of whalebone in the 1800s. New Bedford and Nantucket were the founding towns for the whaling industry, but little known are the other Massachusetts towns that sent out whalers, built the ships, and outfitted them. Essex, Mattapoisett, and Falmouth were shipbuilding communities; Fairhaven began as a whaling town but quickly took to outfitting whalers; Gloucester made the yellow slickers that were rubbed with sperm whale oil to waterproof them; and Provincetown and Boston were among the many ports that sent out whaling ships.
The Whartons' Stretch Book: Featuring the Breakthrough Method of Active-Isolated Stretching
by Phil Wharton Jim WhartonIntroducing Active-Isolated Stretching, the revolutionary yet remarkably simple flexibility program—featuring 59 stretches for over 55 different sports and everyday activities! Whether you’re a serious competitor or weekend warrior, you know that proper stretching before and after your workout can improve your performance, increase your flexibility, help prevent injury, and make you feel better. But did you know that the traditional way of stretching—lock your knees, bounce, hold, hurt, hold longer—actually makes muscles tighter and more prone to injury?There’s a new and better way to stretch: Active-Isolated Stretching. And with The Whartons’ Stretch Book, the method used successfully by scores of professional, amateur, and Olympic athletes is now available to everyone.This groundbreaking technique, developed by researchers, coaches, and trainers, and pioneered by Jim and Phil Wharton, is your new exercise prescription. The routine is simple: First, you prepare to stretch one isolated muscle at a time. Then you actively contract the muscle opposite the isolated muscle, which will then relax in preparation for its stretch. You stretch it gently and quickly—for no more than two seconds—and release it before it goes into its protective contraction. Then you repeat. Simple, but the results are outstanding. The Whartons’ Stretch Book explains it all.Part I contains the Active-Isolated Stretch Catalog, with fully illustrated, easy-to-follow stretches for each of five body zones, from neck and shoulders to trunk, arms, and legs—over fifty stretches in all. Part II offers specific stretching prescriptions for over fifty-five sports and activities, from running, tennis, track, and aerobics to skiing, skating, and swimming. You’ll also find advice on stretching for daily activities such as driving, working at a desk, lifting, and keyboarding. Part III discusses stretching for life, with specific recommendations for expectant mothers and older athletes. It also includes specific stretching exercises that could help you avoid unnecessary surgery.Give Active-Isolated Stretching a try for three weeks. You’ll never go back to your old stretching routines again.
What a Catch! (Angel Park All-Stars #4)
by Dean HughesBrian Waters is so nervous that he can't seem to do anything right on his little league team, the Angel Park Dodgers, but a pep talk from a big league star psyches him up to make a winning catch.
What Am I Playing?
by Pamela Zagarenski Editors of American Heritage DictionariesHoughton Mifflin's popular Good Beginnings series of board books introduces two new titles for 2004, each of them published in English-only and bilingual English-Spanish editions. Continuing the engaging series format, these delightful books answer the question in their title with words that have been selected by the editors of the American Heritage® Dictionaries for their familiarity and age-appropriateness. And as in the previous books, a whimsical menagerie of bears, pigs, dogs, and even a soccer-playing elephant brings the words to life in Pamela Zagarenski's irresistible full-color drawings. In What Am I Playing? (zQué juego?), the answers include a range of sports and games, from outdoor ball games and playground activities to indoor pursuits such as puzzles and puppets. What Can I Do When It Rains? (zQué puedo hacer cuando llueve?) includes simple verb phrases, such as "play with friends" and "jump in puddles," to answer its question, making this an excellent book to introduce even very young children to basic sentence structure.
