Edward Wong

Dr. Warner

English 112B

May 3, 2006

The Inspiring World of Football

The heart pounding, the palms are sweating, and there�s only twelve seconds left on the clock before the game is over. This, and many more reasons like this, is why I love sports with a burning passion. In particular, I love the sport of football. There is nothing better than an ensemble of twenty two talented individuals on the field, ready to battle it out for a glorious, muddy win. This is just one of the reasons why I chose to do my annotated bibliography on football. However, football is not just for the fanatics. The sport of football contains a lot of inspirational stories, from overcoming prejudice to going through rehabilitation due to a devastating injury. The strong, mental perseverance alone is breath-taking. In fact, although injuries can be healed, often times the mind is scarred even more, in which a person�s own sheer willpower could be the only medication to calm the inner storms.

Therefore, many young teens are captivated by football because football is filled with so many inspirational stories. Teen athletes can often relate to struggles that a professional athlete might go through. Such struggles can be injury, low income, drugs, pitfalls of popularity and fame, teen-parent relationship, and sibling rivalry. In addition, according to Literature for Today�s Young Adults, Dan Gutman describes how even the most reluctant teen reader can be inspired to read because of action, excitement, humor, and even a possible villain that certain sports novels contain (Donelson, 183). Reading is a huge struggle for many teenagers. Having a little extra help wouldn�t hurt.

Scholastic inspiration is still yet just another avenue of many inspirational avenues. For example, the annotated bibliography below offers selections for African Americans and other minorities. Such selections include inspirations from Bo Jackson, one of the first of a handful of athletes that played professional football and baseball. Another facet of inspiration are the touching stories of athletes, both fictional and biographical, dealing with the relationship between father and son. Some of the stories include �how-to� tips in having proper techniques when playing football, like Boomer Esiason�s book, A Boy named Boomer. And as mentioned above, other stories confront the issues of drugs and the mental pitfalls of devastating injury while recovering in rehabilitation.

Although most of the annotated bibliographies listed below are biographies, many young teens can extract inspirational help from each book. Each young teen that is aspiring to be a running back, a quarterback, or a defensive back can use any number of role models listed below to look up to. Strength, motivation, and encouragement can be drawn from each player below. Knowing this, and knowing the great and monumental accomplishments that these NFL players have done, young teens can proceed to dream bigger, set goals, and push beyond what has already been accomplished. Overall this is a great benefit for everyone because it encourages young teens everywhere strive to be the best that they can be. Therefore, as these young teens grow up to be men and women, the surrounding communities can only flourish from having more positive influences, thereby aspiring and producing more young men and women to rise up to the challenge of life.

Barber, Tiki. By My Brother's Side. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young

Readers, 2004.

When young Tiki suffers a serious leg injury in a bicycle crash, he's devastated. Ronde never flags in keeping his twin's spirits up, however, and before long the two are tossing a baseball, and then a football around like nothing had ever happened. Then, on the eve of their League football season, the boys vow to make it to the top, together, "playing in a big stadium... in front of a great big crowd," Super Bowl-big.

This work is helpful because it gives a source for young teens that have had similar situations thereby motivating teens to strive further in their athletic career. One of the strengths of the book is how Tiki perseveres mentally to get back into playing ball again. This source should be used because it is motivating and inspirational.

Buckley, James. America's Greatest Game: The Real Story Of Football And The NFL.

New York: Hyperion Books for Children, 1998.

This book consists mainly of outstanding full-color photographs of players at various levels of proficiency from peewee to pro. Readers also get a whirlwind tour of football history, profiles of a handful of current NFL standouts, and a chapter dealing with game-day traditions. It notes football's early beginnings in 1869, when Princeton and Rutgers took on each other in a game that was probably more soccer than the football we know today.

This work is helpful because it gives a historical perspective of the NFL and the sport of football in general. It helps teens to give a greater appreciation to the sport of football and the great lengths it has gone through in keeping up the tradition of excellence. This is a great source for anyone who does not know much about football to even a person that loves football. It gives great facts on history that people can learn and take from.

Buckley, James. Super Bowl Heroes. New York: Dorling Kindersley Pub., 2000.

This book provides highlights from Super Bowls I-XXXIV and includes snippets of information about trophies, rings, records, glitzy pregame and halftime shows, collectibles, the media, and "super stadiums." Small photos (action shots, pictures of star players and coaches, images of memorabilia) compete for space in each double-page spread, with a paragraph of text and lengthy captions printed in small type.

This book is helpful because it gives an exciting account and highlights of past Super Bowl games. Teens can gain greater appreciation for the sport of football by learning how the best two teams of each year battled it out to win the deserving title of champions. This source should be used because it is another historical reference that teens would enjoy without the struggles of boredom.

Chadwick, Bruce. Deion Sanders. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1996.

This book follows the life and career of Deion Sanders, also known as Neon Deion or Prime Time. Sanders was brought up in Florida and attended Florida State University. He is one of the few who played baseball and football. Although he played both sports, he excelled greatly in each one, being the one person to play in the World Series and Super Bowl. The book continues to give more statistics and stories of his struggles and success, on and off the field.

This work is helpful because it offers young African Americans and any other aspiring minority to strive to be the best despite the existence of bigotry. This source should be used because Deion Sanders is one of the rare great athletes that made it big in both football and baseball. It gives a nice sample for anyone who wants to diversify their sports career.

Christopher, Matt. In The Huddle With-- Steve Young. Boston: Little, Brown and

Company, 1996.

