Professional Sports

A young, Black kid from a hardworking family in one of the poorest sections of Washington, DC, despite being legally blind in one eye, leaps to the pinnacle of his sport: the Hall of Fame. A rookie bank teller rises to become one of the nation's most celebrated Black business leaders. A once-reluctant political neophyte answers the call to become a major of America's most troubled big city, and he establishes a mentoring program for African American boys that serves as a model for the nation. All of these stories belong to Dave Bing.

Larry H. Miller played by his own rules. Owner of an NBA franchise and founder of one of the country's largest automotive retail groups, Larry was a college dropout who went on to buy or build nearly 100 businesses. While his life as a successful businessman played out in public, his health challenges, as well as his quiet acts of service, were known to very few. Behind the Drive contains 99 uplifting and untold stories from every aspect and era of Larry's life.

Jim Morris escaped the desolation of his youth by dreaming of pitching in the major leagues. But as with most kids, it was just a fantasy, made all the more impossible by injuries he suffered in his early 20s. Years passed, and on his 35th birthday Jim Morris found himself settled as a high...

In this multipurpose guide to the sport of tennis, a former highly ranked British junior provides a raft of practical tips for improving your game while uncloaking the myths that surround the halcyon turf of the professional game. This audiobook outlines all the key basic tennis techniques, provides you with the best drills to improve your game, and explains how to develop the skills professional players possess.

Nature took on a new importance for thousands of people when the coronavirus pandemic arrived in Britain, providing solace in a time of great anxiety - not least because the crisis struck at the beginning of spring, the season of hope and renewal, and furthermore, in an extraordinary conjunction, the spring of 2020 turned out to be the loveliest spring ever recorded in Britain. Three nature writers, living like everyone else under lockdown, but walking out each day to exercise, resolved to record their experiences of the coronavirus spring, in widely contrasting parts of the country.

For many, playing professional sport is the Dream Job. Few manage it, very few make it to the top and for the rest, life is very different. This is their story. In Fringes, Ben Mercer invites you to witness life at the outer edges of professional rugby. This is a first hand account of what life is like as a journeyman professional athlete. You play, but to the wider public you don't exist. You earn but you don't drive a flash car. You sometimes pack out a stadium but sometimes, you play in a deserted park. This is the story for the majority of sports professionals.

A Nigerian native who emigrated to the United States at age 11, Alex Owumi's exploits on the basketball court earned him a college scholarship to Georgetown University. Undrafted by the NBA, Owumi pursued his basketball dream overseas, eventually signing with Al-Nasr of Libya, a state-run athletic club privately funded by the family of Libyan president Muammar Qaddafi.

JFK's Secret Doctor tells a thrilling story of adventure and a historic medical career. Set against the grand panorama of 20th century world events, it captures the remarkable life and spirit of climber and medical visionary Hans Kraus (1905–1996). Kraus was taught English by writer James Joyce, escaped Nazi-dominated Europe, and was JFK's secret back specialist.

Sadio Mané is one of Liverpool FC's 'Fab Four'. Along with Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino and Xherdan Shakiri, Sadio's goals have helped make Liverpool the deadliest attacking team in the Premier League. Since he moved to the Premier League, Sadio has been setting the bar to new heights - from scoring the fastest hat-trick in history to becoming the most expensive African footballer ever. There is no stopping the Fab Four, and the sky is the limit for Sadio Mané.

Ultra-OCR Man tells the story of an unlikely athlete, Evan Perperis, who grew up to serve in the United States Army’s Special Forces. He uses his 44 cumulative months of combat experience, mostly Iraq, to excel in the extreme sport of Ultra-distance Obstacle Course Racing (OCR). Through his journey he honors the memory of his fallen friends and soldiers as well as defying the limits of what some believe is possible in the sport.

An exclusive look at England Rugby from a former player with a unique perspective. Nobody has spent as much time in the front line of rugby union's first two dramatic decades of professionalism - as a player, coach and administrator (blazer) - as Rob Andrew, or taken as much flak, all this in the wake of one of the most distinguished and successful of England Rugby playing careers.

One day in 2002 the 50-year old body of former Pittsburgh Steeler and hall of famer Mike Webster was laid on a cold table in front of pathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu. Webster's body looked to Omalu like the body of a much older man, and the circumstances of his behavior prior to his death were clouded in mystery. But when Omalu cut into Webster's brain, it appeared to be normal. Something didn't add up.

Are you settling for less than your full potential? Ryback, also known as "The Big Guy", may seem like he has it all - success as a professional athlete, health, money, and a physique to envy. But in Wake Up! It's Feeding Time he reveals that he hasn't always been so successful; he had to earn it. The key to his success - and yours too, if you heed his advice - is to "believe in yourself, even when nobody else does", set smart goals, and work toward achieving them.

A Sportsman's Life is the story of a man, his company, and his love of the outdoors, his commitment to conservation, and his infectious enthusiasm for the good life. This memoir is a great listen for any angler or hunter—and even for those of us who just want to dress like one.

Bloodsport is the story of the creation of America's deal culture and the battle for control of America's corporations. Told through the fascinating, complex, and often flawed characters who created a new era, it begins as the '60s are ending, with the rise of the conglomerates, those vast assemblages of corporate assets. It rolls through the crisis-wracked '70s and the birth of the hostile deal then careens into the '80s, when the deal culture of mergers and acquisitions is truly unleashed.

Melanie Curtis is a life coach, speaker, author, professional skydiver, and ball of light. This book is chronological anthology of every single Blue Skies Magazine column she wrote for every single issue for over a decade. Also every single feature article and in-depth interview. As you listen, you will hear Melanie grow and evolve as a professional skydiver and person.

The millions of fans who watch World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) programs each year are well aware of their role in building the narrative of the sport. #WWE: Professional Wrestling in the Digital Age explores the intersections between media, technology, and fandom in WWE's contemporary programming and business practices. In the Reality Era of WWE (2011 to the present), wrestling narratives have increasingly drawn on real-life personalities and events that stretch beyond the story-world created and maintained by WWE.

Documenting multiple challenges at every turn - as a target for racism from society at large and sexism both inside and outside of the Negro League - this is the unique story of the first woman to play professional baseball on a men's team, breaking barriers in sports while believing, "There's got to be a first in everything. Maybe it will be me." The text explains that as players began to leave the Negro League for major league teams, Toni Stone seized her only opportunity to play professional ball and replaced Henry Aaron on the Negro League's top team.

Hoop Dreams Fulfilled is a detailed, first-person account of an athlete's failures and struggles on his way to playing professional basketball. Through in-depth experiences, Tyson Hartnett describes his journey playing basketball starting in fourth grade, through high school, college, and eventually professionally overseas. He profiles his mistakes and failures and his eventual redemption.

Underneath the dirty lights of the wrestling ring, lies a world far from the glitz and glamour seen by the audience. It's a world of scraped elbows from bloody canvas's long drives in beaten-up cars, and paychecks that barely cover gas money. A world where "enhancement talents" exist-not to win but also not to lose, but to be spectacular at the cost of their own bodies.