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Calling all sports fans!
Who ever said sports lovers aren't bookworms too? Not us! We've gathered books from some favorite sports heroes just for you! Football, baseball, basketball, golf, everything Olympics — we love 'em.
Hint: If your sweetie is a fan, buy a few for him or her, too!
Go team! There's something for everyone.
Books for Football Fans
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Flip the Script: Lessons Learned on the Road to a Championship by Ed Orgeron
College football coach Ed Orgeron of the LSU Tigers shares the inspiring story of his team's record-breaking success after working hard in his leadership role to change old patterns and disappointment all the way to reaching the championship.
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Still in the Game: Finding the Faith to Tackle Life’s Biggest Challenges by Devon Still
Be proud of your scars. They’re signs that you survived whatever tried to break you.
For Devon Still, life has been a journey from one scar to the next. From one challenge to the next. His is a story of pushing through pain and overcoming obstacles of all shapes and sizes—of choosing to fight for the sake of his family, his community, and his faith.
Inseparable: How Family and Sacrifice Forged a Path to the NFL by Shaquem & Shaquill Griffin
Much more than a sports memoir, in Inseparable Shaquem and Shaquill Griffin share the previously untold details of the powerful and inspiring story behind the modern NFL’s first one-handed player, and his twin brother’s unrelenting devotion, sacrifice, and love. It’s the story of Shaquem’s understanding of God’s purpose for his life—to inspire others to stop being afraid and to stop making excuses—and his family’s unwavering support in spite of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. The Griffins’ unlikely underdog story has already captured the imagination of millions of football fans and physically challenged people around the world.
Book 8 - 30%: https://faithgateway.com/products/nothing-comes-easy-family-faith-then-football?variant=19856160096367
The Greatest You: Face Reality, Release Negativity, and Live Your Purpose by Trent Shelton
Writing from deep, been-there experience, college football standout-turned NFL dropout Trent Shelton takes you on a journey to become the best hope-filled version of yourself.
Trent Shelton seemed to have it all together–until everything fell apart. A college football standout, his NFL dreams died when he was cut from multiple teams. With no job and no prospects, learning he had a child on the way and numbing himself with whatever he could find, Trent then found out one of his closest friends had killed himself. Life seemed without hope–until Trent discovered the secret to finding promise in the darkest of times. And now he shares that secret with you.
Sharing his revolutionary toolkit for transforming your life and reaching your goals, in The Greatest You, Trent will help you
- become everything you are meant to be;
- face the reality of your circumstances and realize your purpose in life;
- break free from toxic environments and forgive those who've harmed you; and
- learn how to guard yourself against the pitfalls of life.
Weaving together personal stories from his own life and from others who have also gone through hard times, Trent reveals how you can bring out the best in yourself and establish a happier, more fulfilled future for generations to come.
Books for Baseball Fans
42 Faith: The Rest of the Jackie Robinson Story by Ed Henry
Jackie Robinson, Branch Rickey, and the hidden hand of God that changed history
Journalist and baseball lover Ed Henry reveals for the first time the backstory of faith that guided Jackie Robinson into not only the baseball record books but the annals of civil rights advancement as well. Through recently discovered sermons, interviews with Robinson’s family and friends, and even an unpublished book by the player himself, Henry details a side of Jackie’s humanity that few have taken the time to see.
Branch Rickey, the famed owner who risked it all by signing Jackie to his first contract, is also shown as a complex individual who wanted nothing more than to make his God-fearing mother proud of him.
Book 1 - 30%: https://faithgateway.com/products/42-faith-the-rest-of-the-jackie-robinson-story?variant=13763310747759
Curveball: How I Discovered True Fulfillment After Chasing Fortune and Fame
The painfully honest and personal story of one of baseball’s most intriguing players.
In Curveball, Zito shares his story with honesty and transparency. The ups and the downs. The wins and losses. By sharing his experiences as a man who had everything except happiness, Zito offers readers a path through adversity and toward a life defined by true success.
Despite achieving the kind of fame and fortune that most people only dream about, Barry Zito was plagued by both internal forces and external circumstances that robbed him of any sense of peace—until he finally found a purpose worth living for.
Barry explores the twists and turns of his own journey, including:
- his dad’s constant push and pursuit for excellence, which translated into a toxic father-son relationship,
- how achieving superstardom in the major leagues created crippling fear,
- the personal destruction brought on by fame and fortune,
- and the disastrous seasons with the San Francisco Giants, including being benched for the 2010 playoffs and World Series.
Zito comes face-to-face with the destructiveness of his own ego—his need to be viewed as the best. He also comes face-to-face with God and with the truth that he was loved no matter what he achieved.
