Fast Lane to Victory: The Story of Jenny Thompson, Vol. 3
- Book Review,
by Doreen L. Greenberg
From School Library Journal
Gr 3-6-The Greenbergs describe the young athlete's development as a swimmer and the personal qualities that helped to make her an Olympic champion. A preface by Julie Foudy, president-elect of the Women's Sports Foundation, and an introduction by Jackie Joyner-Kersee indicate the need for contemporary female-sports role models for girls. The authors then describe Thompson's successes and challenges through what seems to be fictionalized dialogue; there is no bibliography. Each chapter includes a vignette of a famous female swimmer and poor-quality, black-and-white line drawings. "Career Highlights" lists Thompson's special accomplishments; "Sports Talk" discusses issues and concerns about female sports competition in an open and honest manner. "Women's Swimming" includes programs, organizations, books, and Web sites.Janice C. Hayes, Middle Tennessee State University, MurfreesboroCopyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
Book Description
The Anything You Can Do series is unprecedented in its concept of offering real stories of new heroes to young girls. The premise of the series is to profile a variety of young athletes, from a variety of ethnic, socio-economic, geographical and family backgrounds who have grown up to achieve excellence in Olympic and professional sports. Series Foreword by Julie Foudy, Member U.S. Women's World Cup-Winning Soccer Team Series Introduction by Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Olympic Track & Field Superstar and Sports Illustrated for Women's Athlete of the Century
Download Description
Fast Lane to Victory: The Story of Jenny Thompson Jenny Thompson grew up in a working class New England coastal town with a single mom and three older brothers. As her family struggled to make ends meet, Jenny found a bounty of good fortune and success in the swimming pool. The family folklore maintains that Jenny could swim before she could walk. This water baby went on to win eight Olympic Gold medals as one of the fastest female swimmers in the world. Jenny had to deal with some hardships, including wearing a brace for scoliosis and being teased about being so tall and strong. And she did it with her constant positive outlook and rugged determination to succeed. This story lets the young reader know that being competitive is okay for girls and that dreams really do come true.
About the Author
Dr. Doreen Greenberg is a certified consultant in sports psychology and has worked with school, college, professional and Olympic athletes from a variety of sports. She was a primary author of Physical Activity and Sport in the Lives of Girls (1997), a report for the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports; an associate editor of the Encyclopedia of Women and Sport in America (Oryx Press, 1998), and editor of Sport in the Lives of Urban Girls (Women's Sports Foundation, 1999). Michael A. Greenberg is a former English teacher and a retired business executive. He and his wife, Doreen, live in New Jersey with their three dogs. They have two grown daughters.
Excerpted from Fast Lane to Victory by Doreen & Michael Greenberg
From the Introduction by Jackie Joyner-Kersee: More than 25 years ago, the Women's Sports Foundation was founded to promote the lifelong participation of girls and women in sports and fitness. We have been very successful, and we have seen many changes over the years. At that time only one in 27 girls played sports; now it's one in three. And that's because more and more opportunities exist to be a female athlete and also to follow female sports heroes. Even with thousands of girls attending World Cup Soccer or cheering on their favorite WNBA team, we still have a long way to go. We need to get the message out to more girls. We need to let every girl know how great it feels to play sports and how very important it is to her whole being. We still have too many 11- and 12-year-old girls dropping out of sports or never even having had the chance to play at all. In fact, if a girl does not participate in sports by age 10, there is a less than 10-percent chance that she will be participating when she is 25. Research suggests that girls who participate in sports have a real advantage over girls who do not. Girls active in sports are more likely to be successful in school, less likely to get involved with drugs, and less likely to have an unwanted pregnancy. Sport and exercise can help to keep girls healthy, both physically and emotionally. The girl who is athletic feels stronger, eats and sleeps better, is more self-confident, and generally feels more positive about her life. For a very long time, boys have had unlimited resources, such as books, movies, and games about sports and their favorite sports legends. Sport is where boys have traditionally learned about achieving, goal-setting, teamwork and the pursuit of excellence. Girls and women should have these skills, too. We need to establish a large-scale network of resources about girls' sports and female athletes. And we need to give girls their own heroes. "Anything You Can Do..." is unprecedented in its concept of offering real stories of new heroes to young girls. These are the adventures of young girls coming from different backgrounds who go on to achieve excellence in sports. This series can open a whole new world for young girls. These books will give young girls a chance to explore the biographies of elite female athletes and their early sport experiences. The common thread that runs through all of these stories is a strong one - of perseverance and desire. Yet, each story is unique. Some are famous; some are not. Although the young reader may not always recognize the name of every athlete in the series, she may very well recognize herself, her friends and her teammates in these stories. Doreen and Michael Greenberg bring to this series a long dedication to providing positive sport experiences for girls. I like their philosophy that it is not as important for the young reader to come away with the name of the person who won the big championship or the winning score, as an understanding of what it means to be a female athlete. And by including the unique "Sports Talk" section in each book, Doreen has the opportunity to use her expertise as a sport psychology consultant and researcher to discuss important issues with parents and teachers. These are issues distinctive to girls in sports, including competing with the boys, making sacrifices, dealing with coaches, anxieties about winning and losing, and concerns about body image. I am delighted that these books deal with a young girl's introduction to sports, the highs and lows of training and competition, and the reactions of family and friends, both positive and negative. It is so important for all of us to understand the young athlete as a complete person. Most of all, the books in this series are fun and exciting to read. They will inspire girls to follow their dreams - whatever they are.
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