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Thoroughbred Nation: Making America at the Racetrack, 1791-1900
by Natalie A. ZacekFrom the colonial era to the beginning of the twentieth century, horse racing was by far the most popular sport in America. Great numbers of Americans and overseas visitors flocked to the nation’s tracks, and others avidly followed the sport in both general-interest newspapers and specialized periodicals. Thoroughbred Nation offers a detailed yet panoramic view of thoroughbred racing in the United States, following the sport from its origins in colonial Virginia and South Carolina to its boom in the Lower Mississippi Valley, and then from its post–Civil War rebirth in New York City and Saratoga Springs to its opulent mythologization of the “Old South” at Louisville’s Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby. Natalie A. Zacek introduces readers to an unforgettable cast of characters, from “plungers” such as Virginia plantation owner William Ransom Johnson (known as the “Napoleon of the Turf”) and Wall Street financier James R. Keene (who would wager a fortune on the outcome of a single competition) to the jockeys, trainers, and grooms, most of whom were African American. While their names are no longer known, their work was essential to the sport. Zacek also details the careers of remarkable, though scarcely remembered, horses, whose achievements made them as famous in their day as more recent equine celebrities such as Seabiscuit or Secretariat. Based upon exhaustive research in print and visual sources from libraries, archives, and museums across the United States, Thoroughbred Nation will be of interest both to those who love the sport of horse racing for its own sake and to those who are fascinated by how this pastime reflects and influences American identities.
Those About to Die
by Daniel P. MannixThe basis for the new Peacock television series: The classic, in-depth account of the ancient Romans&’ obsession with the bloody and brutal gladiatorial games. &“If you can imagine a superior American sports writer suddenly being transported back in time to cover the ancient Roman games, you will have some idea of the flavor and zest of [Those About to Die],&” said the Los Angeles Times about Daniel P. Mannix&’s century-by-century—and nearly moment-by-moment—narrative of the Roman Empire&’s national institution. Putting the games in the context of Rome&’s rise and dramatic fall, Mannix captures all the history, planning, and savage pageantry that went into creating the first spectator sports. The games began in 238 BC as nearly county fair–like entertainment, with trick riding, acrobats, trained animals, chariot racing, and athletic events. The contests then evolved into slave fights thanks to wealthy patricians Marcus and Decimus Brutus, who wanted to give their father an unforgettable funeral by reviving an old tradition. What the brothers wrought, Rome devoured, demanding even greater violence to satisfy the bloodlust of the crowd. Architectural wonders in themselves, massive arenas like Circus Maximus and the Colosseum were built, able to host sea battle reenactments on actual water. Successful gladiators found fame, fortune—and freedom. But as Rome began to fall in the fifth century, so did the games, devolving into nothing more than pointless massacres. In the end, millions of humans and animals were sacrificed in barbaric displays. What were once ceremonies given in honor of gods met an inglorious fate, yet they still captivate the imagination of people today.
Those Feet: A Sensual History of English Football
by David WinnerThis follow-up to Brilliant Orange: The Neurotic Genius of Dutch Soccer is &“an enchanting love letter to English football&” (The Daily Telegraph). In this playful, witty, and highly original look at English soccer, David Winner, author of the acclaimed Brilliant Orange, journeys to the heart of an essential English pastime and sheds new light on the true nature of a rapidly changing game that was never really meant to be beautiful. With the same insightful eye he brought to his bestselling study of Dutch soccer, Winner shows how Victorian sexual anxiety underlies England&’s many World Cup failures. He reveals the connection between Roy Keane and a soldier who never lived but died in the &“Charge of the Light Brigade.&” And he demonstrates how thick mud and wet leather shaped the contours of the English soul. &“It&’s neither a history of the game nor a memoir, instead exploring the interplay between sport, history, and national character . . . For thinking fans of the game, this is exquisitely pleasurable reading . . . As [Winner] finds acceptance, and even fondness, for the English game, his insight, humor, warmth, and enthusiasm place him in the top echelon of soccer writers.&” —Booklist (starred review) &“Thank God for David Winner . . . With an easy wit, Winner traces the game back to its roots and the results are as intriguing as they are amusing . . . A marvelous book.&” —Duncan White, FourFourTwo
Those Guys Have All the Fun: Inside the World of ESPN (Playaway Adult Nonfiction Ser.)