This book is an enjoyable, straightforward biography of the scrambling quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers. The book follows Young from his Mormon roots in Utah (he's the great-great-great-grandson of Brigham Young), through his high school days and college career, to his early frustrations as a second stringer in the professional ranks and eventual triumph, leading the 49ers to the NFL championship in the 1994 season.

This book is helpful because it gives an account of one of the smartest football players/quarterbacks who ever played the game. Any aspiring quarterback can learn patience as well as excellence from Steve Young. This source should be used because it not only derives from football but the lessons learned can be applied in almost all areas of life.

Christopher, Matt. Tackle Without a Team. Boston: Little, Brown, 1989.

Scott Kramer, the right tackle for the Greyhawks, finds himself kicked off the team when marijuana cigarettes are found in his duffel bag. The plot begins to spiral when Scott joins another team and his problems continue. The story then begins to unfold as Scott's girlfriend, his mother, and his own ingenuity help to discover the person trying to discredit him. Five black-and-white drawings provide visuals of the characters that display human qualities, but are often stereotyped. Sports, jealousies, and drugs provide the setting that students might find educational as well as entertaining.

This book is very helpful because it integrates real life situations with the sport of football. Drug use is a big problem in the world of sports, therefore one of the book�s strengths is how it encourages teens the destructive affects of drugs. This source should be used because many students can use it as a reference in how to deal with drugs, peer pressure, and to learn from the mistakes of social pitfalls attributed to teenage inexperience.

Devaney, John. Bo Jackson: A Star For All Seasons. New York: Walker and Co., 1992.

The book is tightly written and portrays both the on and off field in the Bo Jackson's life. Jackson's deviant childhood activities are portrayed realistically and unsympathetically, making his later accomplishments, including obtaining his college degree, even more admirable. He comes across as the human he is, not as some sort of unblemished deity.

This book is helpful because Bo Jackson is another rare player that played both baseball and football, and did well in both. It offers some connections to low income minorities and gives encouragement in showing hard work does payoff. This source should be used because Bo Jackson was for a period of time an icon in the world of sports. It is a great historical reference for sports media and pop culture.

Dolan, Edward F. Basic Football Strategy: An Introduction For Young Players. Garden

City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1976.

This book gives an introduction to both offensive and defensive football strategy as well as the mental and physical preparation necessary to be a successful player. Young players who have mastered the basic skills of football are introduced to the fundamentals of both offensive and defensive strategy. This book goes over certain basics of football in addition to recognizing certain formations and calling plays. This is a great book for amateurs who want to start writing their own play book.

This book is a great help for young aspiring teens striving to improve techniques and sharpen strategic play-calling. One of the books strengths is the instant result by actually demonstrating some of the techniques it gives. This source should be used because it is a great tool for coaches and teens.

Dougherty, Terri. Barry Sanders. Edina, Minn.: ABDO, 1999.

The thin volumes provide brief biographical sketches that summarize Barry Sanders� memorable career, with only brief mentions of personal histories. The profiles are an enthusiastic introduction for new fans but lack depth for more informed enthusiasts.

This work is helpful because it inspires young teens to work hard. One of the strengths of this book is how it shows some of the moves Barry Sanders used. It is a great source that should be used because an aspiring teen can gain fancier techniques when running with the ball.

Esiason, Boomer. A Boy Named Boomer. New York: Scholastic, 1995.

This book is a unique easy reader that will appeal to young sports fans. Professional football star Norman Julius "Boomer" Esiason addresses readers in an introductory letter, then presents 12 reminiscences from his youth, focusing on family, friends, school, and sports. Furthermore, Boomer Esiason gets instruction by his father on how to catch a football through his receiving the best Christmas gift ever in December.

This biography is helpful because it shows a touching side to family dynamics. The strength of this book is how it addresses the sensitive relationship between father and son. This source should be used because not only does it give tips on how to throw a football, but it connects to young athletes who struggle with their relationship with their parents.

Nelson, Sharlene P. Brett Favre. Mankato, Minn.: Capstone High-Interest Books, 2001.

This book follows the career of Brett Favre. It shows the importance of a quarterback in a football team and some basics in throwing and calling plays through Farve�s example. A veritable sage in the 'West Coast' offense with over a decade of experience, Favre is equally valuable off the field for his game-planning contributions as he is on it with his patented spirals. His consistently high production level is attested to by his completions, attempts, yards and touchdown totals, tops in the NFL over the past 12 seasons (1991-2002). The book continues more with statistics and life accomplishments.

This book is helpful because it shows how dedication and commitment can help lead and command respect in a football team. The strength of this book is how it reveals Favre�s motivating passion and heart for football. Such pure drive can inspire many other facets of life. This source should be used because it shows how a �gun-slinging� maverick of football can be successful. This book offers a great lesson in decision-making without regrets.

Wallace, Rich. The Roar Of The Crowd. New York: Viking, 2004.

Manny Ramos goes out for the football team at his New Jersey school. He weighs a mere 87 pounds while some of his teammates are closer to the 155-pound maximum. Although he is a fast runner, he hardly gets to play during practice. When he gets a chance to participate in the kickoff of the first game, he makes a couple of mistakes that contribute to the squad's loss. Then it's back to no action for Manny. Another opportunity results in success and finally he feels like he's part of the team. The family scenes are well written and believable.

This story conveys an important message about perseverance and making the most of one's strengths. If a school system is ready to change the environment of their schools by confronting the problem of bullying, this book is the instruction manual that they should use. Through accessible language and practical ideas, the authors weave research with tested programs that empower the school community to create a respectful environment that would not support peer abuse.

Additional work cited:

Donelson, Kenneth L. and Nilsen, Alleen Pace. Literature for Today�s Young

Adults, Seventh Edition. New York: Pearson Education Inc. 2005.