What Are the Olympics For?
by Jules Boykoff‘Athletes first’ is a slogan the International Olympic Committee often touts, but the reality is very different, as pre-eminent Olympics expert Jules Boykoff shows in this book. While the world’s attention is riveted by the triumphs and tribulations on their screens, there is much that goes on behind the scenes that is deeply troubling: athletes are increasingly voicing concerns over physical, mental, and sexual abuse, and they are collectively expressing grievances around equity and human rights. Outside the stadiums, problems range from the democratic deficit and corruption surrounding the awarding of the Games, to displacement of people and gentrification of neighbourhoods to make way for Olympic venues, to the environmental damage that Olympic construction inflicts and then tries to greenwash away. Boykoff tells us that radical steps are required if the Games are to be fixed and only then will they be truly ‘athletes first’.
What Are the Paralympic Games? (What Was?)
by Gail Herman Who HQIt's time to cheer for the inspiring athletes of the Paralympic Games! As the Opening Ceremony for the 1948 Summer Olympic Games commenced in London, a similar sporting competition was taking place a few miles away. But the men at Stoke Mandeville weren't your typical athletes. They were paralyzed World War II veterans. The games at Stoke Mandeville were so successful that they would eventually lead evolve into the Paralympics. Participants from all around the world vie for the gold medal in a variety of sports, including archery, basketball, swimming, speed skating, and ice hockey. Author Gail Herman highlights their achievements, describes how these athletes train--both mentally and physically--for the games, and gives the reader a better understanding of what makes the Paralympic Games one of the world's most viewed sporting events.
What Are the Summer Olympics?
by Gail Herman Stephen Marchesi Kevin McveighBack in 775 BC, athletes from all over Ancient Greece came together to compete in various games. The contests were held every four years and winning athletes brought honor and respect to their homelands.The tradition of the Olympic Games faded over time until 1896, when they were brought back to life. The first modern Olympics were held in Athens, Greece, with over two hundred athletes from fourteen countries. Today, nearly three thousand years after the first Games, the Summer Olympics attract one hundred thousand top athletes from over two hundred countries. Billions of fans around the world cheer on their national teams to bring back the gold.
What Are the Winter Olympics? (What Was?)
by Gail Herman Who HQGrab your skis, ice skates, and snowboard and learn how the Winter Olympic Games became a worldwide phenomenal event watched by millions. Although fans the world over have been fascinated by the modern Summer Olympics since 1896, the Winter Olympics didn't officially begin until 1924. The event celebrates cold-weather sports, displaying the talents of skiers, ice skaters, hockey players, and, most recently, snowboarding. Like its summer counterpart, the Winter Games are dedicated to bringing together the world's top athletes to honor their talents and see who gets to stand on the medal podium. Gail Herman covers it all in a wonderful read--the highs, such as the 1980 US hockey team's unexpected gold medal grab, as well as the lows, including the Tonya Harding-Nancy Kerrigan figure-skating scandal in 1994. Includes 80 black-and-white illustrations and a 16-page photo insert.
What Baseball Means To Me: A Celebration of Our National Pastime
by Curt SmithA unique collection of illustrations from the National Baseball Hall of Fame's archives and original essays by baseball's biggest fans, featuring celebrities from the worlds of sports, entertainment, and politics. Photos.
What Do You Think of Ted Williams Now?: A Remembrance
by Richard Ben CramerRichard Ben Cramer, Pulitzer Prize winner and acclaimed biographer of Joe DiMaggio decodes baseball icon Ted Williams and finds not just a great player, but also a great man.When legendary Red Sox hitter Ted Williams died on July 5, 2002, newspapers reviewed the stats, compared him to other legends of the game, and declared him the greatest hitter who ever lived. In 1986, Richard Ben Cramer spent months on a profile of Ted Williams, and the result was the Esquire article that has been acclaimed ever since as one of the finest pieces of sports reporting ever written. Given special acknowledgment in The Best American Sportswriting of the Century and adapted for a coffee-table book called Ted Williams: The Seasons of the Kid, the original piece is now available in this special edition, with new material about Williams's later years. While his decades after Fenway Park were out of the spotlight -- the way Ted preferred it -- they were arguably his richest, as he loved and inspired his family, his fans, the players, and the game itself. This is a remembrance for the ages.