Books with title Basketball Stars

Ever since his sudden move from the city to the suburbs, the one place Jeremy feels at home is on the basketball court. But North Bridge is not like any place Jeremy has ever played before. Back home, there would be twenty or thirty kids and maybe three or four balls. He'd wait for a ball, pick a spot, and shoot. Here the kids didn't have to wait at all. Balls were flying everywhere. Jeremy even saw two jerks get hit in the head because there were so many balls. And the parents. They were always there, and there were so many of them -- at the clinics ... at the tryouts ... everywhere. Who's playing anyway? Maybe if Jeremy wasn't displaced and living with his grandmother, he'd feel as though he fit in. Jeremy figures the only way out is to take the car and leave. Just walk away from his teammates, Hank and Nathan, and Anabel. It's just a game, after all, isn't it?

Playing sports is as much a mental game as it is a physical one, and this entry in the Mind vs. Muscle: The Psychology of Sports series (6 titles) describes how important sports psychologists are in helping basketball players develop the mental toughness to win. They teach goal setting and affirmations, which help athletes perform effectively as a team. The book covers basketball basics, overall team strength, the role of the coach, and the mental strategies, such as visualization, that players use to psych themselves up for game day. Different coaches and NBA players are profiled, and the book contains a glossary, a further-reading section, color photos of players of both genders, and an index. Although the topic isn't covered in great depth, there's much here that will appeal to young, aspiring players.