by James Andrew Miller Tom ShalesIt began, in 1979, as a mad idea of starting a cable channel to televise local sporting events throughout the state of Connecticut. Today, ESPN is arguably the most successful network in modern television history, spanning eight channels in the Unites States and around the world. But the inside story of its rise has never been fully told-until now. Drawing upon over 500 interviews with the greatest names in ESPN's history and an All-Star collection of some of the world's finest athletes, bestselling authors James Miller and Tom Shales take us behind the cameras. Now, in their own words, the men and women who made ESPN great reveal the secrets behind its success-as well as the many scandals, rivalries, off-screen battles and triumphs that have accompanied that ascent. From the unknown producers and business visionaries to the most famous faces on television, it's all here.
Thrashing Seasons: Sporting Culture in Manitoba and the Genesis of Prairie Wrestling
by C. Nathan HattonHorseback wrestling, catch-as-catch-can, glima; long before the advent of today’s WWE, forms of wrestling were practised by virtually every cultural group. C. Nathan Hatton’s "Thrashing Seasons" tells the story of wrestling in Manitoba from its earliest documented origins in the eighteenth century, to the Great Depression. Wrestling was never merely a sport: residents of Manitoba found meaning beyond the simple act of two people struggling for physical advantage on a mat, in a ring, or on a grassy field. Frequently controversial and often divisive, wrestling was nevertheless a popular and resilient cultural practice that proved adaptable to the rapidly changing social conditions in western Canada during its early boom period. In addition to chronicling the colourful exploits of the many athletes who shaped wrestling’s early years, Hatton explores wrestling as a social phenomenon intimately bound up with debates around respectability, ethnicity, race, class, and idealized conceptions of masculinity. In doing so, "Thrashing Seasons" illuminates wrestling as a complex and socially significant cultural activity, one that has been virtually unexamined by Canadian historians looking at the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Three Burps and You're Out #10
by Nancy Krulik Aaron BlechaGeorge is the catcher for his school's baseball team, the Sugarman Sea Monkeys, and they are in the championships! Can George and his teammates defeat their archrivals, the Klockermeister Elementary Kangaroos? Or will the BURP steal the game?
Three Cheers for Chet (Sound Out Chapter Books - Set B-2)
by Matt SimsAt the end of each week, Mike and his pals play a game in the street. They each get a strong, fat stick. They set a block in the street to use as a puck. Then they place a big box at each end for a goal.
Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Fight Terrorism and Build Nations...One School at a Time
by Greg Mortenson David Oliver RelinSlamming over the so-called Karakoram "Highway" in his old Land Cruiser, taking great personal risks to seed the region that gave birth to the Taliban with schools, Mortenson goes to war with the root causes of terror every time he offers a student a chance to receive a balanced education, rather than attend an extremist madrassa. If we Americans are to learn from our mistakes, from the flailing, ineffective way we, as a nation, conducted the war on terror after the attacks of 9/11, and from the way we have failed to make our case to the great moderate mass of peace-loving people at the heart of the Muslim world, we need to listen to Greg Mortenson.
Three Dads Walking: 300 Miles of Hope
by Tim Owen Mike Palmer Andy Airey'Truly heroic' Daniel Craig'A completely brilliant thing, to benefit so many' Nicole Kidman'Powerful and deeply moving' Andy Burnham'An epic journey . . . will touch the hearts of people everywhere' Lou Macari*Foreword from Dan Walker*'We were (and are) three ordinary dads who found ourselves in a desperate place we never expected to be, engulfed by pain and suffering beyond imagining, but who chose to push back, to not allow it to overwhelm us, to build something positive from the shattered pieces of our lives. We wanted to do something ... and this is what it became: Three Dads Walking.'These three dads would rather have never met. Strangers bound by grief, they joined together to save lives and became a national inspiration - one step at a time. This is their incredible journey. In memory of their young daughters - Sophie, Beth and Emily - who took their own lives, three dads set out on a 300-mile journey across the country, from the windswept Lakeland fells and Peak District dales to the open plains of the eastern Fens. Putting one foot in front of the other in spite of their pain, they capture the hearts of millions: laughing together, crying together, fighting to be heard. With each hill climbed and story shared, they begin to rediscover their faith in humanity and are inspired by the kindness of strangers across the land. Woven around personal diary entries and their own experiences of deep grief, this book, told in three distinct parts by each dad, grows into a beacon of hope for anyone struggling. Itʼs about the power of speaking out, of friendship, laughter and courage (and blisters). The three dads bear a heavy load, but they walk on for us all, finding light on the path after the darkest times.'Awe-inspiring' Carol Vorderman
