Digital Learning Commons: Literary Genres: Sports Fiction

Sports Fiction

Sports Fiction includes stories in which a sport has a significant impact on the characters or plot.

Do you know what my favorite part of the game is? The opportunity to play.

Mike Singletary,

football coach and former NFL player

Characteristics

Setting: Sports Fiction is usually set in the real world, typically during present-day, but sometimes during a historical period.

Plot: Characters struggle with issues related to sports, team sports are usually emphasized.

Characters: Characters may include student athletes, young people discovering a new talent, or members of a sports team.

Themes: Plot and characterization often emphasize themes such as team play, sportsmanship, personal growth, and overcoming obstacles.

Authors

Kwame Alexander
John Coy
Carl Deuker
John Feinstein
Alan Gratz
Tim Green
Dan Gutman
Mike Lupica
Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Kathy Mackel
Walter Dean Myers
John H. Ritter

Notable Sports Fiction

Shutout by Brendan Halpin
Amanda and Lena have been soccer stars and best friends for years, but now, when Amanda makes the junior varsity team and Lena makes the varsity, Amanda finds herself increasingly shut out of her friend's life. Suddenly, everything Amanda took for granted is changing--but she's about to discover that might not be bad. Brendan Halpin's new novel is about friendship, family, soccer, and the confusing time when everything that used to feel simple suddenly feels complicated.
Ghost by Jason Reynolds
Ghost, a naturally talented runner and troublemaker, is recruited for an elite middle school track team. He must stay on track, literally and figuratively, to reach his full potential.
The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
Fourteen-year-old twin basketball stars Josh and Jordan wrestle with highs and lows on and off the court as their father ignores his declining health.
Now Is the Time for Running by Michael Williams
Just down the road from their families, Deo and his friends play soccer in the dusty fields of Zimbabwe, cheered on by Deo's older brother, Innocent. It is a day like any other . . . until the soldiers arrive and Deo and Innocent are forced to run for their lives, fleeing the wreckage of their village for the distant promise of safe haven. Along the way, they face the prejudice and poverty that await refugees everywhere, and must rely on the kindness of people they meet to make it through. But when tragedy strikes, Deo's love of soccer is all he has left. Can he use that gift to find hope once more? Relevant, timely, and accessibly written, Now Is the Time For Running is a staggering story of survival that follows Deo and his mentally handicapped older brother on a transformative journey that will stick with readers long after the last page.
Million-Dollar Throw by Mike Lupica
Eighth-grade star quarterback Nate Brodie's family is feeling the stress of the troubled economy, and Nate is frantic because his best friend Abby is going blind, so when he gets a chance to win a million dollars if he can complete a pass during the halftime of a New England Patriot's game, he is nearly overwhelmed by the pressure to succeed.
Unstoppable by Tim Green
If anyone understands the phrase 'tough luck,' it's Harrison. As a foster kid in a cruel home, he knows his dream of one day playing for the NFL is a long shot. Then Harrison's luck seems to change. He is brought into a new home with kind, loving parents--his new dad is even a football coach. Harrison's big build and his incredible determination quickly make him a star running back on the junior high school team. In no time, he's practically unstoppable. But Harrison's good luck can't last forever.
Game Changer by Tommy Greenwald
While thirteen-year-old Teddy fights for his life after a football injury at training camp, his friends and family gather to support him and discuss events leading to his coma. Told through dialogue, text messages, newspaper articles, transcripts, an online forum, and Teddy's inner thoughts.
Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson
A graphic novel adventure about a girl who discovers roller derby right as she and her best friend are growing apart.
Slam! by Walter Dean Myers
Sixteen-year-old "Slam" Harris is counting on his noteworthy basketball talents to get him out of the inner city and give him a chance to succeed in life, but his coach sees things differently.