Book 7 - 30%: https://faithgateway.com/products/curveball-how-failure-on-the-mound-taught-me-success-in-life?variant=17654532997231
Books for Golfers
Golf's Sacred Journey, the Sequel: 7 More Days in Utopia by David L. Cook
Golf is more than a game. Behind every stroke and ace, there are hours of practice. Before every trophy, there is sacrifice. At every driving range, there are successes and failures. And inside every golfer, there is a story.
In Golf's Sacred Journey, the Sequel, the book that follows bestselling Golf's Sacred Journey, professional golfer Luke Chisholm returns to his winsome and wise mentor, Johnny Crawford, for what he's best at: advice. This time, Luke needs help of a different sort. He needs guidance on playing in the most difficult golf tournament in the world: the U.S. Open. Victory is in sight.
Book 2 - 30%: https://faithgateway.com/products/golfs-sacred-journey-the-sequel-7-more-days-in-utopia?variant=13752196235375
Books for Car Racing Fans
Racing to the Finish: My Story by Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s only authorized book revealing the inside track on his final year of racing and retirement from the driver’s seat.
“Time was running out on my charade… My secrets were about to be exposed to the world.”
It was a seemingly minor crash at Michigan International Speedway in June 2016 that ended the day early for Dale Earnhardt Jr. What he didn’t know was that it would also end his driving for the year. He’d dealt with concussions before, but concussions are like snowflakes, no two are the same. And recovery can be brutal, and lengthy.
When NASCAR star Dale Earnhardt Jr. retired from professional stock car racing in 2017, he walked away from his career as a healthy man. But for years, he had worried that the worsening effects of multiple racing-related concussions would end not only his time on the track but his ability to live a full and happy life.
Torn between a race-at-all-costs culture and the fear that something was terribly wrong, Earnhardt tried to pretend that everything was fine, but the private notes about his escalating symptoms that he kept on his phone reveal a vicious cycle: suffering injuries on Sunday, struggling through the week, then recovering in time to race again the following weekend. For the first time, he shares these notes and fully reveals the physical and emotional struggles he faced as he fought to close out his career on his own terms.
In this candid reflection, Earnhardt opens up about his frustration with the slow recovery, his admiration for the woman who stood by him through it all, and his determination to share his own experience so that others don’t have to suffer in silence. Steering his way to the final checkered flag of his storied career proved to be the most challenging race and most rewarding finish of his life.
Book 6 - 30%: https://faithgateway.com/products/racing-to-the-finish-my-story?variant=13761473970287
Books for Fans of Gymnastics
Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, A Life in Balance by Simone Biles
In Courage to Soar, the official autobiography from four-time Olympic gold-winning and record-setting American gymnast Simone Biles, Simone shares how her faith, family, passion, and perseverance has made her one of the top athletes and gymnasts in the world—and how you too can overcome challenges in your life.
Book 10 - 40%: https://faithgateway.com/products/courage-to-soar-a-body-in-motion-a-life-in-balance-1?variant=13758339088495
Books for Ice Skating Fans
Finish First: Winning Changes Everything by Scott Hamilton
Go for the win! Achieve excellence and be better than you’ve ever been!
In his years as a professional ice-skater, Olympic Gold Medalist Scott Hamilton learned to embrace the mind-set of working hard to “beat” the competition. But it seems competition has gotten a bad rap these days. We’ve bought into the belief that it is unfair to participants to rank performance. Yet competition is in fact a good thing because it’s about working toward excellence.
Finish First is a wake-up call for business leaders, entrepreneurs, spouses, parents, and even students to stop settling for mediocre and begin to revitalize their intrinsic will to achieve excellence and go for the win. Most of us feel we were made for something more, but we’re often afraid to allow ourselves to be competitive because we think our finishing first might somehow rob others of their chance to shine. This book encourages the hidden potential, the champion within all of us, to come out—which eventually brings our family, marriage, career, business, and the world around us the greatest possible good.
Book 11 - 30%: https://faithgateway.com/products/finish-first-winning-changes-everything-1?variant=33624364744840
Books for Runners
Journey with Olympian and American half marathon record holder Ryan Hall as he reflects on the joys and trials of running and, along the way, shows you how he found God in every step.
Ryan shares the powerful faith behind his athletic achievements and the lessons he learned that helped him push past his limits, make space for relationships that enrich his life on and off the running trails, and cultivate a positive mindset.
Book 12 - 40%: https://faithgateway.com/products/run-the-mile-youre-in-finding-god-in-every-step?variant=16088077041775
Wrapup content
If you're looking for DIY gift ideas or inspo, check out our Homemade Gift book pairings here. If you're searching for great ways to pair books with gifts, see our post on Gift Parings here.
Looking for gift bundles? Check out our bundles page here.
Also, peruse our Christmas bundles for gift giving page here.
