Collection: YA Books About Sports and Overcoming Challenges

If you’ve ever played trained as an athlete or played team sports, you know that it takes serious effort to make it to the top. And even if you’ve never played, if you’ve ever watched any shows with sports storylines, you definitely feel for the characters as they put everything on the line and fight for the future of their dreams.

These books tell stories about teens playing sports, as well as the challenges they face off the field, court, or mat. These sometimes uplifting and sometimes difficult stories depict the very true experience of teens defying the odds stacked against them, whether they’re battling addiction, trying to escape a messy home life, dealing with homophobic teammates, or trying to push their way out of poverty.