Three Dads Walking: 300 Miles of Hope
by Tim Owen Mike Palmer Andy Airey'Truly heroic' Daniel Craig'A completely brilliant thing, to benefit so many' Nicole Kidman'Powerful and deeply moving' Andy Burnham'An epic journey . . . will touch the hearts of people everywhere' Lou Macari*Foreword from Dan Walker*'We were (and are) three ordinary dads who found ourselves in a desperate place we never expected to be, engulfed by pain and suffering beyond imagining, but who chose to push back, to not allow it to overwhelm us, to build something positive from the shattered pieces of our lives. We wanted to do something ... and this is what it became: Three Dads Walking.'These three dads would rather have never met. Strangers bound by grief, they joined together to save lives and became a national inspiration - one step at a time. This is their incredible journey. In memory of their young daughters - Sophie, Beth and Emily - who took their own lives, three dads set out on a 300-mile journey across the country, from the windswept Lakeland fells and Peak District dales to the open plains of the eastern Fens. Putting one foot in front of the other in spite of their pain, they capture the hearts of millions: laughing together, crying together, fighting to be heard. With each hill climbed and story shared, they begin to rediscover their faith in humanity and are inspired by the kindness of strangers across the land. Woven around personal diary entries and their own experiences of deep grief, this book, told in three distinct parts by each dad, grows into a beacon of hope for anyone struggling. Itʼs about the power of speaking out, of friendship, laughter and courage (and blisters). The three dads bear a heavy load, but they walk on for us all, finding light on the path after the darkest times.'Awe-inspiring' Carol Vorderman
Three Dads Walking: 300 Miles of Hope
by Tim Owen Mike Palmer Andy Airey'Truly heroic' Daniel Craig'A completely brilliant thing, to benefit so many' Nicole Kidman'Powerful and deeply moving' Andy Burnham'An epic journey . . . will touch the hearts of people everywhere' Lou Macari*Foreword from Dan Walker*'We were (and are) three ordinary dads who found ourselves in a desperate place we never expected to be, engulfed by pain and suffering beyond imagining, but who chose to push back, to not allow it to overwhelm us, to build something positive from the shattered pieces of our lives. We wanted to do something ... and this is what it became: Three Dads Walking.'These three dads would rather have never met. Strangers bound by grief, they joined together to save lives and became a national inspiration - one step at a time. This is their incredible journey. In memory of their young daughters - Sophie, Beth and Emily - who took their own lives, three dads set out on a 300-mile journey across the country, from the windswept Lakeland fells and Peak District dales to the open plains of the eastern Fens. Putting one foot in front of the other in spite of their pain, they capture the hearts of millions: laughing together, crying together, fighting to be heard. With each hill climbed and story shared, they begin to rediscover their faith in humanity and are inspired by the kindness of strangers across the land. Woven around personal diary entries and their own experiences of deep grief, this book, told in three distinct parts by each dad, grows into a beacon of hope for anyone struggling. Itʼs about the power of speaking out, of friendship, laughter and courage (and blisters). The three dads bear a heavy load, but they walk on for us all, finding light on the path after the darkest times.'Awe-inspiring' Carol Vorderman
Three Dog Winter
by Elizabeth Van SteenwykSled-dog racing means everything to Scott McClure. It also helps keep his father's memory alive. Scott plans to form a new team of three sled dogs so that he can continue racing and become a champion like his dad. But life changes quickly when his mother remarries and they move from California to Montana. From the start, Scott has problems with his stepfather and his stepbrother, Brad. Scott won't let anything interfere with his dreams as he trains and races Kaylah, his Malamute, and the other dogs on the team. But Scott doesn't know the obstacles he must face.
Three Hundred Zeroes: Lessons Of The Heart On The Appalachian Trail
by Dennis R. BlanchardDennis Blanchard's promise to his brother haunted him for over forty years. Finally, when there were no more excuses, he set out on the Appalachian Trail to fulfill that promise. He learned that walking in the wilderness can reconnect one with a Norman Rockwell America that at times seems long lost and forgotten. The difficulties encountered walking over 2,200 miles are easily underestimated and trouble can begin long before setting a first step on the trail. Blanchard's introspective demonstrates that bears, rattlesnakes and challenging terrain may be far less formidable than some of life's more subtle dangers.
Three Lionesses: Find your team, build self-belief, embrace your inner Lioness
by Cheryl Rickman Ella Toone Georgia Stanway Nikita ParrisAn empowering and uplifting guide from THREE legendary Lionesses, Ella Toone, Georgia Stanway and Nikita Parris.Lionesses are brave. They fiercely look out for one another. They stick together. And they will roar as loud as they need to, to make sure their voices are heard.Ella, Georgia and Nikita have learned so much from football that can apply to everyday life, from joining a new squad, to stepping up to take a penalty, and getting back up when life (or a footballer) knocks you down. With the true stories of how they got to where they are today and tons of practical tips, this book will help young readers embrace who they are, ignite their spark, go after their goals and find their team - because no Lioness is complete without their pride.Are you ready to embrace your inner Lioness?Written with Sunday Times bestselling author Cheryl Rickman
Three Lions On The Shirt: Playing for England
by Dave BowlerThe first critical biography of the English national football team.From Stanley Matthews to Bobby Moore to Michael Owen, all the icons of the English game have worn the famous white shirt. It is those players and their achievements that make the shirt special and still make England the nation the rest of the world wants to beat.Three Lions on the Shirt is a history of the England team throughout the last century. From back in the days when players received a match fee of 10/- for an international, and were selected from the likes of Wednesday Strollers, Clapham Rovers and Darwen, through the post-war humiliation at the hands of the USA and Hungary to England's finest moment in 1966; from the disappointment of the seventies and the eighties to the relative renaissance of the nineties, Dave Bowler chronicles the vicissitudes of a team lambasted and worshipped in equal measure.Three Lions on the Shirt is the first critical biography of the national team: it features original interviews with over fifty plays and managers, past and present, including Tom Finney, Geoff Hurst, Gary Lineker, Rodney Marsh, Cyrille Regis, Les Ferdinand, the Neville brothers and Paul Merson.
Three Lions On The Shirt: Playing for England
by Dave BowlerFrom Stanley Matthews to Bobby Moore to Michael Owen, all the icons of the English game have worn the famous white shirt. It is those players and their achievements that make the shirt special and still make England the nation the rest of the world wants to beat. Three Lions on the Shirt is a history of the England team throughout the last century. From back in the days when players received a match fee of 10/- for an international, and were selected from the likes of Wednesday Strollers, Clapham Rovers and Darwen, through the post-war humiliation at the hands of the USA and Hungary to England's finest moment in 1966; from the disappointment of the seventies and the eighties to the relative renaissance of the nineties, Dave Bowler chronicles the vicissitudes of a team lambasted and worshipped in equal measure. Three Lions on the Shirt is the first critical biography of the national team: it features original interviews with over fifty plays and managers, past and present, including Tom Finney, Geoff Hurst, Gary Lineker, Rodney Marsh, Cyrille Regis, Les Ferdinand, the Neville brothers and Paul Merson.
Three Lions Versus the World: England's World Cup Stories from the Men Who Were There
by Mark Pougatch***FOREWORD BY FABIO CAPELLO***Since their first appearance in the competition in 1950, England's World Cup story has been one of broken dreams, bad luck, shock losses and penalty nightmares, with one shining exception in 1966, when they famously won the Cup after beating Germany 4-2. In Three Lions Versus the World, Mark Pougatch talks to those who have shaped England's World Cup odyssey, from Brazil 1950 when England lost to the amateurs of America, through the triumph of 1966 and the subsequent failure to retain the Cup in 1970, to the spirit-sapping quarter-final defeats in Japan 2002 and Germany 2006.Household names such as Sir Tom Finney, Don Howe, Martin Peters, Trevor Brooking, Gary Lineker, Tony Adams, Glenn Hoddle and Danny Mills share their personal recollections of playing for England both on and off the pitch in the World Cup. Some reveal how they were affected by the demands placed upon them and by the mounting pressure of expectation from the English public. Others comment candidly on the myriad controversies to befall the England squad over the years. Massive highs are recounted and crushing lows painfully recollected. The contributors are united in the pride they shared in wearing the Three Lions shirt for their country in this most special of tournaments. The players' stories and anecdotes woven around the narrative of the World Cup itself, this is an unbeatable, entertaining and enlightening journey through half a century of English World Cup action that no football fan can afford to miss.
Three Rivers Stadium: A Confluence of Champions (Sports)
by The Association of Gentleman Pittsburgh JournalistErected on the city's Northside in 1970, Three Rivers Stadium was Pittsburgh's home of champions for three decades. It hosted the first-ever World Series game played at night as the Pirates would win their last two titles there. The Pitt-Penn State rivalry in college football was never more heated than under the bright lights of Three Rivers. The Steel Curtain era of the Steelers brought Super Bowl wins and elevated the stadium to become one of the most feared venues in all of professional sports. Locally referred to as the "House that Clemente Built," the stadium was the site of the beloved right fielder's 3,000th hit. Join local sportswriters as they recall the roaring crowds, rocking stands and greatest moments of Three Rivers Stadium.
Three Seconds in Munich: The Controversial 1972 Olympic Basketball Final
by David A. SweetOne. Two. Three. That’s as long as it took to sear the souls of a dozen young American men, thanks to the craziest, most controversial finish in the history of the Olympics—the 1972 gold-medal basketball contest between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the world’s two superpowers at the time. The U.S. team, whose unbeaten Olympic streak dated back to when Adolf Hitler reigned over the Berlin Games, believed it had won the gold medal that September in Munich—not once, but twice. But it was the third time the final seconds were played that counted. What happened? The head of international basketball—flouting rules he himself had created—trotted onto the court and demanded twice that time be put back on the clock. A referee allowed an illegal substitution and an illegal free-throw shooter for the Soviets while calling a slew of late fouls on the U.S. players. The American players became the only Olympic athletes in the history of the games to refuse their medals. Of course, the 1972 Olympics are remembered primarily for a far graver matter, when eleven Israeli team members were killed by Palestinian terrorists, stunning the world and temporarily stopping the games. One American player, Tommy Burleson, had a gun to his head as the hostages were marched past him before their deaths. Through interviews with many of the American players and others, the author relates the horror of terrorism, the pain of losing the most controversial championship game in sports history to a hated rival, and the consequences of the players’ decision to shun their Olympic medals to this day.
Three Strike Summer
by Skyler Schrempp&“Told in a voice that is so real it reeks of filched peaches, this book is a home run.&” —Amy Sarig King, Printz Award–winning author of Dig and The Year We Fell from Space Sandlot meets Esperanza Rising in this lyrical middle grade novel set in the 1930s about a strong-willed girl who finds her voice in a tale of moxie, peaches, and determination to thrive despite the odds.When the skies dried up, Gloria thought it was temporary. When the dust storms rolled in, she thought they would pass. But now the bank man&’s come to take the family farm, and Pa&’s decided to up and move to California in search of work. They&’ll pick fruit, he says, until they can save up enough money to buy land of their own again. There are only three rules at the Santa Ana Holdsten Peach Orchard: No stealing product. No drunkenness or gambling. And absolutely no organizing. Well, Gloria Mae Willard isn&’t about to organize any peaches, no ma&’am. She&’s got more on her mind than that. Like the secret, all-boys baseball team she&’s desperate to play for, if only they&’d give her a chance. Or the way that wages keep going down. The way their company lodgings are dirty and smelly, and everyone seems intent on leaving her out of everything. But Gloria has never been the type to wait around for permission. If the boys won&’t let her play, she&’ll find a way to make them. If the people around her are keeping secrets, then she&’ll keep a few of her own. And if the boss men at the Santa Ana Holdsten Peach Orchard say she can&’t organize peaches, then by golly she&’ll organize a whole ball game.
Three Strikes and You're Dead: A Murder, She Wrote Mystery
by Donald Bain Jessica FletcherSylvester Cole leaned into my shoulder and spoke in a soft voice. "Do you mind if I ask you something, Mrs. Fletcher? You're an artist, a writer. You must be a sensitive woman. Am I imagining it, or are you picking up the same negative vibes I'm getting?" "I'm not sure I know what you mean." "The atmosphere in this room and on the team. I've been around plenty of conflict in locker rooms and at team dinners, but nothing like this." He faked a shudder, and rubbed his arms as if he were cold. All evening, I'd sensed the tension flowing between Ty Ramos and Junior Bennett. The conflict between the manager and the owner was no secret either, with the two men seated at either end of the dais and seemingly intent on avoiding any attempts to bring them together-or to get them to smile. At times, the foul mood in the room seemed as thick as the Arizona air outside, and I'd contemplated escaping the ballroom for a breath of fresh air. "Well, I have to admit that there is a certain level of discomfort this evening," I said.
Three Weeks, Eight Seconds: Greg Lemond, Laurent Fignon, And The Epic Tour De France Of 1989
by Nige TassellThe gripping story of the greatest race in cycling history, when Greg LeMond cinched victory by a mere eight seconds. “I was convinced deep inside that I could not lose. I could not see how it could happen.”—Laurent Fignon “I didn't think. I just rode.”—Greg LeMond For a race as long as the mighty Tour (three weeks of testing the limits of human endurance), to have the ultimate victory decided by a margin of just eight seconds almost boggles the mind. But that’s exactly what happened between American legend Greg LeMond and Laurent Fignon. And he did it on the final stage, as the two sprinted through down the Champs Elysees. After more than 2,000 miles in the saddle, it remains the smallest margin of victory in the Tour's 100+ year history. But as dramatic as that Sunday afternoon on the streets of Paris was, the race wasn't just about that one time-trial. During the previous fortnight, the leader's yellow jersey had swapped back and forth between LeMond and Fignon in a titanic struggle for supremacy, a battle with more twists and turns than an Alpine mountain pass. At no point during the entire three weeks were the pair separated by more than 53 seconds, a razor thin margin between ultimate triumph or agonizing torment. And all this despite LeMond's body still carrying more than 30 shotgun pellets after a shooting accident. In Three Weeks, Eight Seconds, Nige Tassell brings one of cycling's most astonishing stories to life, examining that extraordinary race in all its multifaceted glory, complete with fresh first-hand testimony, including exclusive new insight from Team LeMond, Pedro Delgado, Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche, Bjarne Riis, Andy Hampsten, Raul Alcala, Charly Mottet, Sean Yates and many more.
Three and Out: Rich Rodriguez and the Michigan Wolverines in the Crucible of College Football
by John U. BaconThree and Out tells the story of how college football's most influential coach took over the nation's most successful program, only to produce three of the worst seasons in the histories of both Rich Rodriguez and the University of Michigan. Shortly after his controversial move from West Virginia, where he had just taken his alma mater to the #1 ranking for the first time in school history, Coach Rich Rodriguez granted author and journalist John U. Bacon unrestricted access to Michigan's program. Bacon saw it all, from the meals and the meetings, to the practices and the games, to the sidelines and the locker rooms. Nothing and no one was off limits. John U. Bacon's Three and Out is the definitive account of a football marriage seemingly made in heaven that broke up after just three years, and lifts the lid on the best and the worst of college football.
Three and Out: Rich Rodriguez and the Michigan Wolverines in the Crucible of College Football
by John U. Bacon"Like the Moneyball of college football, Three and Out blows the lid off one of the sports world's most perplexing mysteries."—Entertainment WeeklyThree and Out tells the story of how college football's most influential coach took over the nation's most successful program, only to produce three of the worst seasons in the histories of both Rich Rodriguez and the University of Michigan. Shortly after his controversial move from West Virginia, where he had just taken his alma mater to the #1 ranking for the first time in school history, Coach Rich Rodriguez granted author and journalist John U. Bacon unrestricted access to Michigan's program. Bacon saw it all, from the meals and the meetings, to the practices and the games, to the sidelines and the locker rooms. Nothing and no one was off limits. John U. Bacon's Three and Out is the definitive account of a football marriage seemingly made in heaven that broke up after just three years, and lifts the lid on the best and the worst of college football.
Three on Three (Orca Young Readers)
by Eric WaltersNick and Kia get excited when their school gym teacher announces a "three-on-three" basketball tournament. The two most dedicated players in grade three, they know they'll be tough to beat. But when Nick finds out they'll be up against teams in grade four and five, he is ready to throw in the towel before they start. How can shrimps like them ever hope to beat the older kids? Easy, get the best player in the school to be your third player. Marcus is bigger, tougher and in grade five. But it's not as easy to convince Marcus to join their team. The older boy is often uneasy around them, but worse, Kia and Nick find themselves making enemies of some of the kids in the upper grade. Nick realizes it's going to take more than skill at basketball to win this tournament and make friends with Marcus without becoming targets for the older kids off the court.